Outcome
Create a hardened baseline for outage, network failure, and security events with clear response automations.
Audience and Scope
Audience: Home automation builder with intermediate Home Assistant and Docker experience
Estimated Time: 1-4 hours
Difficulty: intermediate
Before You Start
- Critical services list defined (security, access, alerts, networking).
- Backup power topology documented.
- Primary alert channels tested.
Hardware and Software
Hardware
- UPS visibility (NUT or equivalent).
- Backup/restore procedure for Home Assistant.
- Persistent and mobile notifications.
Software
- UPS visibility (NUT or equivalent).
- Backup/restore procedure for Home Assistant.
- Persistent and mobile notifications.
Step-by-Step
Step 1: Define critical automations
Objective: Identify automations that must run during WAN/power events.
Actions:
- Implement define critical automations according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
Step 2: Add power status sensors
Objective: Expose UPS state and battery runtime in Home Assistant.
Actions:
- Implement add power status sensors according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
Step 3: Add degraded-mode automations
Objective: On power/WAN fault, disable noncritical tasks and preserve essential controls.
Actions:
- Implement add degraded-mode automations according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
Step 4: Add alert escalation
Objective: Send immediate alerts and follow-up reminders until state is restored.
Actions:
- Implement add alert escalation according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
Step 5: Add restore automation
Objective: When normal state returns, re-enable paused routines in controlled order.
Actions:
- Implement add restore automation according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
Step 6: Run drills
Objective: Simulate WAN loss and UPS events and confirm each response step.
Actions:
- Implement run drills according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
Validation Checklist
- Fault conditions trigger expected degraded mode.
- Critical controls remain available.
- Restore path returns system to normal cleanly.
Operations and Maintenance
- Document update cadence for packages and containers.
- Schedule backup verification.
- Record service health baselines and alert thresholds.
Troubleshooting and Rollback
- If false triggers occur: add debounce windows.
- If services fail to resume: add explicit re-enable actions per automation group.
- If alerts are noisy: use grouped notifications with cooldown.