Ubuntu Manpage: dummy-ups - Driver for multi-purpose UPS emulation

Provided by: nut-server_2.7.4-5.1ubuntu2_amd64

NAME

       dummy-ups - Driver for multi-purpose UPS emulation

NOTE

       This man page only documents the specific features of the dummy-ups driver. For information about the
       core driver, see nutupsdrv(8).

DESCRIPTION

       This program is a multi-purpose UPS emulation tool. Its behavior depends on the running mode:

   Dummy Mode
       dummy-ups looks like a standard device driver to upsd(8) and allows one to change any value for testing
       purposes. It is both interactive, controllable through the upsrw(1) and upscmd(1) commands (or equivalent
       graphical tool), and batchable through script files. It can be configured, launched and used as any other
       real driver. This mode is mostly useful for development and testing purposes.

   Repeater Mode
       dummy-ups acts as a NUT client, simply forwarding data. This can be useful for supervision purposes. This
       can also allow some load sharing between several UPS instances, using a point-to-point communication with
       the UPS.

IMPLEMENTATION

The port specification depends on the running mode, and allows the driver to select the right mode.

Dummy Mode
Port is a definition file name for dummy-ups. This can either be an absolute or a relative path name. In
the latter case the NUT sysconfig directory (ie /etc/nut, /usr/local/ups/etc, ...) is prepended.

For instance:

[dummy]
driver = dummy-ups
port = evolution500.dev
desc = "dummy-ups in dummy mode"

This file is generally named "something.dev". It contains a list of all valid data and associated values,
and has the same format as an upsc(8) dump (<varname>: <value>). So you can easily create definition
files from an existing UPS using "upsc > file.dev". It can also be empty, in which case only a basic set
of data is available: device., driver., ups.mfr, ups.model, ups.status

Samples definition files are available in the "data" directory of the nut source tree, and generally in
the sysconfig directory of your system distribution.

Since dummy-ups will loop on reading this file, you can dynamically modify it to interact with the
driver. This will avoid message spam into your system log files, if you are using NUT default
configuration.

You can also use the "TIMER <seconds>" instruction to create scheduled events sequences. For example, the
following sequence will loop on switching ups.status between "OL", "OB" and "OB LB" every minute:

ups.status: OL
TIMER 60
ups.status: OB
TIMER 60
ups.status: LB
TIMER 60

It is wise to end the script with a TIMER. Otherwise dummy-ups will directly go back to the beginning of
the file.

Repeater Mode
Port is the name of a remote UPS, using the NUT form, ie:

<upsname>@<hostname>[:<port>]

For instance:

[repeater]
driver = dummy-ups
port = ups@hostname
desc = "dummy-ups in repeater mode"

Unlike UPS specifications in the rest of NUT, the @hostname portion is not optional - it is the @
character which enables Repeater Mode. To refer to an UPS on the same host as dummy-ups, use port =
upsname@localhost.

INTERACTION

       Once the driver is loaded in dummy mode, you can change any variables, except those of the driver.* and
       server.* collections. You can do this by either editing the definition file, or use the upsrw(1) and
       upscmd(1) commands.

       Note that in simulation mode, new variables can be added on the fly, by adding these to the definition
       file. Conversely, if you need to remove variable (such as transient ones, like ups.alarm), simply update
       these by setting an empty value. As a result, they will get removed from the data.

       In repeater mode, the driver acts according to the capabilities of the UPS, and so support the same
       instant commands and settable values.

BACKGROUND

       Dummy Mode was originally written in one evening to replace the previous dummycons testing driver, which
       was too limited, and required a terminal for interaction.

       dummy-ups is useful for NUT client development, and other testing purposes.

       It also helps the NUT Quality Assurance effort, by automating some tests on the NUT framework.

       It now offers a repeater mode. This will help in building the Meta UPS approach, which allows one to
       build a virtual device, composed of several other devices (either UPS, PDUs).

BUGS

       Instant commands are not yet supported in Dummy Mode, and data need name/value checking enforcement, as
       well as boundaries or enumeration definition.

AUTHOR

       Arnaud Quette