NSClient + NRPE == NRPE+ (was: Rewriting nscli ent? (was NSClient 1.0.8.0 Installation Problem))

[Randal, Phil]

Maybe I'm paranoid but I wouldn't be too happy about having a
Perl interpreter sitting on our NT boxes waiting for malicious
Perl scripts to happen along ;-)

I'd suggest that the C or C++ stuff for Windows should be 
written to be compiled under MinGW
(http://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/) and Dev-CPP
(http://sourceforge.net/projects/dev-cpp/).

Cheers,

Phil
---------------------------------------------
Phil Randal
Network Engineer
Herefordshire Council
Hereford, UK 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk [mailto:roy at karlsbakk.net]
> Sent: 13 May 2003 13:16
> To: Michael.Wirtgen at miwi-dv.com; sghosh at sghosh.org;
> nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
> Subject: Re: [Nagios-users] NSClient + NRPE == NRPE+ (was: Rewriting
> nscli ent? (was NSClient 1.0.8.0 Installation Problem))
> 
> 
> ok.
> So why not:
> 	- Rewrite nsclient in C or C++ (and perhaps renaming it?)
> 	- Rewrite NRPE in perl to allow it to work in any environment
> 
> Whaddayathink?
> 
> On Tuesday 13 May 2003 12:46, Michael.Wirtgen at miwi-dv.com wrote:
> > hi all,
> >
> > just some thoughts and ideas for comments...
> >
> > - Perl for services
> > Even if the idea of using perl with a wrapper for this is 
> tempting, wearing
> > my windows hat, I'd always prefer something really 
> "talking" to the SCM
> > instead of using a wrapper. I've done that several times in 
> the past, using
> > svcany an the like, results were mixed. I think it can be 
> done, but if
> > someone is taking the effort for a rewrite, why not use C 
> and accommodate
> > the existing sources to compile on non UX platforms.
> >
> > - "Porting" NRPE to windows
> > While putting together nrpe_nt (my attempt at "porting" 
> nrpe), I found that
> > there is not TOO much stuff to be changed. Before 
> attempting a complete
> > rewrite I'd suggest to review the existing sources, and 
> split up nrpe.c
> > into two files, a generic one, and a platform dependent 
> one. The platform
> > dependent file would (for windows) roughly contain: main(),
> > wait_for_connections() and handle_connection(), plus some 
> additional code
> > to make stuff like services work.
> > (Talk to the SCM etc.). stuff like utils.c and common.h 
> compiled on win
> > with ~4-5 one line patches.
> >
> > - Integrating nrpe with nsclient functionality
> > Personally, I think nsclient and nrpe serve different 
> purposes on windows
> > (or could do so in a "clean" design):
> > nsclient is platform specific to windows, and not easily 
> modified to allow
> > for custom plugins.
> > nrpe allows only for plugins, doesn't care for specific 
> checks at all, just
> > executes them.
> >
> > The way I would like to use both, would be:
> > nsclient as a local agent, running continuous checks for 
> stuff, that has to
> > be checked local and/or requires activity, that can't be 
> done in a plugin
> > (eg. register callback to some windows functions like 
> spooler/filesystem
> > events etc). These could be reported back passive checks.
> >
> > nrpe as a "gateway" to windows checks, to either local or 
> remote windows
> > hosts.
> > This allows distributed active checks, without the need for 
> an agent like
> > nsclient on every monitored host. (A lot of my customers are really
> > reluctant to install any additional agent "only for monitoring").
> >
> > It would be possible to integrate nrpe functions with 
> nsclient, but you
> > would either:
> >
> > - Start with from the delphi nsclient sources
> > Roys arguments about which languages to be used applies 
> here, as in fact
> > not too much people use delphi these days.
> > Also, it would make nsclient an even more complex beast to maintain.
> >
> > - Start a complete rewrite in perl
> > If you'd add all nsclient functionality, the code would be platform
> > specific to windows again, wasting the initial reason to do 
> a rewrite.
> >
> > Pheew, that has become a little lengthy...
> > So in summary I'd suggest:
> > a) don't mix functionality between nsclient and nrpe, as they serve
> > different purposes
> > b) If someone is willing to start a rewrite, don't go with 
> perl easily
> > because "it's platform independent". It may bite back later...
> >
> > thanks for your attention
> > cheers
> > MiWi
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk [mailto:roy at karlsbakk.net]
> > Sent: Dienstag, 13. Mai 2003 10:48
> > To: Subhendu Ghosh; nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
> > Subject: [Nagios-users] NSClient + NRPE == NRPE+ (was: Rewriting
> > nsclient? (was NSClient 1.0.8.0 Installation Problem))
> >
> > On Friday 09 May 2003 18:50, Subhendu Ghosh wrote:
> > > ActiveState has a perl to binary/service converter.
> >
> > hi all.
> >
> > As Ghosh says above, we can use perl to write services. Is 
> it only me, or
> > would this allow us to standardize on perl for a new NRPE+ 
> with NRPE +
> > NSClient functionality? I guess we can read Windoze 
> counters from perl
> > without problems?
> >
> > roy
> 
> -- 
> Roy Sigurd Karlsbakk, Datavaktmester
> ProntoTV AS - http://www.pronto.tv/
> Tel: +47 9801 3356
> 
> Computers are like air conditioners.
> They stop working when you open Windows.
> 
> 
> 
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