Add UPS plan for homelab power resilience

[wcygan]

Problem

The homelab currently depends on household AC power. When power drops, the MS-01 nodes and networking gear can shut off abruptly. This creates two risks:

1. Short outages can unnecessarily take the cluster offline.
2. Longer outages can hard-power-off the nodes, increasing risk of filesystem, VM, container, or database corruption.

The network gear also matters: if the MS-01 nodes are on backup power but the router, modem/ONT, or switch are not, remote access may still be lost during an outage.

Proposed solution

Add a UPS-backed power plan for the homelab.

Recommended topology:

Wall outlet
  -> UPS
  -> MS-01 nodes + switch + router/modem/ONT

Avoid putting the UPS behind a surge protector or daisy-chained power strip. Prefer plugging the UPS directly into the wall. If more outlets are required, use a properly rated basic PDU/power strip on the UPS output only if the UPS manufacturer and local electrical safety guidance allow it, and do not exceed UPS wattage or outlet ratings.

For longer outages, configure graceful shutdown using Network UPS Tools (NUT) or equivalent UPS management software:

• One system acts as the UPS-connected controller.
• Other nodes receive shutdown signals over the network.
• Nodes shut down cleanly when battery reaches a configured threshold.
• Test the shutdown sequence before relying on it unattended.

UPS candidates to evaluate

Research notes:

• Start by evaluating the 1500VA tower class. ServeTheHome measured the MS-01 at about 25-29W idle and about 90-115W under load, so 3x MS-01 nodes plus core network gear are likely a good fit for a 1500VA UPS if the measured wall load leaves enough runtime and wattage headroom.
• Measure the real wall load before purchase. Do not size only from power-brick ratings.
• Prefer line-interactive, pure sine wave output, AVR, user-replaceable batteries, and USB/HID or otherwise NUT-supported monitoring.
• Verify NUT support for the exact model and hardware revision before relying on unattended shutdown. NUT's usbhid-ups driver supports newer Eaton USB models and some APC, CyberPower, and Tripp Lite models, but exact model behavior can vary.

Candidate	Why it fits	Notes
CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD	Strong first candidate for value. 1500VA/1000W, line-interactive, sine wave output, AVR, 12x NEMA 5-15R outlets, USB communication, and optional remote-management card.	Good baseline for one UPS covering 3x MS-01 nodes plus switch/router/modem if measured load leaves headroom. USB to the NUT controller is probably enough unless SNMP management is desired.
APC Back-UPS Pro BR1500MS2	Common APC tower alternative. 1500VA/900W, line-interactive, sine wave output, 10x NEMA 5-15R outlets, LCD, and user-replaceable battery.	Good consumer APC option if price is close to CyberPower. Confirm NUT USB behavior with the exact unit before depending on unattended shutdown.
APC Smart-UPS SMT1500C	Premium APC option. 1500VA / 1000W class, line-interactive, sine wave output, 8x NEMA 5-15R outlets, AVR, LCD, SmartConnect, and SmartSlot.	Better fit if long-term manageability, replacement-battery ecosystem, and optional management cards matter more than purchase price.
Eaton 5SC1500	Premium Eaton tower. 1500VA/1080W, line-interactive, pure sine wave output, 8x NEMA 5-15R outlets, RS-232, and USB HID.	Strong Linux/NUT candidate because Eaton documents USB HID. More expensive than consumer tower models.
Eaton 5S1500LCD	Budget Eaton candidate. 1500VA/900W, 10x NEMA 5-15R outlets, USB HID, and published half-load runtime around 12 minutes.	Verify output waveform and exact runtime before buying. Prefer 5SC, CyberPower PFC Sinewave, or APC sine-wave models for active-PFC mini PCs if the price gap is acceptable.
Tripp Lite by Eaton SMART1500PSGLCD	Pure-sine 1500VA/900W tower with line-interactive topology, AVR, USB, and 10x NEMA 5-15R outlets.	Consider if price or availability is strong. Verify NUT compatibility for the exact model before purchase.

Sources reviewed:

• ServeTheHome MS-01 power consumption notes: https://www.servethehome.com/minisforum-ms-01-review-the-10gbe-with-pcie-slot-mini-pc-intel/5/
• NUT USB HID driver support: https://networkupstools.org/docs/man/usbhid-ups.html
• NUT hardware compatibility list: https://networkupstools.org/stable-hcl.html
• CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD specs: https://www.cyberpowersystems.com/product/ups/pfc-sinewave/cp1500pfclcd/
• APC BR1500MS2 specs: https://www.se.com/us/en/product/BR1500MS2/apc-backups-pro-1500va-900w-tower-120v-10x-nema-515r-outlets-avr-usb-type-a-%2B-c-ports-lcd-user-replaceable-battery/
• APC SMT1500C specs: https://www.se.com/us/en/product/SMT1500C/apc-smartups-line-interactive-1500va-tower-120v-8x-nema-515r-outlets-smartconnect-port%2Bsmartslot-avr-lcd/
• Eaton 5SC1500 specs: https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/skuPage.5SC1500.html
• Eaton 5S1500LCD specs: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/eaton-5s-ups-1500va-900-watt-120v-lcd-line-interactive-battery-backup-eco-usb/apd/a7443096/power-cooling-data-center-infrastructure
• Tripp Lite by Eaton SMART1500PSGLCD specs: https://tripplite.eaton.com/line-interactive-gaming-ups-system-120v-1500va~SMART1500PSGLCD

Tasks

• Inventory current power path: wall outlet, Tripp Lite strip/PDU model, MS-01 nodes, switch, router, modem/ONT.
• Estimate total wattage for 3x MS-01 + network gear.
• Select an appropriately sized UPS based on watts and desired runtime.
• Decide whether devices plug directly into UPS outlets or through a basic PDU.
• Configure NUT or equivalent graceful shutdown.
• Test short outage behavior.
• Test long outage graceful shutdown behavior.
• Document final wiring and recovery procedure.

Acceptance criteria

• A short power outage does not shut down the cluster.
• A longer outage triggers clean shutdown before UPS battery depletion.
• Network gear remains powered long enough for monitoring/shutdown coordination.
• The UPS is not placed behind a surge protector or unsafe daisy-chain.
• The tested power layout is documented in this repository.

References

• Network UPS Tools configuration notes: https://networkupstools.org/docs/user-manual.chunked/Configuration_notes.html
• NUT upsmon shutdown behavior: https://networkupstools.org/docs/man/upsmon.html
• Schneider/APC FAQ on surge strips with UPS units: https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA158852/
• Eaton guidance against daisy-chaining UPS units: https://www.eaton.com/us/en-us/support/eaton-answers/daisy-chain-ups.html