NAME

       Smokeping::probes::passwordchecker - A Base Class for implementing SmokePing Probes

OVERVIEW

       Like Smokeping::probes::basefork, but supports a probe-specific configuration file for
       storing passwords and a method for accessing them.

SYNOPSIS

        *** Probes ***

        +passwordchecker

        forks = 5
        offset = 50%
        passwordfile = /some/place/secret
        step = 300
        timeout = 15

        # The following variables can be overridden in each target section
        pings = 5

        # [...]

        *** Targets ***

        probe = passwordchecker # if this should be the default probe

        # [...]

        + mytarget
        # probe = passwordchecker # if the default probe is something else
        host = my.host
        pings = 5

DESCRIPTION

   synopsis with more detail
       SmokePing main configuration file:

        *** Probes ***
        + MyPasswordChecker
        # location of the file containing usernames and passwords
        passwordfile = /usr/share/smokeping/etc/passwords

       The specified password file:

        # host:username:password
        host1:joe:hardlyasecret
         # comments and whitespace lines are allowed

        host2:sue:notasecreteither

   Actual description
       In implementing authentication probes, it might not be desirable to store the necessary
       cleartext passwords in the SmokePing main configuration file, since the latter must be
       readable both by the SmokePing daemon performing the probes and the CGI that displays the
       results. If the passwords are stored in a different file, this file can be made readable
       by only the user the daemon runs as. This way we can be sure that nobody can trick the CGI
       into displaying the passwords on the Web.

       This module reads the passwords in at startup from the file specified in the probe-
       specific variable `passwordfile'. The passwords can later be accessed and modified by the
       password method, that needs the corresponding host and username as arguments.

   Password file format
       The password file format is simply one line for each triplet of host, username and
       password, separated from each other by colons (:).

       Comment lines, starting with the `#' sign, are ignored, as well as empty lines.

VARIABLES

       Supported probe-specific variables:

       forks
           Run this many concurrent processes at maximum

           Example value: 5

           Default value: 5

       offset
           If you run many probes concurrently you may want to prevent them from hitting your
           network all at the same time. Using the probe-specific offset parameter you can change
           the point in time when each probe will be run. Offset is specified in % of total
           interval, or alternatively as 'random', and the offset from the 'General' section is
           used if nothing is specified here. Note that this does NOT influence the rrds itself,
           it is just a matter of when data acqusition is initiated.  (This variable is only
           applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)

           Example value: 50%

       passwordfile
           Location of the file containing usernames and passwords.

           Example value: /some/place/secret

       step
           Duration of the base interval that this probe should use, if different from the one
           specified in the 'Database' section. Note that the step in the RRD files is fixed when
           they are originally generated, and if you change the step parameter afterwards, you'll
           have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them. (This variable is only
           applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)

           Example value: 300

       timeout
           How long a single 'ping' takes at maximum

           Example value: 15

           Default value: 5

       Supported target-specific variables:

       pings
           How many pings should be sent to each target, if different from the global value
           specified in the Database section. Note that the number of pings in the RRD files is
           fixed when they are originally generated, and if you change this parameter afterwards,
           you'll have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them.

           Example value: 5

AUTHORS

       Niko Tyni <ntyni@iki.fi>

BUGS

       The need for storing cleartext passwords can be considered a bug in itself.

SEE ALSO

       Smokeping::probes::basefork, Smokeping::probes::Radius, Smokeping::probes::LDAP