Provided by: smokeping_2.7.3-3_all 
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/bin/fping
*** Slaves ***
secrets=/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.
+ Local
menu = Local
title = Local Network
#parents = owner:/Test/James location:/
++ LocalMachine
menu = Local Machine
title = This host
host = localhost
#alerts = someloss
#slaves = boomer slave2
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.