Getting Started with GroundWork Monitor
GroundWork Monitor Enterprise Edition 6.2
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Information contained herein is not for use or disclosure outside of GroundWork Open Source, Inc. © 2007 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 1
Getting Started with GroundWork Monitor
Course Objectives for this Module
Configuration
• Nagios Configuration Schema
• Configuration Tool Overview
• Setting Up Hosts
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 2
GroundWork Monitor Enterprise Edition 6.2
Module 3 : Configuration
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 3
Configuration
Nagios Configuration Objects
• Nagios is configured from a set of configuration files
• The main configuration file (nagios.cfg) contains the global settings for the Nagios application
• Ancillary files called the object files contain the configuration objects which describe the monitoring configuration
• These object files are comprised of data structures called configuration objects:
define host {
host_name
alias
address
use
check_command
max_check_attempts
notification_interval
}
localhost
Linux Server #1
127.0.0.1
generic-host
check-host-alive
10
480
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
define host {
name
process_perf_data
retain_status_information
flap_detection_enabled
retain_nonstatus_information
active_checks_enabled
passive_checks_enabled
check_period
obsess_over_host
check_freshness
check_command
max_check_attempts
check_interval
event_handler_enabled
notifications_enabled
notification_interval
notification_period
notification_options
contact_groups
register
}
generic-host
1
1
1
1
1
1
24x7
0
0
check-host-alive
3
0
1
1
60
24x7
d,u,r
nagiosadmin
0
Page 4
Configuration
Nagios Configuration Objects
• Nagios is an extremely flexible framework that is controlled through its configuration objects
• Nagios configuration objects can be in one file or spread across multiple files
• They are comprised of directives (label=value pairs)
• They are structured objects and can inherit directives from other Nagios objects (i.e. templates)
• They are relational (i.e. hosts incorporate services and services incorporate commands)
• They can describe devices (hosts)
• They can define relationships (dependencies or groups)
• They can control procedures (escalations or event handlers)
• They can be used to control UI behavior (extended info)
• They define how devices will be checked (services, commands)
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 5
Configuration
Nagios Configuration Object Relationships
Templates
Host
Dependencies
Host
Extended Info
Hosts
Any Nagios Object
Host Groups
Host
Escalations
Contact Groups
Contacts
Service
Escalations
Service
Extended Info
Service
Dependencies
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Services
Commands
Service Groups
Timeperiods
Hosts
Services
Contacts
Host Escalations
Service Escalations
Page 6
Configuring Hosts and Services
Rationale Behind the Monarch Design
 Host Deletion Example
• When a host is retired from the network it will cause Host Alarms in Nagios, so it must be removed from Nagios
• One could start by deleting the host object for that host in the hosts.cfg file
• Then the preflight check would fail because services.cfg contains service objects referencing the missing host
• If the service objects are then located and deleted, there will still broken service dependency objects
• So one would need to delete all service dependencies referencing services deleted because the host went away
• Then there would still be references to the host in hostgroups which would cause preflight failures
• There could also be residual extended_host_info objects referencing the host
• And extended_service_info objects referencing each of the deleted services
• What is needed is a tool that understands not only the configuration data and object syntax but the relationships
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 7
Configuration Tool Overview
Architectural View of Monarch
Monarch DB
Nagios configuration
objects
Configuration UI
Database Tables | Relationships
hosts
Hosts, Services, Contacts, Escalations
Etc.
hosts
services
services
contacts
contacts
escalations
escalations
Nagios Configuration
files
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 8
Configuration Tool Overview
Architectural View of Monarch
Configuration UI
Monarch Operation
Services, Profiles, Hosts, Contacts, Escalations,
Commands, Time Periods, Groups, Control, Tools
• Edit the data using the GUI
• Test configuration using Preflight Test
• Backup the data
• Create new config files using Commit
Nagios
configuration
files
nagios/etc
Pre Flight Test
Monarch DB
Load
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Workspace
directory
M
Hosts, Services,
Contacts…
Commit
Backup
directory
Page 9
Configuration Tool Overview
Nagios Host and Service Objects
 Host and Service Templates
Service Definition
Host Definition
Service Definition
Host Definition
Host Template
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Host Definition
Service Template
Service Definition
Page 10
Configuration Tool Overview
Nagios Host and Service Objects
 Fully Implemented Host
Host Template
Host Definition
generic-host
domain_controller
Service Definition
Service Template
Host Alive
generic-service
Service Definition
Service Template
DNS_Server
generic-service
Host
Service
Implemented Host
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 11
Configuration Tool Overview
Monarch Services and Service Profiles
 Service Profiles
Inside the Monarch database we can take
liberties with how we store the configuration
data.
Inside the database preconfigured services
are stored in the services table. The entries
In this table, unlike the services objects in the
Nagios configuration files, are NOT associated
with hosts.
That association happens in another table.
Service
CPU
Service
memory
Service
Service Profile
disk
web monitoring
This allows us to ship a library of pre-configured,
pre-tested services in the GroundWork product.
These “unassigned” services can also be grouped
Into logical groups called Service Profiles.
Each Service Profile contains a collection of
Services that would be appropriate for monitoring
a particular device architecture
Service
httpd
Service
URL get
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 12
Configuration Tool Overview
Monarch Host Profiles
 Host Profiles
In the Monarch database Service Profiles can also
be associated with host templates to make Host
Profiles.
A host profile contains everything you need to
configure a device other than a hostname, IP
Address and an alias.
Host Template
generic-host
Host Profile
Service Profile
web monitoring
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 13
Configuration Tool Overview
Monarch Configuration Objects
 Comparison of Nagios and Monarch Configuration Objects
Object Name
Nagios
GroundWork
Commands
X
X
Services
X
X
Pre-configured Services
X
Host/Service Profiles
X
Host/Service dependencies
X
X
Host/Service Escalations
X
X
Host/Service Escalation Trees
X
Configuration Groups
X
Contacts/Contactgroups
X
X
Hosts/Hostgroups
X
X
Services/Servicegroups
X
X
Host/Service Dependencies
X
X
Templates
X
X
Timeperiods
X
X
© 2009 GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
Page 14
Thank you
GroundWork Open Source, Inc.
139 Townsend Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415.992.4500
Website: www.gwos.com
Email: info@gwos.com
GroundWork Subscription Support: support.gwos.com
© 2009 GroundWork
Open Source, Inc.
Confidential
- Do not distribute
Page 15