NAME

       Smokeping::probes::TacacsPlus - a TacacsPlus authentication probe for SmokePing

OVERVIEW

       Measures TacacsPlus authentication latency for SmokePing

SYNOPSIS

        *** Probes ***

        +TacacsPlus

        forks = 5
        offset = 50%
        passwordfile = /some/place/secret
        secretfile = /another/place/secret
        step = 300

        # The following variables can be overridden in each target section
        authtype = CHAP
        mininterval = 1
        password = test-password
        pings = 5
        port = 49
        secret = test-secret
        timeout = 5
        username = test-user # mandatory

        # [...]

        *** Targets ***

        probe = TacacsPlus # if this should be the default probe

        # [...]

        + mytarget
        # probe = TacacsPlus # if the default probe is something else
        host = my.host
        authtype = CHAP
        mininterval = 1
        password = test-password
        pings = 5
        port = 49
        secret = test-secret
        timeout = 5
        username = test-user # mandatory

DESCRIPTION

       This probe measures TacacsPlus authentication latency for SmokePing.

       The username to be tested is specified in either the probe-specific or the target-specific
       variable `username', with the target-specific one overriding the probe-specific one.

       The password can be specified either (in order of precedence, with the latter overriding
       the former) in the probe-specific variable `password', in an external file or in the
       target-specific variable `password'.  The location of this file is given in the probe-
       specific variable `passwordfile'. See Smokeping::probes::passwordchecker(3pm) for the
       format of this file (summary: colon-separated triplets of the form
       `<host>:<username>:<password>')

       The TacacsPlus protocol requires a shared secret between the server and the client.  This
       secret can be specified either (in order of precedence, with the latter overriding the
       former) in the probe-specific variable `secret', in an external file or in the target-
       specific variable `secret'.  This external file is located by the probe-specific variable
       `secretfile', and it should contain whitespace-separated pairs of the form `<host>
       <secret>'. Comments and blank lines are OK.

       The default TacacsPlus authentication type is ASCII.  PAP and CHAP are also available.
       See the Authen::TacacsPlus documentation for more information;

       The probe tries to be nice to the server and does not send authentication requests more
       frequently than once every X seconds, where X is the value of the target-specific
       "min_interval" variable (1 by default).

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

       secretfile
           A file containing the TacacsPlus shared secrets for the targets. It should contain
           whitespace-separated pairs of the form `<host> <secret>'. Comments and blank lines are
           OK.

           Example value: /another/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

       Supported target-specific variables:

       authtype
           The TacacsPlus Authentication type:ASCII(default), CHAP, PAP

           Example value: CHAP

           Default value: ASCII

       mininterval
           The minimum interval between each authentication request sent, in (possibly
           fractional) seconds.

           Default value: 1

       password
           The password for the user, if not present in the password file.

           Example value: test-password

       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

       port
           The TacacsPlus port to be used

           Example value: 49

           Default value: 49

       secret
           The TacacsPlus shared secret for the target, if not present in the secrets file.

           Example value: test-secret

       timeout
           Timeout in seconds for the TacacsPlus queries.

           Default value: 5

       username
           The username to be tested.

           Example value: test-user

           This setting is mandatory.

AUTHORS

       Gary Mikula <g2ugzm@hotmail.com>

BUGS

       Not as yet....