Ubuntu Manpage: apcupsd — a daemon for controlling most APC UPSes

NAME

       apcupsd — a daemon for controlling most APC UPSes

SYNOPSIS

       apcupsd  [-b]  [-d  level  |  --debug  level]  [-f file | --config-file file] [-P file | --pid-file file]
               [-p | --kill-on-powerfail | -t | --term-on-powerfail] [-R]

       apcupsd [-k | --killpower | --hibernate | -o | --power-off]

       apcupsd [-h | --help]

       apcupsd [-V | --version]

DESCRIPTION

The apcupsd daemon controls the operation of most American Power Conversion Corp (APC) UPSes. During a
power failure, apcupsd informs users about the loss of utility power and that a shutdown may occur. If
utility power is not restored, a system shutdown will follow when the battery is exhausted, a specified
timeout expires, a specified battery charge percentage is reached, or a specified battery runtime (based
on internal UPS calculations and determined by power consumption rates) expires. If the utility power is
restored before one of the these shutdown conditions is met, apcupsd will inform users of this and the
shutdown will generally be cancelled. Refer to the Implementation Notes section below for situations in
which the shutdown may not be cancelled.

The meaning of the command line options is as follows:

-b Run in the foreground, do not detach and become a daemon.

-d level --debug level
Set debugging output level where level is a number greater than zero.

-f file --config-file file
Load the specified configuration file. The default configuration file is
/etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf. It must be changed when running more than one copy of apcupsd on
the same computer to control multiple UPSes.

-k | --killpower | --hibernate
Power down the UPS in hibernate mode after a 10 second delay. This option is normally only
used by apcupsd itself to power down the UPS after a system shutdown has almost completed.
In hibernate mode, the UPS will again supply power to the system when the utility power
returns.

-o | --power-off
Power down UPS completely. The UPS will not supply power to the system when the utility power
returns.

-P file --pid-file file
Create the specified process ID file. The default is /var/run/apcupsd.pid. It must be
changed when running more than one copy of apcupsd on the same computer to control multiple
UPSes.

-p --kill-on-powerfail
apcupsd commands the UPS to power down in hibernate mode just before apcupsd starts the
system shutdown. This relies on the grace shutdown delay of a Smart-UPS being long enough to
allow the system to shutdown completely before the UPS shuts off the power to the system and
goes into hibernate mode. This shutdown grace delay is a programmable value stored in a
Smart-UPS EEPROM which can be changed using apctest(8). In hibernate mode, the UPS will
again supply power to the system when the utility power returns. Refer to apcupsd.conf(5) for
an alternative method using the KILLDELAY configuration directive and the only method
available when using a Back-UPS or other UPS operating in simple signalling mode.

-t --term-on-powerfail
apcupsd exits immediately when it issues the system shutdown command. This behaviour is
useful for those systems where it is not possible to insert apcupsd commands in a halt script
to issue the killpower command. Without this option, apcupsd will wait for the SIGTERM
signal from the system shutdown process before exiting.

-R Put a UPS which runs in smart signalling mode by default (eg a Smart-UPS) into simple
signalling mode.

-v --version
Prints the apcupsd version number and the program help.

-h --help Prints the program help.

The apcupsd daemon supports a networking mode called Network Information Server (NIS) -- not related to
Sun's NIS/YP -- in which the daemon serves status and event information to clients over a network. See
the "Running The Network Information Server" section of the apcupsd manual for more information and
configuration details on this mode.

The apcupsd daemon also supports a Smart-UPS in SNMP mode provided an APC Web/SNMP or APC PowerNet SNMP
card is installed in the UPS's SmartSlot. For more information and configuration details on this mode,
refer to the "Support for SNMP UPSes" section of the apcupsd manual.

IMPLEMENTATION NOTES

       The shutdown is made by calls to the script /etc/apcupsd/apccontrol by the apcupsd daemon.  Consequently,
       no changes to /etc/inittab are necessary on Linux as there is no communication between the daemon and the
       init(1) process.  Installation of the daemon modifies the halt script so that at the end of the  shutdown
       process, the daemon will be re-executed to power off the UPS in hibernate mode.

       On  some  operating  systems (eg FreeBSD) there is no halt script so apccontrol must be modified to cause
       the daemon to power off the UPS after a delay.  Alternatives are to use the  --kill-on-powerfail  command
       on  the  apcupsd  command  line  or  refer  to apcupsd.conf(5) for details of the KILLDELAY configuration
       directive.

CONFIGURATION

       It  will  almost  certainly  be  necessary  to   customise   the   configuration   information   in   the
       /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf configuration file to suit your configuration and desired UPS behaviour.

       For  information  on  the  configuration  directives  and  the format of the configuration file, refer to
       apcupsd.conf(5).

EVENTS

       apcupsd generates events when certain conditions occur.  These events are sent to  the  system  log  and,
       optionally,  to  the  temporary events file (/var/log/apcupsd.events).  They also generate a call to  the
       /etc/apcupsd/apccontrol script which in turn will call any custom  scripts  placed  in  the  /etc/apcupsd
       directory  which  may  override apccontrol's default behaviour. For details of the events and customising
       apccontrol's behaviour, refer to apccontrol(8).

DATA FILE FORMAT

       If the DATATIME configuration directive is set to non-zero,  apcupsd  will  log  a  data  record  at  the
       interval defined by the DATATIME directive. This data record is in a format similar to the APC PowerChute
       software data file format.

STATUS REPORT FORMAT

       The status report output format is simple ASCII. Generally there is a single piece of information on each
       line  of output. The content varies based on the model of UPS being used and, in some cases, the firmware
       version. This status report is also optionally written the the /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.status file. Refer to
       apcaccess(8) for full details of the status report output.

FILES

       /etc/apcupsd/apcupsd.conf default configuration file

       /var/run/apcupsd.pid default process ID file

       /var/log/apcupsd.status optional status file

       /var/log/apcupsd.events default events file

AUTHORS

   This page
       Trevor Roydhouse (current)
       Andre M. Hedrick
       Christopher J. Reimer

   Software
       Adam Kropelin (current Project Manager and Code Maintainer)
       Kern Sibbald (former Project Manager and Code Maintainer)
       Riccardo Facchetti (former Project Manager and Code Maintainer)
       Andre M. Hedrick (Project Founder and former Code Maintainer)

   Contributors
       An enormous number of users who have devoted their time and energy to this project -- thanks.

apcupsd v3.14.6                                 January 10, 2009                                      APCUPSD(8)