Install APCUPSD on Centos 7

Posted on February 9, 2017  •  3 minutes  • 602 words  •  Suggest Changes

A simple how-to install Apcupsd on Centos 7. ApcUpsD is a Daemon for APC UPS’s. A UPS is a big battery to keep the servers running when power fails and eventually shutdown clean when batteries are about to run out of juice.  The install process is pretty straightforward.

Install

The install package for Centos is not in default repo’s, we need to add the _epel _repository:

yum install epel-release
yum update -y
yum install apcupsd

Once installed best to set it up as start service, this is easily forgotten so let’s do that first :

chkconfig apcupsd on

Master

Now configure the settings first in /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf these are my settings for a master server (server that is physically connected to usb/serial)  :

## apcupsd.conf v1.1 ##
#svennd

UPSNAME UpsRackOne

UPSCABLE usb
UPSTYPE usb
DEVICE
LOCKFILE /var/lock
SCRIPTDIR /etc/apcupsd
PWRFAILDIR /etc/apcupsd
NOLOGINDIR /etc

# delay in s after power over battery (buffer for hikups)
ONBATTERYDELAY 6
# less then x % battery level = shutdown
BATTERYLEVEL 1
# less then x min power = shutdown
MINUTES 5
# 0 : disable +0 : shutdowntimer on battery (testing)
TIMEOUT 0

# tell the user x s before shutdown - linked to NOLOGON
ANNOY 30
# initial delay after power failure
ANNOYDELAY 60
# NOLOGON  [ disable | timeout | percent | minutes | always ]
NOLOGON disable

# after shutdown does apcups need to keep up ?
KILLDELAY 0

# netconfig
NETSERVER on
NISIP 0.0.0.0
NISPORT 3551
EVENTSFILE /var/log/apcupsd.events
EVENTSFILEMAX 10

UPSCLASS standalone
UPSMODE disable

STATTIME 0
STATFILE /var/log/apcupsd.status
LOGSTATS off
DATATIME 0

note: these settings shutdown the server down pretty fast, I prefer to control the shutdown than to keep them up as long as possible.

After this, you can start the service, but preferably you should run through the testing first.

service apcupsd start

Slave

Now setting up a slave server is also possible, this server will use the network to listen to a master server (data connected to ups) for possible power failures. Note that you require to open the 3551 port on the master in order to be able to communicate.

## apcupsd.conf v1.1 ##
# svennd
UPSNAME ALFA
UPSCABLE ether
UPSTYPE net
DEVICE 123.123.123.123:3551
LOCKFILE /var/lock
# default is 10 - testing
POLLTIME 5

# stuff
SCRIPTDIR /etc/apcupsd
PWRFAILDIR /etc/apcupsd
NOLOGINDIR /etc

# settings
ONBATTERYDELAY 6
BATTERYLEVEL 5
MINUTES 6
TIMEOUT 0
ANNOY 300
ANNOYDELAY 60
NOLOGON disable
KILLDELAY 0

# no netservice on this machine
# netservice needed for service :/
NETSERVER on
NISIP 0.0.0.0
EVENTSFILE /var/log/apcupsd.events
EVENTSFILEMAX 10
UPSCLASS standalone
UPSMODE disable
STATTIME 0
STATFILE /var/log/apcupsd.status
LOGSTATS off
DATATIME 0

note: change & test all value’s but be sure to change DEVICE to your master server.

Pitfalls & Remarks

1. communication failure

For some reason my UPS’s stop communicating now and again, so don’t start shutting down the moment they lose communication. This is even a bigger issue on busy networks. Be sure to also put the switch on the UPS.

2. reading status

For Centos 6 you could use service apcupsd status for systemD systems (Centos 7) this does not work any longer, and you can use :

apcaccess status

3. custom actions

You can adapt the actions the daemon will take on certain events. For example on commfailure you can edit : /etc/apcupsd/commfailure

4. Windows crybaby

Apcupsd is a cross platform tool, you can install it on Windows servers. The network guys however called the apcupsd network activity “suspicious”, and wrongly marked the machine as infected.

Apcupsd has a really nice online manual if you get stuck somewhere that is a good point to start.