So, i created this (https://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=50158.0) thread few days ago, and @Bjonness406 pointed out the NUT plugin, for which i cannot find a compatibility list. I was under the impression that unraid only worked with APC UPS's.

 

When i look around for UPS's to buy, i can afford a cheap APC one, but for the same price, i can get a much higher capacity Blazer or Dynamix branded UPS (or about half the price for the same capacity in VA/W). Would Blazer/Dynamix UPS work with unRaid? Is there any limitations? I dont really need any fancy functionality, i just need to find a solution to not break the cache drives during a power outage/surge, so maybe the only functionality i want is to gracefully shutdown during a power outage when battery reaches x%, and possibly turn back on when power comes back.

Take a look here maybe?

http://networkupstools.org/stable-hcl.html

Never tried it myself

Does not look like the UPS you mentioned are well supported

 

To be able to turn the server on when power comes back, you need to be able to turn the UPS off after shutdown with the software. When power comes back then, the UPS will turn on again. So if you enable that the server would start up after a power loss again from the bios menu on the motherboard, this should work fine.

 

Just be aware that if it comes a new power outage shortly after, the UPS may not be enough charged to fully shut down the server again.

Although there is a plugin, you're then relying on the author to keep and maintain it.  For something like a UPS I'd be inclined to get an APC as the support is built into Unraid itself.  Worth thinking about.

 

Not meaning to cause any offence to macester as I'm a plugin maintainer myself. 

I would also recommend you look at APC, they are a good reliable brand and as CHBMB mentioned the support for them is built into unRAID so no risk there. Be careful when you buy one too as the Back-UPS line usually dedicate some plugs for backups only and others for surge protection only, so in other words not all the outlets work for battery backup if the power fails.

Although there is a plugin, you're then relying on the author to keep and maintain it.  For something like a UPS I'd be inclined to get an APC as the support is built into Unraid itself.  Worth thinking about.

 

+1, Get an APC.

+1 for APC!

 

Allow me to share my experience with UPSs. I had an APC BX1000G for almost six years. Had maybe three minor power outages in that time. During an outage, it ran for run for 5 minutes, shutdown unRAID and it shutdown shortly after.  Never had a problem.

 

Last year the local power vault blew. I was lucky and grateful I had an UPS and surge suppressors! Once the power came back, the UPS didn’t function properly. Repairing it was more money than a new one.

 

I kept my eye out for a good sale and saw a Cyperpower CST135XLU at the local membership warehouse. Very reasonably priced,  so I bought it.

 

During an outage, the Cyperpower unit would run for the 5 minutes, shutdown unRAID and then keep running until low battery shut it down or power came back. I feature I wasn;t happy.

 

Monthly parity checks would show random errors, nothing consistent. I spent five months trying to track down the problem. Nothing in the SART reports. Maybe the outage took out more than the APC UPS. I was afraid to add anything to unRAID with parity errors. 

 

I almost had acquired enough hardware to make a new system. On one of the tear-downs and rebuilds the server worked with no parity errors. Was I happy, I went four months, no monthly parity errors. I had more than ITB of data to put on the Tower!  Fast forward to the next power failure. UnRAID had to do a parity check. That’s when I noticed I never plugged the computer into the UPS, the USB cable was connected and everything appeared to be running fine.

 

I allowed the parity check to completed, a number of errors were found due to the non-clean shutdown. Did a non-correcting check and it passed without any errors.  I shutdown the server., plugged the server into the UPS and started it up. I did a non-correcting check and it failed with errors. Tried it again, different errors this time.  Once more, nothing in the SMART reports.

 

I put the server on the workbench, opened it up, reseated the sata connectors, reseated the power connectors. I powered it up, did a non-correcting check and it passed without any errors. I put it back in  the media room and once more parity errors! That’s when I had that aha moment, it is the UPS. I now have had two months of error free parity checks, however no UPS. I am now on a price alert for another APC UPS. No Cyperpower for me.

Thanks guys, sorry i forgot to update this thread. I gave in and went for a 400w APC UPS about a month ago. To a degree its a waste (since i have very rarely had power outages), but then again it adds some safety which is nice.

 

After the crap i had to deal with a bit over a month ago, where one of my main's fuses blew, which shut down the server corrupting my cache drives which had my VM. Luckily after fiddling around a lot, i managed to recover the VM, but one of the cache drives were malfunctioning (no biggie, easily replaceable). Anyway, hopefully this doesnt happen again now that i have the UPS.

 

Thanks a lot for the recommendations and advice guys