Device Missing

[Anonymous user]

Hi all!

We are managing our SURTD3000RMXLI from Linux openSUSE 11.1 using APC's delivered PowerChute Server version 1.0.1.
The web GUI shows now "Device Missing" but the device was there before. This already happened some days ago, and only after a reboot the device reappeared.
Stopping and restarting pcs doesn't help.

Why is the device not being found?
How can we make it work again?
Should we use another software?

Thanks, Richard

[Erasmus_apc]

Can you confirm the serial/communication cable type/model you are using with the UPS to communicate with PowerChute S? Do you have any accessory/smartslot cards installed in the UPS? Are you using any using any cable extenders or adapters for the communication cable? Also, are there any other servers you can test the UPS connection with, or do you know what programs are running on the Linux box that may interfere with communication on any physical ports?

PCS is also only listed as compatible with SUSE Enterprise 10.0 and 10.1 so this may have something to do with your issues.

If PCS does not work for you, you would need to use a Network Management Card with the UPS.

[Anonymous user]

The serial cable is a 940 1525A.
There are no accessories installed, no extra cards, no extra slots in use.
No cable extenders are being used, only the original APC serial cable delivered with the UPS less than one month ago.
I could try the software with another server, but this will probably take some time, I was hoping to find a solution before doing this.
There is no other software interfering with the serial port. What do you mean with "any physical port" ? Ethernet ports are for sure being heavily used, PS/2 and VGA sometimes also, one USB port is being used. There are also external SCSI ports being heavily used.
But this was never a problem for the previous UPS. This was a SALICRU UPS running with nut, also using the serial port without any problems.

" lsof | grep /dev/ttyS " shows not output, so no process using the serial ports, but neither pcs accesing ttyS0 where the UPS is attached.
As said before, it runs for some days without problems after a reboot, and then at some point it disappears.

And yes, I saw that PCS is only listed as compatible with SUSE Enterprise 10.0 and 10.1, but which other software should I use.
I would love to use apcupsd but APC apparently doesn't open the specifications for this new type of cable 940-1525A.
And we only use Linux servers and clients, I need a Linux only solution.
Which other software could I use if not PCS ?
Buying a network card is not really a solution.

Thanks for any help,
Richard

[Anonymous user]

I managed to reboot the server last sunday, and the device reappeared again. Everything worked find for almost 2 days, and the the device magically dissapeared again, so I have again the "Device Missing" error.

Someone any clues?

Thanks, Richard

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

The error seems to be "/etc/init.d/pcs stop" not stopping the wrapper and java processes, me then killing both these processes and a *** LOCK FILE *** in /var/lock.
After removing this lock file by hand, everything seems (up to now) be working ok.
Perhaps /etc/init.d/pcs should be extended to either not start if the lock file is present, or remove it if the pid in it does not exist.
At least an error or warning if the lock file is present would be VERY helpful !

😞
Thanks APC for not helping at all. The support never asked me to check anything, either serial device settings or this one lock file in /var/lock !


Richard