Hi all, I am completely new to NUT and setting up a UPS shut down in Linux. I am looking at buying a APC Smart-UPS X 3000. When I look this device up in the compatibility list this specific model is not listed, only a generic entry for "Smart-UPS". It says to use the *apcsmart* driver. The legend shows this as "protocol based on reverse engineering". What does this mean in terms of using the driver? Can I expect to get this working to shut down my Debian servers gracefully or is it a bad idea to use a UPS with only this driver? Have users on this list experience with a similar Smart-UPS? Is it going to be compatible with NUT or should I be looking for a different UPS that is supported with one of the other drivers? Sincerely -- *Paul O'Rorke* Tracker Software Products paul at tracker-software.com <mailto:paul.ororke at tracker-software.com> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PLEASE NOTE : - If you are sending files for us to look at or assist with these must ALWAYS be wrapped in either a ZIP/RAR or 7z FILE or they will be removed by our Firewall/Virus management software. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ **Certified by Microsoft** "Works with Vista" PDF-XChange & SDK, Image-XChange PDF-Tools & SDK, TIFF-XChange & SDK. Support: http://tracker-software.com/support/ or http://www.tracker-software.com/forum/index.php Download latest Releases http://www.tracker-software.com/downloads/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/nut-upsuser/attachments/20130917/dc0ea74e/attachment.html>
Just my experiences speaking, look at another brand. I use MGE/Eaton and have had much better life and the quality has been much better. APC does not release the protocol for comunicating with the UPS and so to get NUT to work you have to sniff the traffic and then figure out what the commands and responses mean.(thus reverse engineered) APC also will change the protocol between models. (Thus why that model is not listed, it may work, it may not) I have had four APC brand UPS units melt the batteries. We bought 13 identical units in one order. One blew up on power up. One had loose connections giving a false ground issue. Four did not have all the holes tapped out for mounting. And 6 were rusty. Those were the last APC units we bought. Eaton Evolution line is the old MGE brand and we have had great service from them as well as working with NUT. Just my $0.02 worth. And for the record I do not work for Eaton or have any affiliation with NUT other than a long time user. Doug On Sep 17, 2013 5:09 PM, "Paul O'Rorke" <paul at tracker-software.com> wrote:> Hi all, > > I am completely new to NUT and setting up a UPS shut down in Linux. I am > looking at buying a APC Smart-UPS X 3000. When I look this device up in > the compatibility list this specific model is not listed, only a generic > entry for "Smart-UPS". It says to use the *apcsmart* driver. The legend > shows this as "protocol based on reverse engineering". What does this mean > in terms of using the driver? Can I expect to get this working to shut > down my Debian servers gracefully or is it a bad idea to use a UPS with > only this driver? > > Have users on this list experience with a similar Smart-UPS? Is it going > to be compatible with NUT or should I be looking for a different UPS that > is supported with one of the other drivers? > > Sincerely > -- > > *Paul O?Rorke* > Tracker Software Products > paul at tracker-software.com <paul.ororke at tracker-software.com> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > PLEASE NOTE : - If you are sending files for us to look at or assist with > these must ALWAYS be wrapped in either a ZIP/RAR or 7z FILE > or they will be removed by our Firewall/Virus management software. > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > **Certified by Microsoft** > "Works with Vista" > PDF-XChange & SDK, Image-XChange > PDF-Tools & SDK, TIFF-XChange & SDK. > > Support: > http://tracker-software.com/support/ > or > http://www.tracker-software.com/forum/index.php > > Download latest Releases > http://www.tracker-software.com/downloads/ > > _______________________________________________ > Nut-upsuser mailing list > Nut-upsuser at lists.alioth.debian.org > http://lists.alioth.debian.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nut-upsuser >-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/nut-upsuser/attachments/20130917/166f88a9/attachment-0001.html>
On 2013-09-17 4:48 PM, Douglas Parsons wrote:> Just my experiences speaking, look at another brand. I use MGE/Eaton and have had much better life and the quality has been much better. APC does not release the protocol for comunicating with the UPS and so to get NUT to work you have to sniff the traffic and then figure out what the commands and responses mean.(thus reverse engineered) APC also will change the protocol between models. (Thus why that model is not listed, it may work, it may not) > > I have had four APC brand UPS units melt the batteries. We bought 13 identical units in one order. One blew up on power up. One had loose connections giving a false ground issue. Four did not have all the holes tapped out for mounting. And 6 were rusty. Those were the last APC units we bought.I am also frustrated with APC's designs that regularly roast batteries by pushing them to the edge of their max charge current by design. I have too many APC units and am planning on phasing them out as I can. -Ben -- Ben Kamen - O.D.T., S.P. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- eMail: ben at benjammin.net http://www.benjammin.net Fortune says: Intuition, however illogical, is recognized as a command prerogative. -- Kirk, "Obsession", stardate 3620.7 - - NOTICE: All legal disclaimers sent to benjammin.net/benkamen.net or any of it's affiliated domains are rendered null and void on receipt of communications and will be handled/considered as such.
On 18/09/2013, at 7:18, Douglas Parsons <doug at parsonsemail.com> wrote:> Just my experiences speaking, look at another brand. I use MGE/Eaton and have had much better life and the quality has been much better. APC does not release the protocol for comunicating with the UPS and so to get NUT to work you have to sniff the traffic and then figure out what the commands and responses mean.(thus reverse engineered) APC also will change the protocol between models. (Thus why that model is not listed, it may work, it may not) > > I have had four APC brand UPS units melt the batteries. We bought 13 identical units in one order. One blew up on power up. One had loose connections giving a false ground issue. Four did not have all the holes tapped out for mounting. And 6 were rusty. Those were the last APC units we bought. > > Eaton Evolution line is the old MGE brand and we have had great service from them as well as working with NUT.This also covers my experience with APC and MGE at work. Further, newer APC units have a different serial protocol which is also secret and thus far has not been reverse engineered. APC will sell you a comms card which speaks the old protocol though (for a ridiculous sum). -- Daniel O'Connor software and network engineer for Genesis Software - http://www.gsoft.com.au "The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from." -- Andrew Tanenbaum GPG Fingerprint - 5596 B766 97C0 0E94 4347 295E E593 DC20 7B3F CE8C -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 195 bytes Desc: Message signed with OpenPGP using GPGMail URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/nut-upsuser/attachments/20130918/18f848fc/attachment.sig>
Thanks all for the feedback - you have I suspect, just saved me a real headache! I found an Eaton EX 3000 RT 2U - UPS - 2.55 kW - 2880 VA for a reasonable price. The NUT Hardware Compatibility list reports it can use both USB and Serial with vendor provided protocol and hardware so I'm assuming this will be relatively simple to set up.: Manufacturer Model Driver Eaton EX 2200/3000/3000 XL VA USB port usbhid-ups EX 2200/3000/3000 XL VA Serial port mge-shut or oldmge-shut Thanks for the advice, any caveats on such a unit anyone is aware of? Seems like a 'safe' purchase for use with NUT. Regards *Paul O'Rorke* Tracker Software Products paul at tracker-software.com <mailto:paul.ororke at tracker-software.com> On 9/17/2013 2:48 PM, Douglas Parsons wrote:> > Just my experiences speaking, look at another brand. I use MGE/Eaton > and have had much better life and the quality has been much better. > APC does not release the protocol for comunicating with the UPS and so > to get NUT to work you have to sniff the traffic and then figure out > what the commands and responses mean.(thus reverse engineered) APC > also will change the protocol between models. (Thus why that model is > not listed, it may work, it may not) > > I have had four APC brand UPS units melt the batteries. We bought 13 > identical units in one order. One blew up on power up. One had loose > connections giving a false ground issue. Four did not have all the > holes tapped out for mounting. And 6 were rusty. Those were the last > APC units we bought. > > Eaton Evolution line is the old MGE brand and we have had great > service from them as well as working with NUT. > > Just my $0.02 worth. > > And for the record I do not work for Eaton or have any affiliation > with NUT other than a long time user. > > Doug > > On Sep 17, 2013 5:09 PM, "Paul O'Rorke" <paul at tracker-software.com > <mailto:paul at tracker-software.com>> wrote: > > Hi all, > > I am completely new to NUT and setting up a UPS shut down in > Linux. I am looking at buying a APC Smart-UPS X 3000. When I > look this device up in the compatibility list this specific model > is not listed, only a generic entry for "Smart-UPS". It says to > use the *apcsmart* driver. The legend shows this as "protocol > based on reverse engineering". What does this mean in terms of > using the driver? Can I expect to get this working to shut down > my Debian servers gracefully or is it a bad idea to use a UPS with > only this driver? > > Have users on this list experience with a similar Smart-UPS? Is > it going to be compatible with NUT or should I be looking for a > different UPS that is supported with one of the other drivers? > > Sincerely > -- > > *Paul O'Rorke* > Tracker Software Products > paul at tracker-software.com <mailto:paul.ororke at tracker-software.com> > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > PLEASE NOTE : - If you are sending files for us to look at or > assist with > these must ALWAYS be wrapped in either a ZIP/RAR or 7z FILE > or they will be removed by our Firewall/Virus management software. > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > **Certified by Microsoft** > "Works with Vista" > PDF-XChange & SDK, Image-XChange > PDF-Tools & SDK, TIFF-XChange & SDK. > > Support: > http://tracker-software.com/support/ > or > http://www.tracker-software.com/forum/index.php > > Download latest Releases > http://www.tracker-software.com/downloads/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Nut-upsuser mailing list > Nut-upsuser at lists.alioth.debian.org > <mailto:Nut-upsuser at lists.alioth.debian.org> > http://lists.alioth.debian.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nut-upsuser > > > > _______________________________________________ > Nut-upsuser mailing list > Nut-upsuser at lists.alioth.debian.org > http://lists.alioth.debian.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nut-upsuser-------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/nut-upsuser/attachments/20130918/6e01484a/attachment-0001.html>