UPS shutdown

samer79 · Oct 17, 2006, 3:22 PM

Hello,

I am proud of PFsense but I need one feature which will help me and help lot of people who lives in places with power interruption problems.

I would like that pfsense have a UPS shutdown module on low battery.

Regards,

LuckyBoy79

Cry Havok · Oct 17, 2006, 8:20 PM

A package of NUT (Network UPS Tools) is almost certainly what you're after.

Not that there is one, yet :)

rsw686 · Oct 17, 2006, 8:39 PM

The issue I see is that most people arn't buying a UPS just for their pfsense box. I have a Belkin 1500VA UPS running my rack with 2 servers, couple of switches, and pfsense. Interfacing it with the UPS software would make it more ideal. However since I run the embedded version of pfsense its not as big of a deal for me.

I know both APC and Belkin have networking versions of their software for multiple server shutdowns. Does NUT interface with those in anyway? Maybe theres a way it could receive a network broadcast from the software in some way?

sullrich · Oct 17, 2006, 9:20 PM

This seems like a popular package request. Perhaps you guys can starta bounty?

trendchiller · Oct 18, 2006, 3:21 PM

I already started to test with UPSD, but there is still no GUI and I'm not too familiar with how to get it started automatically when pfsense starts… or the pfsense package system... :'(

I'd prefer upsd because it's the most compatible UPS software i think... there also is a bsd port that's working with pfsense (at least in my tests)

perhaps anyone posts a bounty for scott or if noone does ??? then I definitively need help with that one...

so...

Martin

rsw686 · Oct 19, 2006, 11:40 PM

@trendchiller:

I already started to test with UPSD, but there is still no GUI and I'm not too familiar with how to get it started automatically when pfsense starts… or the pfsense package system... :'(

I'd prefer upsd because it's the most compatible UPS software i think... there also is a bsd port that's working with pfsense (at least in my tests)

perhaps anyone posts a bounty for scott or if noone does ??? then I definitively need help with that one...

so...

Martin

UPSD doesn't seem to be the most compatible. When I looked at the freebsd ports theres 5 different version one for each type of ups (apcupsd, bkpupsd, mgeupsd, openupsd, upsd). Where NUT is just one binary that includes the files for all UPS versions. Atleast thats what I saw.

However in terms of implementing UPSD looks to be easier as its just the daemon, config and rc file.

NUT would allow users with linux, freebsd, windows, etc to interface together and shutdown all systems connected to the UPS as there are multiple versions.

Also NUT has snmp which would be nice as I should be able to interface it into my existing Belkin software solution on my 2 servers.

When I have free time I'll work on trying to get NUT to work and look at building a package. I need to get my spare box and ups setup to do this so I really don't know the timeframe.

The nut daemon is called upsd so maybe there is some confusion there.

trendchiller · Oct 20, 2006, 11:08 AM

so you are right… when upsd supports more ups'ses it'll be better, since there is just one package needed... so i'll have a look at it too... ;)

Thanks for advice...

Martin

Berg · Oct 20, 2006, 12:57 PM

I would certainly be in favour of using NUT.

I am already using it on a Linux server that would should down a couple of Linux and Windows machines from the server. This would be a great addition to pfSense,

rsw686 · Oct 20, 2006, 1:53 PM

Disreguard this post I figured it out.

So in

http://ftp-mirror.internap.com/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-6.0-release/All/

the nut package seems to include everything but upsdrvctl which is needed to start the driver control part of nut.

rsw686 · Oct 20, 2006, 3:24 PM

I have made some progress on this. Again I need to get my other box setup with its own ups setup to continue.

http://wgnrs.dynalias.com:81/pfsense/nut

Make sure you read through the files before you run anything as this is all in the devel phase. The files needed are in place and the user and group are there.

rsw686 · Oct 20, 2006, 11:18 PM

I've gotten NUT up and running on pfSense. Here is the install script I am running. Everything is hardcoded and I've tested it from a clean install of pfsense in VMware with a UPS on the serial port and below is the output. The hard part of this is making a web interface that will be able to change the numerous settings required. I will work on that.

Once I get it all working if anybody would like to make a donation for my time it would be appreciated.

http://wgnrs.dynalias.com:81/pfsense/nut/installnut.sh


installnut.sh                                 100% of 2733  B 3360 kBps
-                                             100% of  799 kB  876 kBps
Network UPS Tools - UPS driver controller 2.0.2
Network UPS Tools (version 2.0.2) - APC Smart protocol driver
        Driver version 1.99.7, command table version 2.0
Detected SMART-UPS 700 [XS9904001510] on /dev/ttyd0
Network UPS Tools upsd 2.0.2
Connected to UPS [sparky]: apcsmart-ttyd0
Synchronizing....done
OL LB
Network UPS Tools upsmon 2.0.2
Using power down flag file /etc/killpower

UPS: sparky@10.10.1.200 (master) (power value 1)

Broadcast Message from admin@pfsense.local
        (no tty) at 21:57 UTC...

UPS sparky@10.10.1.200 battery is low

Berg · Oct 21, 2006, 1:41 AM

@rsw686:

I've gotten NUT up and running on pfSense. Here is the install script I am running. Everything is hardcoded and I've tested it from a clean install of pfsense in VMware with a UPS on the serial port and below is the output. The hard part of this is making a web interface that will be able to change the numerous settings required. I will work on that.

Once I get it all working if anybody would like to make a donation for my time it would be appreciated.

http://wgnrs.dynalias.com:81/pfsense/nut/installnut.sh

Awesome !!!! Thanks for working on this !

rsw686 · Oct 21, 2006, 2:21 AM

Okay I've run into a snag. Can one of the devs tell me how I can change the url for the package manager so I can test this out?

rsw686 · Oct 21, 2006, 5:07 AM

I have a working package. However it needs error handling and features to be added, which I will work on. Heres the package edit screen. And below that the log from clicking change. You can see it stops the old and starts the service back up. Also it starts successfully on reboot.

**I really needs one of the devs help in getting the package manager to work. If I can change the url somehow to run it off my server. I looked into it and it talks to xmlrpc.php. I can't test the install and uninstall functions and have to perform them at the command line.

Also the global booting variable is false when the packages are being synced. Is there a way to know when the system is booting so the sync package command doesn't start the package, that way when the rc.d scripts execute it will start. Otherwise it starts, stops, then starts again.**

Oct 21 03:50:09 	upsmon[2160]: UPS sparky@10.10.1.200 battery is low
Oct 21 03:50:09 	upsmon[2160]: UPS sparky@10.10.1.200 battery is low
Oct 21 03:50:09 	upsd[2157]: Client monuser@10.10.1.200 logged into UPS [sparky]
Oct 21 03:50:09 	upsd[2157]: Connection from 10.10.1.200
Oct 21 03:50:09 	upsmon[2159]: Startup successful
Oct 21 03:50:09 	upsd[2157]: Startup successful
Oct 21 03:50:07 	upsd[2156]: Connected to UPS [sparky]: apcsmart-ttyd0
Oct 21 03:50:07 	apcsmart[2155]: Startup successful
Oct 21 03:49:57 	php: nut: Starting service
Oct 21 03:49:57 	php: nut: Taking control of port
Oct 21 03:49:56 	php: nut: Releasing control of port
Oct 21 03:49:55 	apcsmart[1970]: Signal 15: exiting
Oct 21 03:49:55 	upsd[1972]: Signal 15: exiting
Oct 21 03:49:55 	upsmon[1975]: Signal 15: exiting
Oct 21 03:49:55 	php: nut: Stopping service

rsw686 · Oct 21, 2006, 5:09 AM

Wanted to add when the power fails it starts shutdown and halts the box. This is from remote syslog. I need to set the delay as right now it shutsdown immediately on powerfail.

10-21-2006	01:17:08	Daemon.Info	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:18:05 upsd[622]: Signal 15: exiting
10-21-2006	01:17:06	Auth.Notice	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:18:03 shutdown: halt by root:
10-21-2006	01:17:06	Daemon.Info	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:18:03 upsd[622]: Host 10.10.1.200 disconnected (read failure)
10-21-2006	01:17:01	Daemon.Notice	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:17:58 upsmon[625]: Auto logout and shutdown proceeding
10-21-2006	01:17:01	Daemon.Critical	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:17:58 upsmon[625]: Executing automatic power-fail shutdown
10-21-2006	01:17:01	Daemon.Info	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:17:58 upsd[622]: Client monuser@10.10.1.200 set FSD on UPS [sparky]
10-21-2006	01:17:01	Daemon.Notice	10.10.1.200	Oct 21 05:17:58 upsmon[625]: UPS sparky@10.10.1.200 on battery

Cry Havok · Oct 22, 2006, 7:29 PM

Left to it's own devices NUT would normally trigger a shutdown on LB (low battery). This should be the correct process (otherwise you'll start a shutdown if the power goes out for a fraction of a second, probably not what you want).

I'd also be interested in a client only option - for those of us already running a NUT server.

rsw686 · Oct 22, 2006, 8:34 PM

Thats probably what it is as the UPS I was testing with is old and has a low battery condition. I have others but there used for production boxes. The client is easy to implement as well. What I'm trying to figure out is how to change the pacakge url so I can install and uninstall the package to test everything out.

billm · Oct 22, 2006, 9:59 PM

@rsw686:

Okay I've run into a snag. Can one of the devs tell me how I can change the url for the package manager so I can test this out?

"xmlrpcbaseurl" => "www.pfsense.com",
"xmlrpcpath" => "/pfSense/xmlrpc.php",

in /etc/inc/globals.inc

–Bill

rsw686 · Oct 23, 2006, 8:44 PM

@billm:

@rsw686:

Okay I've run into a snag. Can one of the devs tell me how I can change the url for the package manager so I can test this out?

"xmlrpcbaseurl" => "www.pfsense.com",
"xmlrpcpath" => "/pfSense/xmlrpc.php",

in /etc/inc/globals.inc

–Bill

Thanks I had looked in the globals.inc before but I don't have the xmlrpc.php file. I got a copy of the xmlrpc.php and will try this out.

http://cvstrac.pfsense.com/rlog?f=www/xmlrpc/xmlrpc.php

rsw686 · Oct 24, 2006, 1:21 AM

I got the package installer up and running on my local server. I can install the package now and have worked on the gui interface for it. I need to implement this in the backend code. Hopefully in a week I will have it committed and you all can start testing it out.