Re: [Apcupsd-users] Trouble installing apcupsd driver on Windows 7

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Mark,

Just so you know I have five (5) HP Elite 8200 PCs (exact same configuration
for each).  One of them is the roof controller PC, another is a weather
station\sky quality monitor PC, the other three are for the three
scopes\mounts in the observatory.  Each of these PCs has a dedicated UPS
connected to them.  The scopes have CS-500's, the weather station PC has an
ES-550 and the roof controller has an ES-550.

When I mentioned the part about the driver crashing frequently when the roof
is opening or closing that is the driver on the roof controller PC.  While
the software that interacts with the roof controller is reading the magnetic
sensor information from the roof (while it is opening or closing) this is
when the APCUPSD driver starts crashing.  The driver crashing also causes
the roof controller software to get serial read exceptions.  Note that when
I stop the APCUPSD service and tray application and operate the roof
controller software it never has serial read exceptions nor does it affect
other applications using USB devices.  Also note the APCUPSD driver is only
crashing on the PC the roof controller software is running (the roof
controller PC).

When I mentioned the issue with the APCUPSD driver crashing when interaction
with the scope cameras, this is the APCUPSD driver instances on each of the
HP Elite 8200 PCs that are connected to each scope\mount\camera setup (and
each have their own dedicated CS-500 UPS).  For example, while a camera
image is being downloaded from the camera (over USB) sometimes it will cause
the APCUPSD driver to crash.  It is not all the time but is frequent.  This
and the roof controller software also causing crashes with the APCUPSD
driver made me deduce that if there is a lot of USB activity this negatively
affects the APCUPSD driver somehow and it crashes.

I just wanted to tell you all this so you got a good picture of the
environment and the issues with the driver.  It is hard to explain
everything in one message, there is a lot to this observatory operation
since it is remotely operated.  

Best Always,

Daniel

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Foley [mailto:mf...@no...] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 7:40 AM
To: apc...@li...
Subject: Re: [Apcupsd-users] Trouble installing apcupsd driver on Windows 7

On Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:45:04 Daniel Maloney <tel...@gm...>
wrote:

> I failed to mention I use to have the latest version of APCUPSD 
> installed on the PC that this log came from but a month ago I 
> installed a prior version just to see if it was any better (it is 
> not).  On all the other
> 8200 Elite PCs I still have the latest version installed.

Daniel, in your message of 23 Feb, you said, "The APCUPSD driver often
crashes several times while the roof is opening and\or closing.  It also
crashes outside of the use of the roof motor controller but less
frequently", and "on other machines where USB cameras and USB serial devices
are used the driver will crash frequently during the use of these USB
devices."

So, I understand that the root controller is causing an apcupsd crash on the
one computer, but the other computers do not crash when the roof it opening
or closing. The other computers crash during the use of USB devices
connected to those computers, correct?

Since you have tried the latest apcupsd software, and since I, as well as
others, use USB connected UPSes on Windows (mine are still running, Windows
7 and XP, not WIN10), it seems to me the one distinct factor you have are
the HP Elite 8200 computers running Windows 10. 

I'd try that simple test I suggested which shouldn't mess up all your
connections. Find an old Windows 7 computer, preferably not a laptop since
I've experienced some funkiness with USBs on laptops, and preferably not an
HP Elite 8200. 

On the computer that has the roof controller UPS, simply change the config
to client mode by setting C:\apcupsd\etc\apcupsd.conf to:

UPSCABLE ether
UPSTYPE net
DEVICE	<ip of your WIN7 computer>:3551
POLLTIME 10
MINUTES 4	# I do this just to make sure the client shuts down first
#NETSERVER ON	# I've just commented out rather than set to 'off'
NISIP 0.0.0.0   # if this computer has only one NIC, otherwise, set to the
                # NIC connected to your LAN.
NISPORT 3551

Restart the apcupsd service.

Set up apcupsd on the test WIN7 computer and plug in the UPS for the roof
controller and set it to server mode (default) by setting
C:\apcupsd\etc\apcupsd.conf to:

NETSERVER on
NISIP 0.0.0.0	# if your test WIN7 has only one NIC, otherwise, set to the 
		# NIC connected to your LAN.
NISPORT 3551	# Likewise as above

Make sure port 3551 is open on both firewalls.

You'll still be able to see the UPS status from your original WIN10. The
only real difference you'll see is it will say "ONLINE SLAVE" in the Status
box.

Now, if the roof controller (running on the WIN10) crashes apcupsd on the
WIN7, I'm out of ideas. I suspect this setup will work just fine with no
apcupsd crashing on the WIN7. If that is the case, I would have to conclude
that the problem has something to do either with Windows 10 or the HP Elite
8200 hardware.

If the above works, your next test might be to stage the roof controller
software on the Windows 7 machine and see whether or not it crashes there.

Good Luck.

--Mark

-----Original Message-----
> Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:45:04 -0600
> From: Daniel Maloney <tel...@gm...>
> To: Apcupsd Discussion List <apc...@li...>
> Subject: Re: [Apcupsd-users] Trouble installing apcupsd driver on 
> Windows 7
>
> Mark and others,
>
> I failed to mention I use to have the latest version of APCUPSD 
> installed on the PC that this log came from but a month ago I 
> installed a prior version just to see if it was any better (it is 
> not).  On all the other
> 8200 Elite PCs I still have the latest version installed.
>
> Yes, the roof controller and roof motor UPS units are there so in the 
> event of a power outage the roof of the observatory will still be able to
close.
> I also have UPS units tied to each scope's PC so in the event of a 
> power outage the scope can stop imaging and park itself before the roof
closes.
> It works great and is entirely automated.
>
> I prefer APCUPSD as it has the ability to kill the power of the UPS 
> unit in the event of a prolonged brown out thus allowing the PCs to 
> come back on once the utility power is restored.  Does the Powerchute 
> software support this as well?  I thought it did not?
>
> Of course I also love the event response framework of the APCUPSD 
> platform.  I did read that the Powerchute software does generate event 
> logs and you can respond to them via task scheduler but I just like 
> the simplistic approach APCUPSD offers.
>
> I want to keep APCUPSD but this driver issue needs to be solved.  Wish 
> we could have a debug version of it I could run with so we can see 
> where it is crashing and/or why.
>
> Best Always,
>
> Daniel
> On Feb 23, 2016 12:56 PM, "Mark Foley" <mf...@no...> wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:10:45 Jernej Simon?i? < 
> > jernej's-s...@et...> wrote:
> >
> > > As long as ModBus mode isn't used, there shouldn't be any 
> > > difference between 3.14.12 and 3.14.13 driver ...
> >
> > Good points, but it still doesn't hurt to have the latest version.  
> > The
> > 3.14.13
> > site also says, "Other [in addition to MODBUS] ... changes include 
> > ... many bug fixes and cleanups to the code base." And the release 
> > notes say, "Windows USB driver has been updated with additional USB 
> > identifiers ...".
> >
> > General "Bug fixes" and any USB driver updating would indicate to me 
> > that a newer version should be tried. This might not fix Daniel's 
> > problem, but it's certainly good practice generally.
> >
> > I've recently installed PowerChute 3.0 and have not run into the 
> > problems you mentioned ... yet. Probably hasn't yet been running the 
> > month-ish you mentioned.
> >
> > I threw the PowerChute suggestion out there because if Daniel does 
> > not need client/server or email notification, he might find 
> > PowerChute works better than his constant COMMLOST issue with 
> > apcupsd.
> >
> > --Mark
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:10:45 +0100
> > From: Jernej Simon?i?   <jernej's-s...@et...>
> > Organization: E-mailaholics International
> > To: "Mark Foley on [apcupsd-users]" 
> > <apc...@li...>
> > Subject: Re: [Apcupsd-users] Trouble installing apcupsd driver on 
> > Windows 7
> >
> > On Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 16:25:07, Mark Foley wrote:
> >
> > > 1) Get the latest apcupsd 3.14.13 from 02 February 2015. Yours is
> > 3.14.12 from
> > > 29 March 2014. It's always best to use the latest software when
> > debugging such
> > > things. The release notes indicate updates to the Windows USB 
> > > driver
> > specifically.
> >
> > As long as ModBus mode isn't used, there shouldn't be any difference 
> > between 3.14.12 and 3.14.13 driver (the driver on Windows uses 
> > Microsoft's own WinUSB interface, and the only thing changed between
> > .12 and .13 is the .inf file, which now lists modbus hardware IDs).
> >
> > > Why, if I may ask, are you using apcupsd on Windows? The APC 
> > > Powerchute
> > software
> > > works pretty well and you would likely not have this issue (or 
> > > would
> > you? might be
> > > worth a test). I am using Powerchute on all office workstations, 
> > > but
> > apcupsd on
> > > the Windows database servers because a) powerchute does not have a 
> > > means
> > of
> > > controlling more than one computer connected to a UPS and b) 
> > > powerchute
> > does not
> > > have a mechanism to send email notices when power events occur.
> >
> > In my experience, PowerChute works for about a month, then it 
> > becomes impossible to log in to the admin interface (it'll still 
> > shut down the computer, but good luck trying to change anything), 
> > plus it requires Java, which I'd prefer to avoid unless absolutely
necessary.
> >
> > --
> > Jernej Simon?i?, Ena d.o.o.
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
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