apcupsd.conf: Which cable type for remote UPS on network?

[lee]

Hi,

what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?

[Paul Cartwright]

On 06/20/2014 02:58 PM, lee wrote:
> Hi,
>
> what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
> which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?

from /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf:

I would choose ether
and upstype net hostname:port

# UPSCABLE <cable>
#   Defines the type of cable connecting the UPS to your computer.
#
#   Possible generic choices for <cable> are:
#     simple, smart, ether, usb

# To get apcupsd to work, in addition to defining the cable
# above, you must also define a UPSTYPE, which corresponds to
# the type of UPS you have (see the Description for more details).
# You must also specify a DEVICE, sometimes referred to as a port.
# For USB UPSes, please leave the DEVICE directive blank. For
# other UPS types, you must specify an appropriate port or address.
#
# UPSTYPE   DEVICE           Description
# apcsmart  /dev/tty**       Newer serial character device, appropriate for
#                            SmartUPS models using a serial cable (not USB).
#
# usb       <BLANK>          Most new UPSes are USB. A blank DEVICE
#                            setting enables autodetection, which is
#                            the best choice for most installations.
#
# net       hostname:port    Network link to a master apcupsd through
apcupsd's
#                            Network Information Server. This is used if the
#                            UPS powering your computer is connected to a
#                            different computer for monitoring.

[Anthony Joseph Messina]

On Friday, June 20, 2014 08:58:02 PM lee wrote:
> what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
> which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?

I'm using "UPSCABLE ether"

[lee]

Anthony Messina  writes:
> On Friday, June 20, 2014 08:58:02 PM lee wrote:
> > what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
> > which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?
>
> I'm using "UPSCABLE ether"

Me too, and I think it's not right because it's for UPSs that do have an
ethernet port.  So I'm not sure what the software does:

Will it try to contact an UPS connected to whatever type of cable
specified because it needs to be told somehow that there is no UPS
connected to the computer?

Will it try only once and then give up?

I could very well have several UPSs connected to several computers and
monitor a number of them via network and another number of them via some
cables ...

So there needs to be a way to tell the software not to use a cable.

[lee]

Paul Cartwright  writes:
> On 06/20/2014 02:58 PM, lee wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
> > which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?
>
> from /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf:

That doesn't say what to use as cable for remote UPSs.
> I would choose ether and upstype net hostname:port

That doesn't work, it has to be 'upstype net' and 'device
hostname:port'.  Since the UPS is not connected to the computer, 'ether'
can't be right.

[vlado99]

On 20.6.2014 20:58, lee wrote:
> Hi,
>
> what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
> which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?

Hi Lee.

I have two machines powered by one UPS. M1 controls UPS over USB cable, 
M2 is neighboring machine.

/etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf on M1 contains:
    UPSCABLE usb
    UPSTYPE usb
    DEVICE
    ...
    NETSERVER on
    NISIP <M1_ip_address_here>
    NISPORT 3551
    ...
/etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf on M2 contains:
    UPSCABLE ether
    UPSTYPE net
    DEVICE <M1_ip_address_here>:3551
    ...
    NETSERVER on
    NISIP 127.0.0.1
    NISPORT 3551
    ...

This setup works for me. M1 and M2 does correct shutdown on power fail.
Maybe this helps.

Vlado

[lee]

vlado99  writes:
> On 20.6.2014 20:58, lee wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > what type of cable am I supposed to put into apcupsd.conf for an UPS
> > which is connected to a remote computer and monitored over the network?
>
> Hi Lee.
>
> I have two machines powered by one UPS. M1 controls UPS over USB
> cable, M2 is neighboring machine.
>
> /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf on M1 contains:
>    UPSCABLE usb
>    UPSTYPE usb
>    DEVICE
>    ...
>    NETSERVER on
>    NISIP <M1_ip_address_here>
>    NISPORT 3551
>    ...
> /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf on M2 contains:
>    UPSCABLE ether
>    UPSTYPE net
>    DEVICE <M1_ip_address_here>:3551
>    ...
>    NETSERVER on
>    NISIP 127.0.0.1
>    NISPORT 3551
>    ...
>
> This setup works for me. M1 and M2 does correct shutdown on power fail.
> Maybe this helps.

Thank you :)

I tried with 'usb' instead of 'ether' for the cable, and it works just
the same.  Not specifying a cable at all doesn't work.

I could argue that 'usb' is more correct for the cable type than any of
the other types because the UPS is connected with an USB cable to the
remote machine.