PSU Error Alert - Troubleshooting Guide

KB 717596 - PSU Error Alert - Troubleshooting Guide

Purpose

This document provides a standardized approach for handling and troubleshooting the PSU Error alert, ensuring quick identification of power supply issues and maintaining system power redundancy.

Alert Name

PSU Error

Alert Description

This alert is triggered when a power supply unit (PSU) error or AC power loss is detected.

It indicates a fault in one or more PSUs, which are critical for maintaining redundant power in the system.

Loss of a PSU increases the risk of:

  1. Node outage
  2. System instability
  3. Complete power failure if redundancy is lost

Severity


P2 - High Impact

Possible Causes

  1. PSU hardware failure
  2. AC power cable disconnection
  3. Power source failure
  4. Loose PSU connection
  5. Faulty power feed or PDU issue
  6. Redundancy configuration issue 

L1 Engineer Actions

Step 1 – Log the Alert

  1. Log in to the monitoring system
  2. Review alert summary and affected node

Step 2 – Create Ticket

  1. Inform L2 team
  2. Create an internal ticket including:
    1. Alert name
    2. Hostname
    3. PSU details (if available)
    4. Timestamp
    5. Observations

Step 3 – Escalation (If required)

  1. Share alert details with L2 for further investigation

Step 4 – Documentation

  1. After confirmation with L2:
    1. Update Issue Master Sheet
    2. Ensure proper tracking of the issue

L2 Engineer Actions

Step 1 – Verify via BMC

  1. Log in to BMC/IPMI interface
  2. Check hardware health status
  3. Identify PSU alerts or failures

Step 2 – Identify Failed PSU

  1. Determine:
    1. PSU unit (Side A or Side B)
    2. Fault type (failure / not present / AC loss

Step 3 – Check in different rack and row

Step 4 - OEM Escalation

  1. Inform OEM/vendor with:
    1. Hardware logs (BMC screenshots/logs)
    2. Server details
    3. PSU failure details

Step 5 – Physical Verification

  1. Reseat the PSU if loose
  2. Check power cable connections
  3. Replace PSU if faulty

Step 6 - Check Power Feed Redundancy

  1. Verify both power supplies are connected to:
    1. Separate power sources (PDU/UPS)
  2. Ensure redundancy is intact

Resolution

The issue is considered resolved when:

  1. All PSUs are operational
  2. Power redundancy is restored
  3. No hardware errors are reported in BMC
  4. Alert is cleared

Escalation

  1. L1 → L2: For validation and troubleshooting
  2. L2 → OEM/Vendor: For PSU replacement or hardware issues