UPS Service failed to start - APC Back-UPS Pro

dknm

Dabbler
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Messages
25
Got myself a APC Back UPS PRO BR900gi and I'm failing to get the UPS service to start.

The model isn't explicitly supported (https://networkupstools.org/ddl/APC/), but others made 'pro line' models work.

I'm connecting it via a RJ45 to USB cable. I'm assuming any generic cable will work - correct? An original cable is £48 - a joke !

Code:
dmesg | grep ugen
ugen1.1: <Intel EHCI root HUB> at usbus1
ugen2.1: <Intel EHCI root HUB> at usbus2
ugen0.1: <0x8086 XHCI root HUB> at usbus0
ugen1.2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x8008> at usbus1
ugen2.2: <vendor 0x8087 product 0x8000> at usbus2
ugen0.2: <vendor 0x0557 product 0x7000> at usbus0
ugen0.3: <vendor 0x0557 product 0x2419> at usbus0
ugen0.4: <Samsung Flash Drive> at usbus0
ugen0.5: <Samsung Flash Drive> at usbus0
ugen0.6: <USB Disk 2.0> at usbus0
ugen0.6: <USB Disk 2.0> at usbus0 (disconnected)
ugen0.6: <FTDI FT232R USB UART> at usbus0
ugen0.6: <FTDI FT232R USB UART> at usbus0 (disconnected)
ugen0.6: <FTDI FT232R USB UART> at usbus0


Reading the thread below, when connecting via USB, port selection in the WebUI is seemingly irrelevant.

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ups-connection-not-working.60387/#post-429671

However, for precision I went with /dev/ugen0.6 which seems to be my cable.

The WebUI just shows that the ups service failed to restart. The log doesn't clarify things either:

Code:
ee /var/log/messages
Feb 14 15:56:19 foxtrot upsmon[51409]: UPS [ups]: connect failed: Connection failure: Connection refused
Feb 14 15:56:19 foxtrot upsmon[51409]: UPS ups is unavailable
Feb 14 15:56:24 foxtrot upsmon[51409]: UPS [ups]: connect failed: Connection failure: Connection refused


I've tried starting it via command line, without joy:

Code:
service nut start
Network UPS Tools - UPS driver controller 2.7.4
Network UPS Tools - APC Smart protocol driver 3.1 (2.7.4)
APC command table version 3.1
tcgetattr(/dev/ugen0.6): Inappropriate ioctl for device
Driver failed to start (exit status=1)
/usr/local/etc/rc.d/nut: WARNING: failed precmd routine for nut


Does the upsmon password matter? I dont know what it was initially, as I changed to apc (and apcmon) as found here https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ups-setup-fails.50954/#post-352399

The only thing that stands out to me is that in other threads, the USB device id is more in the lines of "APC Model" and I'm getting another device "Future Technology Devices"

The other thing I have not yet tried is turning the server off and on again :)

I'd appreciate any pointers!

///////////

Other threads I've looked at:

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/ups-is-it-working.23859/

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/apc-ups-help-needed.2853/page-3 ; in here some driver files were swapped - downgrading to something 7 years older doesn't sit well with me

https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...rt-for-single-or-multiple-freenas-servers.30/

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/how-to-install-apc-ups-on-freenas-server/
 

dknm

Dabbler
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Messages
25
Were you able to get this to work?

I sorted it out.

The cable I used initially had a chip that allows it to work with cisco devices. I replaced the cable with one w/o a chip and got the output I expected:

Code:
dmesg | grep ugen
ugen0.6: <American Power Conversion Back-UPS RS 900G FW879.L4 .I USB FWL4> at usbus0


starting the service via command line (service nut start) still returned "failed precmd routine for nut".

I was successful starting the service from the WebUI using the APC ups 2 Back-UPS Pro USB USB (usbhid-ups) driver with user apcmon pass apc

It powered down as expected.

Code:
                                                 
                                                                             

                                                                             
Broadcast Message from root@foxtrot.local                                    
        (no tty) at 14:00 GMT...                                              
                                                                             
UPS ups on battery                                                            
                                                                             
                                                                             
Broadcast Message from root@foxtrot.local                                    
        (no tty) at 14:01 GMT...                                              
                                                                             
Executing automatic power-fail shutdown  

*** FINAL System shutdown message from root@foxtrot.local ***              

System going down IMMEDIATELY 


I just need to setup email alerts.

In summary - got an unsupported APC model to play nice with the NAS. And RJ45-USB cable choice matters!
 
Last edited:
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