Using Nagios to monitor "service-less" hosts

[Fermín Galán Márquez]

Dear Aaron, all,
 
Afser comparations between documentation
 
http://nagios.sourceforge.net/docs/1_0/xodtemplate.html#host
http://nagios.sourceforge.net/docs/2_0/xodtemplate.html#host
 
it seems that in 1.x it is not possible to have monitored service-less hosts
(as Giles said), but it's fine for 2.x (as Andy said).
 
Andy, can you confirm that the version of your looking glass is 2.x?
 
I'll try to upgrade to 2.x. I use Debian and use to install things through
APT, but the most recent version in the Debian repository is what I have
(1.4). Is there some workaorund to avoid the dreadfull :) installation from
source .tar.gz (e.g., third-party .deb packages, alternative APT
repositories, etc.), please?
 
Best regards,


--------------------
Fermín Galán Márquez
CTTC - Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya
Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia, Av. del Canal Olímpic s/n, 08860
Castelldefels, Spain
Room 1.02
Tel : +34 93 645 29 12
Fax : +34 93 645 29 01
Email address: fermin.galan at cttc.es 


________________________________

De: Aaron Devey [mailto:ADevey at omniture.com] 
Enviado el: martes, 07 de noviembre de 2006 17:15
Para: Fermín Galán Márquez
Asunto: RE: [Nagios-users] Using Nagios to monitor "service-less" hosts



>From how I understand Nagios: by default the host checks will only be run if
they *have* to be checked.  (to satisfy dependencies, or if a service fails,
etc.)  However, you can use the check_interval parameter (at least in 2.x?)
to force nagios to run the host check regularly just like a service check.
There may also be a nagios.conf directive to change the default behavior.


-----Original Message-----
From: nagios-users-bounces at lists.sourceforge.net on behalf of Fermín Galán
Márquez
Sent: Tue 11/7/2006 8:56 AM
To: 'Andy Shellam (Mailing Lists)'; 'Nagios Users mailinglist'
Subject: Re: [Nagios-users] Using Nagios to monitor "service-less" hosts

Dear Andy,

>>> Is that right? Why don't fully decouple host-monitoring from service
monitoring?
>
> No.  Nagios does use the check-host-alive command to determine if the host
is up - and, yes, hosts and services are separate in that a
> host doesn't have to have any services, but a service must have a host.
>
> I have 2 hosts which are actually 2 gateway routers, which do not have any
corresponding services.  Nagios issues a warning saying they
> don't have any services associated on every startup, but it monitors them
perfectly.  Even if they drop off the network for a few
> seconds, Nagios knows about it.  This is through the use of check_ping as
the check-host-alive command - however, on one of my previous
> servers, the gateway router blocked ICMP, so I used check_ssh as the
check-host-alive command which also worked perfectly.

Your looking glass is very clarifiying. Thanks! :)

> It sounds as if you don't have active checks enabled for the hosts.  The
error "Not enough data..." means an active or passive check
> hasn't been submitted for the host yet.

I cann't locate active or passive checks directives related with hosts in
the documentation
(http://nagios.sourceforge.net/docs/1_0/xodtemplate.html#host). However,
there is such directives related with services, in particular
active_check_enabled and passive_check_enabled
(http://nagios.sourceforge.net/docs/1_0/xodtemplate.html#service). However,
I have checks_enabled directive in the hosts activate. Also note there is
not equivalents to normal_check_interval or retry_check_interval (for
services) in host objects (apparently).

Maybe I'm using a too old Nagios release? I'm using 1.4-2 but I've seen the
most recent one is 2.5.

I think it would be very clarifying if you could show me the hosts.cfg
fragment you are using for FH_Gateway and SC_Gateway in your looking glass,
please.

As reference, the fragment from hosts.cfg that I'm using:

# Generic host definition template
define host{
        name                            generic-host    ; The name of this
host template - referenced in other host definitions, used for tem
plate recursion/resolution
        notifications_enabled           1       ; Host notifications are
enabled
        event_handler_enabled           0       ; Host event handler is
disabled
        flap_detection_enabled          0       ; Flap detection is disabled
        process_perf_data               1       ; Process performance data
        retain_status_information       1       ; Retain status information
across program restarts
        retain_nonstatus_information    1       ; Retain non-status
information across program restarts

        register                        0       ; DONT REGISTER THIS
DEFINITION - ITS NOT A REAL HOST, JUST A TEMPLATE!
        }
define host{
        use                     generic-host            ; Name of host
template to use
        host_name               nagios-test
        alias                   NAGIOS Test
        address                 192.168.1.112
        parents                 gw
        check_command           check-host-alive
        checks_enabled          1
        max_check_attempts      20
        notification_interval   60
        notification_period     24x7
        notification_options    d,u,r
        }

Thanks again!

Best regards,

--------------------
Fermín Galán Márquez
CTTC - Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya
Parc Mediterrani de la Tecnologia, Av. del Canal Olímpic s/n, 08860
Castelldefels, Spain
Room 1.02
Tel : +34 93 645 29 12
Fax : +34 93 645 29 01
Email address: fermin.galan at cttc.es


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-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security?
Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier
Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo
http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642
_______________________________________________
Nagios-users mailing list
Nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/nagios-users
::: Please include Nagios version, plugin version (-v) and OS when reporting any issue. 
::: Messages without supporting info will risk being sent to /dev/null