SMOKEPING_EXAMPLES(5)

NAME
smokeping_examples - Examples of Smokeping configuration

OVERVIEW
This document provides some examples of Smokeping configuration files. All the examples can be found in the "examples" directory in the Smokeping documentation. Note that the DNS names in the examples are non-functional.

Details of the syntax and all the variables are found in smokeping_config and in the documentation of the corresponding probe, if applicable.

This manual is automatically generated from the Smokeping source code, specifically the Smokeping::Examples module.

DESCRIPTION
Currently the examples differ only in the "Probes" and "Targets" sections. The other sections are taken from the "etc/config.dist" configuration template in the Smokeping distribution so that the example files are complete.

If you would like to provide more examples, document the other sections or enhance the existing examples, please do so, preferably by sending the proposed changes to the smokeping-users mailing list.

  Example 1: config.simple

Probe configuration
     *** Probes ***
     +FPing
     binary = /usr/bin/fping

Probe explanation
    Here we have just one probe, fping, pinging four hosts.

    The fping probe is using the default parameters, some of them supplied from the Database section ("step" and "pings"), and some of them by the probe module.

Target configuration
     *** Targets ***
     probe = FPing

     menu = Top
     title = Network Latency Grapher
     remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.

     + mysite1
     menu = Site 1
     title = Hosts in Site 1

     ++ myhost1
     host = myhost1.mysite1.example
     ++ myhost2
     host = myhost2.mysite1.example

     + mysite2
     menu = Site 2
     title = Hosts in Site 2

     ++ myhost3
     host = myhost3.mysite2.example
     ++ myhost4
     host = myhost4.mysite2.example

Target explanation
    The hosts are located in two sites of two hosts each, and the configuration has been divided to site sections ('+') and host subsections ('++') accordingly.

  Example 2: config.multiple-probes

Probe configuration
     *** Probes ***
     + FPing
     binary = /usr/bin/fping
     packetsize = 1000

     + DNS
     binary = /usr/bin/dig
     lookup = name.example
     pings = 5
     step = 180

     + EchoPingHttp
     pings = 5
     url = /test-url

Probe explanation
    Here we have three probes: FPing for the regular ICMP pings, DNS for name server latency measurement and EchoPingHttp for web servers.

    The FPing probe runs with the default parameters, except that the ICMP packet size is 1000 bytes instead of the default 56 bytes.

    The DNS and EchoPingHttp probes have been configured to be a bit more gentle with the servers, as they only do 5 queries (pings) instead of the default 20 (or whatever is specified in the Database section). However, DNS queries are made more often: 5 queries every 3 minutes instead of every 5 minutes.

Target configuration
     *** Targets ***
     probe = FPing
     menu = Top
     title = Network Latency Grapher
     remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.

     + network
     menu = Net latency
     title = Network latency (ICMP pings)

     ++ myhost1
     host = myhost1.example
     ++ myhost2
     host = myhost2.example

     + services
     menu = Service latency
     title = Service latency (DNS, HTTP)

     ++ DNS
     probe = DNS
     menu = DNS latency
     title = Service latency (DNS)

     +++ dns1
     host = dns1.example

     +++ dns2
     host = dns2.example

     ++ HTTP
     menu = HTTP latency
     title = Service latency (HTTP)

     +++ www1
     host = www1.example

     +++ www2
     host = www2.example

Target explanation
    The target tree has been divided by the probe used. This does not have to be the case: every target (sub)section can use a different probe, and the same probe can be used in different parts of the config tree.

  Example 3: config.fping-instances

Probe configuration
     *** Probes ***
     + FPing
     binary = /usr/bin/fping

     ++ FPingNormal
     offset = 0%

     ++ FPingLarge
     packetsize = 5000
     offset = 50%

Probe explanation
    This example demonstrates the concept of probe instances. The FPingLarge and FPingNormal probes are independent of each other, they just use the same module, FPing. FPingNormal uses the default parameters, and so does FPingLarge except for the 5 kilobyte packetsize. Both use the same fping binary, and its path is configured FPing top section.

    The 'offset' parameters make sure the probes don't run at the same time - FPingNormal is run every 'full' 5 minutes (eg. 8:00, 8:05, 8:10 and so on, in wallclock time) while FPingLarge is run halfway through these intervals (eg. 8:02:30, 8:07:30 etc.)

    The top FPing section does not define a probe in itself because it has subsections. If we really wanted to have one probe named "FPing", we could do so by making a subsection by that name.

Target configuration
     *** Targets ***
     probe = FPingNormal
     menu = Top
     title = Network Latency Grapher
     remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.

     + network
     menu = Net latency
     title = Network latency (ICMP pings)

     ++ myhost1
     menu = myhost1
     title = ICMP latency for myhost1

     +++ normal
     title = Normal packetsize (56 bytes)
     probe = FPingNormal
     host = myhost1.example

     +++ large
     title = Large packetsize (5000 bytes)
     probe = FPingLarge
     host = myhost1.example

     ++ myhost2
     menu = myhost2
     title = ICMP latency for myhost2

     +++ normal
     title = Normal packetsize (56 bytes)
     probe = FPingNormal
     host = myhost2.example

     +++ large
     title = Large packetsize (5000 bytes)
     probe = FPingLarge
     host = myhost2.example

Target explanation
    The target section shows two host, myhost1.example and myhost2.example, being pinged with two differently sized ICMP packets. This time the tree is divided by the target host rather than the probe.

  Example 4: config.targetvars-with-Curl

Probe configuration
     *** Probes ***
     + Curl
     # probe-specific variables
     binary = /usr/bin/curl
     step = 60

     # a default for this target-specific variable
     urlformat = http://%host%/

Probe explanation
    This example explains the difference between probe- and target-specific variables. We use the Curl probe for this.

    Every probe supports at least some probe-specific variables. The values of these variables are common to all the targets of the probe, and they can only be configured in the Probes section. In this case, the probe-specific variables are "binary" and "step".

    Target-specific variables are supported by most probes, the most notable exception being the FPing probe and its derivatives. Target-specific variables can have different values for different targets. They can be configured in both Probes and Targets sections. The values assigned in the Probes section function become default values that can be overridden in the Targets section.

    The documentation of each probe states which of its variables are probe-specific and which are target-specific.

    In this case the "urlformat" variable is a target-specific one. It is also quite uncommon, because it can contain a placeholder for the "host" variable in the Targets section. This is not a general feature, its usage is only limited to the "urlformat" variable and the "%host%" escape.

    (The reason why the FPing probe does not support target-specific variables is simply the fact that the fping program measures all its targets in one go, so they all have the same parameters. The other probes ping their targets one at a time.)

Target configuration
     *** Targets ***
     probe = Curl
     menu = Top
     title = Network Latency Grapher
     remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.

     + HTTP
     menu = http
     title = HTTP latency

     ++ myhost1
     menu = myhost1
     title = HTTP latency for myhost1
     host = myhost1.example

     ++ myhost2
     menu = myhost2
     title = HTTP latency for myhost2
     host = myhost2.example

     ++ myhost3
     menu = myhost3
     title = HTTP latency for myhost3 (port 8080!)
     host = myhost3.example
     urlformat = http://%host%:8080/

     + FTP
     menu = ftp
     title = FTP latency
     urlformat = ftp://%host%/

     ++ myhost1
     menu = myhost1
     title = FTP latency for myhost1
     host = myhost1.example

     ++ myhost2
     menu = myhost2
     title = FTP latency for myhost2
     host = myhost2.example

Target explanation
    The target tree is divided into an HTTP branch and an FTP one. The servers "myhost1.example" and "myhost2.example" are probed in both. The third server, "myhost3.example", only has an HTTP server, and it's in a non-standard port (8080).

    The "urlformat" variable is specified for the whole FTP branch as "ftp://%host%/". For the HTTP branch, the default from the Probes section is used, except for myhost3, which overrides it to tag the port number into the URL.

    The myhost3 assignment could just as well have included the hostname verbatim (ie. urlformat = http://myhost3.example:8080/) instead of using the %host% placeholder, but the host variable would still have been required (even though it wouldn't have been used for anything).

  Example 5: config.echoping

Probe configuration
     *** Probes ***
     + FPing
     binary = /usr/bin/fping

     # these expect to find echoping in /usr/bin
     # if not, you'll have to specify the location separately for each probe
     # + EchoPing         # uses TCP or UDP echo (port 7)
     # + EchoPingDiscard  # uses TCP or UDP discard (port 9)
     # + EchoPingChargen  # uses TCP chargen (port 19)
     + EchoPingSmtp       # SMTP (25/tcp) for mail servers
     + EchoPingHttps      # HTTPS (443/tcp) for web servers
     + EchoPingHttp       # HTTP (80/tcp) for web servers and caches
     + EchoPingIcp        # ICP (3130/udp) for caches
     # these need at least echoping 6 with the corresponding plugins
     + EchoPingDNS        # DNS (53/udp or tcp) servers
     + EchoPingLDAP       # LDAP (389/tcp) servers
     + EchoPingWhois      # Whois (43/tcp) servers

Probe explanation
    This example shows most of the echoping-derived probes in action.

Target configuration
     *** Targets ***
     # default probe
     probe = FPing

     menu = Top
     title = Network Latency Grapher
     remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.

     + MyServers

     menu = My Servers
     title = My Servers

     ++ www-server
     menu = www-server
     title = Web Server (www-server) / ICMP
     # probe = FPing propagated from top
     host = www-server.example

     +++ http
     menu = http
     title = Web Server (www-server) / HTTP
     probe = EchoPingHttp
     host = www-server.example
     # default url is /

     +++ https
     menu = https
     title = Web Server (www-server) / HTTPS
     probe = EchoPingHttps
     host = www-server.example

     ++ cache
     menu = www-cache
     title = Web Cache (www-cache) / ICMP
     host = www-cache.example

     +++ http
     menu = http
     title = www-cache / HTTP
     probe = EchoPingHttp
     host = www-cache.example
     port = 8080 # use the squid port
     url = http://www.somehost.example/

     +++ icp
     menu = icp
     title = www-cache / ICP
     probe = EchoPingIcp
     host = www-cache.example
     url = http://www.somehost.example/

     ++ mail
     menu = mail-server
     title = Mail Server (mail-server) / ICMP
     host = mail-server.example

     +++ smtp
     menu = mail-server / SMTP
     title = Mail Server (mail-server) / SMTP
     probe = EchoPingSmtp
     host = mail-server.example

     ++ ldap-server
     menu = ldap-server
     title = ldap-server / ICMP
     host = ldap-server.example

     +++ ldap
     menu = ldap-server / LDAP
     title = LDAP Server (ldap-server) / LDAP
     probe = EchoPingLDAP
     ldap_request = (objectclass=*)
     host = ldap-server.example

     ++ name-server
     menu = name-server
     title = name-server / ICMP
     host = name-server.example

     +++ DNS
     menu = name-server / DNS
     title = DNS Server (name-server) / DNS
     probe = EchoPingDNS
     dns_request = name.example
     host = name-server.example

     ++ whois-server
     menu = whois-server
     title = whois-server / ICMP
     host = whois-server.example

     +++ Whois
     menu = whois-server / Whois
     title = Whois Server (whois-server) / Whois
     probe = EchoPingWhois
     whois_request = domain.example
     host = whois-server.example

Target explanation
    All the servers are pinged both with ICMP (the FPing probe) and their respective echoping probe. The proxy server, www-cache, is probed with both HTTP requests and ICP requests for the same URL.

  Example 6: config.template

Probe configuration
     *** Probes ***

     + FPing

     binary = /usr/pkg/sbin/fping

     *** Slaves ***
     secrets=/usr/pkg/etc/smokeping/smokeping_secrets
     +boomer
     display_name=boomer
     color=0000ff

     +slave2
     display_name=another
     color=00ff00

Probe explanation
    This is the template configuration file distributed with Smokeping. It is included in the examples as well for the sake of completeness.

Target configuration
     *** Targets ***

     probe = FPing

     menu = Top
     title = Network Latency Grapher
     remark = Welcome to the SmokePing website of xxx Company. \
              Here you will learn all about the latency of our network.

     + Test
     menu= Targets
     #parents = owner:/Test/James location:/

     ++ James

     menu = James
     title =James
     alerts = someloss
     slaves = boomer slave2
     host = james.address

     ++ MultiHost

     menu = Multihost
     title = James and James as seen from Boomer
     host = /Test/James /Test/James~boomer

Target explanation
    This is the template configuration file distributed with Smokeping. It is included in the examples as well for the sake of completeness.

COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2005 by Niko Tyni.

LICENSE
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

AUTHOR
Niko Tyni <ntyni@iki.fi>

SEE ALSO
The other Smokeping documents, especially smokeping_config.