Provided by: systemtap-server_2.3-1ubuntu1.4_amd64 
NAME
stap-server - systemtap compile server management
SYNOPSIS
[ service ] stap-server { start | stop | restart | condrestart | try-restart |
force-reload | status } [ options ]
DESCRIPTION
A systemtap compile server listens for connections from stap clients on a secure SSL
network port and accepts requests to run the stap front end. Each server advertises its
presence and configuration on the local network using mDNS (avahi) allowing for automatic
detection by clients.
The stap-server script aims to provide:
• management of systemtap compile servers as a service.
• convenient control over configured servers and individual (ad-hoc) servers.
ARGUMENTS
One of the actions below must be specified:
start Start servers. The specified servers are started. If no server is specified, the
configured servers are started. If no servers are configured, a server for the
kernel release and architecture of the host is started. If a specified server is
already started, this action will be ignored for that server. If a server fails to
start, this action fails.
stop Stop server(s). The specified servers are stopped. If no server is specified, all
currently running servers are stopped. If a specified server is not running, this
action will be successful for that server. If a server fails to stop, this action
fails.
restart
Stop and restart servers. The specified servers are stopped and restarted. If no
server is specified, all currently running servers are stopped and restarted. If no
servers are running, this action behaves like start.
condrestart
Stop and restart servers. The specified servers are stopped and restarted. If a
specified server is not running, it is not started. If no server is specified, all
currently running servers are stopped and restarted. If no servers are running,
none will be started.
try-restart
This action is identical to condrestart.
force-reload
Stop all running servers, reload config files and restart the service as if start
was specified.
status Print information about running servers. Information about the specified server(s)
will be printed. If no server is specified, information about all running servers
will be printed.
OPTIONS
The following options are used to provide additional configuration and to specify servers
to be managed:
-c configfile
This option specifies a global configuration file in addition to the default global
configuration file described below. This file will be processed after the default
global configuration file. If the -c option is specified more than once, the last
configuration file specified will be used.
-a architecture
This option specifies the target architecture of the server and is analogous to the
-a option of stap. See the stap(1) manual page for more details. The default
architecture is the architecture of the host.
-r kernel-release
This option specifies the target kernel release of the server and is analogous to
the -r option of stap. See the stap(1) manual page for more details. The default
release is that of the currently running kernel.
-I path
This option specifies an additional path to be searched by the server(s) for
tapsets and is analogous to the -I option of stap. See the stap(1) manual page for
more details.
-R path
This option specifies the location of the systemtap runtime to be used by the
server(s) and is analogous to the -R option of stap. See the stap(1) manual page
for more details.
-B options
This option specifies options to be passed to make when building systemtap modules
and is analogous to the -B option of stap. See the stap(1) manual page for more
details.
-i This option is a shortcut which specifies one server for each kernel release
installed in /lib/modules/. Previous -I, -R, -B and -u options will be applied to
each server, however previous -a options will be ignored and the default
architecture will be used.
-n nickname
This option allows the specification of a server configuration by nickname. When
-n is specified, a currently running server with the given nickname will be
searched for. If no currently running server with the given nickname is found, a
server configuration with the given nickname will be searched for in the
configuration files for default servers, or the path configured in the global
configuration file or the configuration file specified by the -c option. If a
server configuration for the given nickname is found, the -a, -r, -I, -R, -B and -u
options for that server will be used as if they were specified on the command line.
If no configuration with the given nickname is found, and the action is start (or
an action behaving like start (see ARGUMENTS), the server will be started with the
given nickname. If no configuration with the given nickname is found, and the
action is not start (or an action behaving like start), it is an error. If a
nickname is not specified for a server which is being started, its nickname will be
its process id.
-p pid This option allows the specification of a server configuration by process id. When
-p is specified, a currently running server with the given process id will be
searched for. If no such server is found, it is an error. If a server with the
given procss id is found, the -a, -r, -I, -R, -B and -u options for that server
will be used as if they were specified on the command line.
-u user-name
Each systemtap compile server is normally run by the user name stap-server (for the
initscript) or as the user invoking stap-server, unless otherwise configured (see
FILES). This option specifies the user name used to run the server(s). The user
name specified must be a member of the group stap-server.
--log logfile
This option allows the specification of a separate log file for each server. Each
--log option is added to a list which will be applied, in turn, to each server
specified. If more servers are specified than --log options, the default log file
(see FILES) will be used for subsequent servers.
--port port-number
This option allows the specification of a specific network port for each server.
Each --port option is added to a list which will be applied, in turn, to each
server specified. If more servers are specified than --port options, a randomly
selected port is used for subsequent servers.
--ssl certificate-db-path
This option allows the specification of a separate NSS certificate database for
each server. Each --ssl option is added to a list which will be applied, in turn,
to each server specified. If more servers are specified than --ssl options, the
default certificate database (see FILES) for subsequent servers.
--max-threads threads
This option allows the specification of the maximum number of worker threads to
handle concurrent requests. If threads == 0, each request will be handled on the
main thread, serially. The default is the number of available processor cores.
CONFIGURATION
Configuration files allow us to:
• specify global configuration of logging, server configuration files, status files and
other global parameters.
• specify which servers are to be started by default.
Global Configuration
The Global Configuration file contains variable assignments used to configure the overall
operation of the service. Each line beginning with a '#' character is ignored. All other
lines must be of the form VARIABLE=VALUE. This is not a shell script. The entire contents
of the line after the = will be assigned as-is to the variable.
The following variables may be assigned:
CONFIG_PATH
Specifies the absolute path of the directory containing the default server
configurations.
STAT_PATH
Specifies the absolute path of the running server status directory.
LOG_FILE
Specifies the absolute path of the log file.
STAP_USER
Specifies the userid which will be used to run the server(s) (default: for the
initscript stap-server, otherwise the user running stap-server).
Individual Server Configuration
Each server configuration file configures a server to be started when no server is
specified for the start action, or an action behaving like the start action (see
ARGUMENTS). Each configuration file contains variable assignments used to configure an
individual server.
Each line beginning with a '#' character is ignored. All other lines must be of the form
VARIABLE=VALUE. This is not a shell script. The entire contents of the line after the =
will be assigned as-is to the variable.
Each configuration file must have a filename suffix of .conf. The default location of
these files can be overridden in the global configuration file using the -c option (see
OPTIONS).
The following variables may be assigned:
ARCH Specifies the target architecture for this server and corresponds to the -a option
(see OPTIONS). If ARCH is not set, the architecture of the host will be used.
RELEASE
Specifies the kernel release for this server and corresponds to the -r option (see
OPTIONS). If RELEASE is not set, the release of the kernel running on the host will
be used.
BUILD Specifies options to be passed to the make process used by systemtap to build
kernel modules. This an array variable with each element corresponding to a -B
option (see OPTIONS). Using the form BUILD=STRING clears the array and sets the
first element to STRING. Using the form BUILD+=STRING adds STRING as an additional
element to the array.
INCLUDE
Specifies a list of directories to be searched by the server for tapsets. This an
array variable with each element corresponding to an -I option (see OPTIONS). Using
the form INCLUDE=PATH clears the array and sets the first element to PATH. Using
the form INCLUDE+=PATH adds PATH as an additional element to the array.
RUNTIME
Specifies the directory which contains the systemtap runtime code to be used by
this server and corresponds to the -R option (see OPTIONS).
USER Specifies the user name to be used to run this server and corresponds to the -u
option (see OPTIONS).
NICKNAME
Specifies the nickname to be used to refer to this server and corresponds to the -n
option (see OPTIONS).
LOG Specifies the location of the log file to be used by this server and corresponds to
the --log option (see OPTIONS).
PORT Specifies the network port to be used by this server and corresponds to the --port
option (see OPTIONS).
SSL Specifies the location of the NSS certificate database to be used by this server
and corresponds to the --ssl option (see OPTIONS).
MAXTHREADS
Specifies the maximum number of worker threads to handle concurrent requests to be
used by this server and corresponds to the --max-threads option (see OPTIONS).
SERVER AUTHENTICAION
The security of the SSL network connection between the client and server depends on the
proper management of server certificates.
The trustworthiness of a given systemtap compile server can not be determined
automatically without a trusted certificate authority issuing systemtap compile server
certificates. This is not practical in everyday use and so, clients must authenticate
servers against their own database of trusted server certificates. In this context,
establishing a given server as trusted by a given client means adding that server's
certificate to the client's database of trusted servers.
For the stap-server initscript, on the local host, this is handled automatically. When
the systemtap-server package is installed, the server's certificate for the default user
(stap-server) is automatically generated and installed. This means that servers started by
the stap-server initscript, with the default user, are automatically trusted by clients on
the local host, both as an SSL peer and as a systemtap module signer. Furthermore, when
stap is invoked by an unprivileged user (not root, not a member of the group stapdev, but
a member of the group stapusr and possibly the group stapsys), the options --use-server
and --privilege are automatically added to the specified options. This means that
unprivileged users on the local host can use a server on the local host in unprivileged
mode with no further setup or options required.
In order to use a server running on another host, that server's certificate must be
installed on the client's host. See the --trust-servers option in the stap(1) manual page
for more details and README.unprivileged in the systemtap sources for more details..
EXAMPLES
See the stapex(3stap) manual page for a collection of sample systemtap scripts.
To start the configured servers, or the default server, if none are configured:
$ [ service ] stap-server start
To start a server for each kernel installed in /lib/modules:
$ [ service ] stap-server start -i
To obtain information about the running server(s):
$ [ service ] stap-server status
To start a server like another one, except targeting a different architecture, by
referencing the first server's nickname:
$ [ service ] stap-server start -n NICKNAME -a ARCH
To stop one of the servers by referencing its process id (obtained by running stap-server
status):
$ [ service ] stap-server stop -p PID
To run a script using a compile server:
$ stap SCRIPT --use-server
To run a script as an unprivileged user using a compile server:
$ stap SCRIPT
To stop all running servers:
$ [ service ] stap-server stop
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Systemtap is an administrative tool. It exposes kernel internal data structures and
potentially private user information. See the stap(1) manual page for additional
information on safety and security.
As a network server, stap-server should be activated with care in order to limit the
potential effects of bugs or mischevious users. Consider the following prophylactic
measures.
1 Run stap-server as an unprivileged user, never as root.
When invoked as a service (i.e. service stap-server ...), each server is run, by
default, as the user stap-server. When invoked directly (i.e. stap-server ...),
each server is run, by default, as the invoking user. In each case, another user
may be selected by using the -u option on invocation, by specifying
STAP_USER=username in the global configuration file or by specifying USER=username
in an individual server configuration file. The invoking user must have authority
to run processes as another user. See CONFIGURATION.
The selected user must have write access to the server log file. The location of
the server log file may be changed by setting LOG_FILE=path in the global
configuration file. See CONFIGURATION.
The selected user must have read/write access to the directory containing the
server status files. The location of the server status files may be changed by
setting STAT_PATH=path in the global configuration file. See CONFIGURATION.
The selected user must have read/write access to the uprobes.ko build directory and
its files.
Neither form of stap-server will run if the selected user is root.
2 Run stap-server requests with resource limits that impose maximum cpu time, file
size, memory consumption, in order to bound the effects of processing excessively
large or bogus inputs.
When the user running the server is stap-server, each server request is run with
limits specified in ~stap-server/.systemtap/rc otherwise, no limits are imposed.
3 Run stap-server with a TMPDIR environment variable that points to a separate and/or
quota-enforced directory, in order to prevent filling up of important filesystems.
The default TMPDIR is /tmp/.
4 Activate network firewalls to limit stap client connections to relatively
trustworthy networks.
For automatic selection of servers by clients, avahi must be installed on both the
server and client hosts and mDNS messages must be allowed through the firewall.
The systemtap compile server and its related utilities use the Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
as implemented by Network Security Services (NSS) for network security. NSS is also used
for the generation and management of certificates. The related certificate databases must
be protected in order to maintain the security of the system. Use of the utilities
provided will help to ensure that the proper protection is maintained. The systemtap
client will check for proper access permissions before making use of any certificate
database.
FILES
Important files and their corresponding paths can be located in the
stappaths (7) manual page.
SEE ALSO
stap(1), staprun(8), stapprobes(3stap), stappaths(7), stapex(3stap), avahi, ulimit(1), NSS
BUGS
Use the Bugzilla link of the project web page or our mailing list.
http://sourceware.org/systemtap/, <systemtap@sourceware.org>.
STAP-SERVER(8)