A method of monitoring a computer
system, by detecting a power interruption to the computer
system, using power down sense logic, and generating an alert associated with the power interruption. When the computer
system is networked, the alert is transmitted to a remote
server. The power down sense logic sends a message to an auxiliary processor (which may be an application-specific
integrated circuit, or ASIC), and the auxiliary processor creates a network transmission packet indicating that the computer system is losing power. The auxiliary processor may allow selection of a transmission mode such as uni-cast transmission, multi-cast transmission, or
broadcast transmission. A common power supply provides a first power
signal to the computer system, and a second power
signal to the power down sense logic and auxiliary processor, and maintains the second power
signal for a longer duration than the first power signal upon removal of a power source for the power supply, sufficient to carry out the sending of the message from the power down sense logic and the creating of the network alert.