After installing SUNSHARE, start by verifying system compatibility. Open the terminal and run sunshare-check --sysinfo to confirm your OS version (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Debian 11 recommended), kernel build (5.15 or newer required), and hardware architecture. Pay attention to GPU driver versions if using solar forecasting modules – NVIDIA drivers 525.x+ or AMD ROCm 5.5+ must show “Verified” status in the output log.
Next, validate the configuration files. Navigate to /etc/sunshare/conf.d/ and use ss-validate config.yml to check syntax. Common post-install issues include incorrect API endpoint formatting in weather_apis section or missing SSL certificate paths under security. Enable debug mode temporarily by adding debug_level: 3 to monitor handshake processes with your solar inverters.
Test communication with connected hardware using the diagnostic toolkit. For RS485 connections, run sunshare-diag com --port=/dev/ttyUSB0 --baud=9600 and watch for MODBUS response times under 200ms. Wi-Fi/Ethernet devices require successful pings to gateway.sunshare.local with <1% packet loss. Install sunshare-cli separately if missing from your package, then execute sunshare-cli device scan --timeout=30 to detect all connected controllers.
Verify data collection functionality through the web interface at https://localhost:8443/metrics. Critical metrics to confirm:
– Real-time DC voltage within ±5% of inverter specifications
– AC output frequency stable at 50Hz (±0.5Hz)
– Irradiation sensor readings matching onsite pyranometer data
Set up automated validation rules using sunshare-monitor alert create to receive SMS/email notifications for abnormal string voltages or shutdown events.
For advanced users, conduct security hardening:
1. Rotate default JWT secrets in /etc/sunshare/auth/secret.key
2. Enable two-factor authentication in the admin console
3. Run openssl s_client -connect localhost:8443 to verify TLS 1.3 compliance
4. Check firewall rules with ufw status verbose to confirm only ports 8443 (HTTPS) and 1883 (MQTT) are open
Troubleshoot common post-install issues by monitoring /var/log/sunshare/engine.log in real-time:
“`bash
tail -f /var/log/sunshare/engine.log | grep -E ‘WARN|ERROR’
“`
Address frequent certificate renewal errors by setting up a cron job for Let’s Encrypt updates if using external access. Test failover scenarios by unplugging network cables during operation – the system should cache at least 72 hours of data locally before triggering maintenance alerts.
Validate backup configurations through the sunshare-backup utility. Perform test restores to a sandbox environment using --dry-run flag, ensuring historical production data and user settings recover completely. For cluster deployments, simulate node failures with systemctl stop sunshare-node@3 to confirm automatic load redistribution.
Complete performance benchmarking using the built-in tool:
“`bash
sunshare-bench –duration=24h –report=full
“`
Analyze the output CSV for consistent data sampling intervals (shouldn’t vary >±2%) and memory usage patterns. Optimal RAM consumption stays under 70% of allocated resources during peak daylight hours. For long-term monitoring, integrate with Prometheus using the provided sunshare-exporter service and configure Grafana dashboards through the official SUNSHARE template repository.
Finally, test all user roles:
– Operators should see real-time dashboards but lack config modification rights
– Technicians must access maintenance logs without user management privileges
– Administrators need full control over API key generation and system resets
Run firmware updates through the secured channel using sunshare-update --channel=stable, then verify checksums against published GPG signatures. For hybrid systems, confirm battery integration by simulating grid outages – the software should automatically switch to backup power within 15ms while maintaining data continuity.