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     Re: [nocol-users] Few Questions

> > 1.) Where is the "state" information of devices stored? In memory within
> > the NOCOL logging daemon? Ie, when I go to change how the front end
> > interface (website) displays information, is it pulling from noclogd?
> 
> read the source code (easy, somewhat messy, perl) to webnocol.pl.
> 

Ok, from my research, I see that it looks in the "data" directory for the
-output files to read through them and process them. Assuming I have
everything logging to a database, then it wouldn't need to look at these
flat files... one would suppose, that is.

A current stumbling block in the mean time to me trying to add a HUP
signal handler to portmon (my test example). It restarts and rereads the
config file, but the output file still has outdated information. I'm
trying to preserve state in this, so I don't know if removing the file is
safe? I'm going to keep testing different things, but if anyone has any
recommendations (if anyone has spent the time to do this before), I'd be
glad to hear them.

> > 2.) Does anyone have any FAQs or text files on common SNMP keys to use
> > with snmpmon? SNMP is a wonderful thing, and I'd love to use it more, but
> > finding the right key can usually be a pain in the butt.
> 
> Mib dictionaries exist on the net for all sorts of products.
> 

Ok, I've been searching, but does anyone know if it's possible or what
value to monitor CPU/memory utilization of servers via SNMP? In
particular, Solaris systems (2.6)? I've yet to find a dictionary that had
these values.

> > 3.) Hostmon. I've never been quite sure how exactly to deal with this.
> > Does it operate over rsh/ssh/etc., or what?
> 
> The man page says that hostmon runs a telnet to get the data from
> hostmon-client on 5355.
> 

I don't seem to have a manpage for that. Is that in the new beta? I'm
running 4.2.1 with some monitors updated...

> > 5.) I know there is a generic perl library to use for writing your own
> > extensions to NOCOL. Most of the monitors given seem to be a bit overkill
> > to understand how to use the library. Is there an example monitor, or a
> > POD for the library, or FAQ or anything? One of the scripts we have
> > monitors to make sure a process (that doesn't have a TCP/IP port) is
> > running. I'd like to have it actually make an event to the nocol logging
> > daemon that the process died.
> 
> You may well be able to hack this right into hostmon-client.
> 

Maybe, but I'd like to get experience with how it works so I don't have to
hack anything to add a new type of monitor. I'd rather spend the time and
learn now than spend needed time later when I need something in a shorter
timeframe.

> I would like to hack hostmon-clienf for when one of the 5 odd steps is
> locked up in getting state from the machine - a dangling NFS mount
> can lock up df, and this locks up hostmon-client: it produces no
> report when you telnet to its port. I'd like a state saying "df locked up"
> or something like that to report it as the problem messing up hostmon-client.
> 

You get into interesting timing issues there... if you have your NFS
server being monitored, then you could safely use df -kl under Solaris to
only show local filesystems... not sure if other OSes support the -l
feature. I believe Linux (alas) does not, however.

> /kc
> -- 
> Ken Chase, Director Operations                  Velocet Communications Inc.
> math@velocet.ca                                              Toronto CANADA
> --
> "Sometimes two [harmless] words, when put together, strike fear in the
>   hearts of men -- Microsoft Wallet."                           - Dave Gilbert
> 

--Nathan

____________________________________________________________________
Nathan Clemons, Systems Engineer
WinStar Internet and Hosting Services

800 South Main St. Mansfield, MA  02048
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