Smart APC UPS connection setup failure against linux clusters using apcupsd service

[tgupta2222]

I have purchased a new APC UPS which I want to connect with four Linux Debian clusters.

The APC UPS Model: SURTD3000XLIM (APC model) has one serial com connector and one USB connector on the back of the UPS. Two cables were provided alongwith the UPS purchase- a) RJ-45 to DB-9 communication cable (goes to the serial com conenctor of UPS) and also b) an USB-A to mini-USB cable connector. I used both the cables to connect to our two Linux clusters.

In case of a)- the imp part of /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf file looks like :

UPSNAME LG27a
UPSCABLE ether
UPSTYPE net
DEVICE 128.40.177.201:3551

NETSERVER on
NISIP 127.0.0.1
NISPORT 3551

After saving this file, I stopped apcupsd service and started again.

When I do systemctl status apcupsd, the result is:

● apcupsd.service - UPS power management daemon
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/apcupsd.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Fri 2024-11-08 17:11:53 GMT; 4 days ago
     Docs: man:apcupsd(8)
  Process: 12014 ExecStartPre=/lib/apcupsd/prestart (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Process: 12018 ExecStart=/sbin/apcupsd (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
 Main PID: 12019 (apcupsd)
    Tasks: 3 (limit: 4915)
   Memory: 3.8M
   CGroup: /system.slice/apcupsd.service
           └─12019 /sbin/apcupsd

Nov 13 13:42:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 13:52:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:02:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:12:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:22:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:32:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:42:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:52:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 15:02:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 15:12:03 hartree apcupsd[12019]: Communications with UPS lost.

Still when I do apcaccess, I get (Status:Comm Lost !):

APC      : 001,018,0445
DATE     : 2024-11-13 15:16:30 +0000
HOSTNAME : hartree
VERSION  : 3.14.14 (31 May 2016) debian
UPSNAME  : LG27a
CABLE    : Ethernet Link
DRIVER   : NETWORK UPS Driver
UPSMODE  : Net Slave
STARTTIME: 2024-11-08 17:11:53 +0000
STATUS   : COMMLOST
MBATTCHG : 5 Percent
MINTIMEL : 3 Minutes
MAXTIME  : 0 Seconds
NUMXFERS : 0
TONBATT  : 0 Seconds
CUMONBATT: 0 Seconds
XOFFBATT : N/A
STATFLAG : 0x05000100
END APC  : 2024-11-13 15:16:30 +0000

In case of b)- the imp part of /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf file looks like :

UPSNAME LG27a
UPSCABLE usb
UPSTYPE usb
DEVICE

NETSERVER on
NISIP 0.0.0.0
NISPORT 3551

After saving this file, I stopped apcupsd service and started again.

Upon systemctl status apcupsd, I get:

● apcupsd.service - UPS power management daemon
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/apcupsd.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Fri 2024-11-08 17:06:55 GMT; 4 days ago
     Docs: man:apcupsd(8)
  Process: 21264 ExecStart=/sbin/apcupsd (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Process: 21259 ExecStartPre=/lib/apcupsd/prestart (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
 Main PID: 21265 (apcupsd)
    Tasks: 4 (limit: 4915)
   CGroup: /system.slice/apcupsd.service
           └─21265 /sbin/apcupsd

Nov 13 13:40:15 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 13:50:15 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:00:15 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:10:16 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:20:16 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:30:16 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:40:16 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 14:50:16 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 15:00:17 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.
Nov 13 15:10:17 meitner apcupsd[21265]: Communications with UPS lost.

In case b) as well, I am getting error (Status:comm lost) when I do apaccess, I receive :

APC      : 001,018,0439
DATE     : 2024-11-08 16:46:41 +0000
HOSTNAME : meitner
VERSION  : 3.14.14 (31 May 2016) debian
UPSNAME  : LG27a
CABLE    : USB Cable
DRIVER   : USB UPS Driver
UPSMODE  : Stand Alone
STARTTIME: 2024-11-08 14:28:27 +0000
STATUS   : COMMLOST
MBATTCHG : 8 Percent
MINTIMEL : 4 Minutes
MAXTIME  : 0 Seconds
NUMXFERS : 0
TONBATT  : 0 Seconds
CUMONBATT: 0 Seconds
XOFFBATT : N/A
STATFLAG : 0x05000100
END APC  : 2024-11-08 16:46:41 +0000

For, b)type connectivity, when I type lsusb; it does not detect the APC unfortunately. Contrarily, in the /var/log/messages of the cluster, USB device is detected:

Nov 13 14:32:54 meitner kernel: [10881489.156998] sd 9:0:0:0: [sdd] Attached SCSI removable disk
Nov 13 14:33:16 meitner kernel: [10881510.951570] usb 2-1.1: USB disconnect, device number 18
Nov 13 14:34:04 meitner kernel: [10881559.303999] usb 2-1.1: new full-speed USB device number 19 using ehci-pci
Nov 13 14:34:04 meitner kernel: [10881559.418997] usb 2-1.1: New USB device found, idVendor=16de, idProduct=c811
Nov 13 14:34:04 meitner kernel: [10881559.419002] usb 2-1.1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=1
Nov 13 14:34:04 meitner kernel: [10881559.419005] usb 2-1.1: SerialNumber: 5A2406404945
Nov 13 14:34:04 meitner kernel: [10881559.451419] usb-storage 2-1.1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
Nov 13 14:34:04 meitner kernel: [10881559.451752] scsi host9: usb-storage 2-1.1:1.0
Nov 13 14:34:05 meitner kernel: [10881560.485812] scsi 9:0:0:0: Direct-Access     SE       Storage Media    1.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
Nov 13 14:34:05 meitner kernel: [10881560.486923] sd 9:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg4 type 0
Nov 13 14:34:05 meitner kernel: [10881560.491760] sd 9:0:0:0: [sdd] 2816 512-byte logical blocks: (1.44 MB/1.38 MiB)
Nov 13 14:34:05 meitner kernel: [10881560.493440] sd 9:0:0:0: [sdd] Write Protect is off
Nov 13 14:34:05 meitner kernel: [10881560.590581]  sdd:
Nov 13 14:34:05 meitner kernel: [10881560.598954] sd 9:0:0:0: [sdd] Attached SCSI removable disk

Kindly help me in establishing communication between UPS and linux clusters using apcuspd service.

Thanks a bunch.