nagios check_ssh, check_oracle via Web

<SIGH> I'm gonna get flamed </SIGH>. After RTFM'ing & searching the
newsgroups, I'm still a bit lost. I'd like to be able to monitor
hosts (Linux, Solaris, and Windows) using check_ssh THROUGH the WEB
interface (it works fine from the command-line). I'm missing
something simple. I'm running on Linux (2.4.21) with Apache (2.0.50).
In /usr/local/nagios/etc/services.cfg, I find FTP, HTTP, POP3, and
SMTP "service_descriptions". I'm hoping that a SSH
service_description is also available. Since I find check_ssh in the
libexec directory (/usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_ssh), I'm figuring
that I don't need to write my own plugin/etc. Nonetheless, I'm
clueless on how to proceed. Please help me get a clue.

- Todd

the_dba wrote:

> <SIGH> I'm gonna get flamed </SIGH>. After RTFM'ing & searching the
> newsgroups, I'm still a bit lost. I'd like to be able to monitor
> hosts (Linux, Solaris, and Windows) using check_ssh THROUGH the WEB
> interface (it works fine from the command-line). I'm missing
> something simple. I'm running on Linux (2.4.21) with Apache (2.0.50).
> In /usr/local/nagios/etc/services.cfg, I find FTP, HTTP, POP3, and
> SMTP "service_descriptions". I'm hoping that a SSH
> service_description is also available. Since I find check_ssh in the
> libexec directory (/usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_ssh), I'm figuring
> that I don't need to write my own plugin/etc. Nonetheless, I'm
> clueless on how to proceed. Please help me get a clue.
>
> - Todd

Several options.

1. ssh
------

Do this below once to start ssh on remote
machine to generate the keys and so on.
/etc/init.d/ssh start

Now do this below to allow ssh to start up whenever you
boot up remote machine
update-rc.d ssh defaults

From a local machine now you can access your remote machine.
Suppose the remote machine has address 192.168.0.123
In your local machine you type

ssh root@192.168.0.123

It asks for password and you are logged into remote machine
as if you were sitting there.

2. vncserver
------------
If you don't have it, install vncserver.
Through the remote ssh connection, or by sitting at the
remote PC you can type
vncserver :1 geometry 1024x768

This will start up another x session on remote machine.
From you local machine, you can log into it using RDesktop
The address you supply in this format:
192.168.0.123:1

Hey preseto you have complete screen on your PC of remote machine,
and the ability to control it remotely.

All of these you can try with Knoppix 3.4 LiveCD without having to install
anything. (Knoppix 3.6 does not have vncserver preinstalled).

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On 2004-09-08, the_dba <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I'd like to be able to monitor
> hosts (Linux, Solaris, and Windows) using check_ssh THROUGH the WEB
> interface (it works fine from the command-line).

Well, the web interface only really displays the results of checks that
have been configured; you can't specify a custom check through the web.

> I'm missing
> something simple. I'm running on Linux (2.4.21) with Apache (2.0.50).
> In /usr/local/nagios/etc/services.cfg, I find FTP, HTTP, POP3, and
> SMTP "service_descriptions". I'm hoping that a SSH
> service_description is also available.

Is it in your checkcommands.cfg? If not, you need to add it, then add
the appropriate entry in services.cfg. Adding an entry to
checkcommands.cfg is usually pretty easy--all you need is a made-up
command_name and the correct command_line. Since you seem to have a
command line that works, I'd suggest adjusting that to a
checkcommands.cfg entry.

> Since I find check_ssh in the
> libexec directory (/usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_ssh), I'm figuring
> that I don't need to write my own plugin/etc. Nonetheless, I'm
> clueless on how to proceed. Please help me get a clue.

You don't need to write the plugin (not if it already works through the
command line!), but you do need to add the right entry to checkcommands.cfg.
Otherwise you can't add it to services.cfg, nagios won't monitor it, and
the web interface can't show you the results of what nagios isn't
monitoring. It's not trivial, but it's not difficult, either.

If you have further trouble, you should post back to this thread with
more details.

- --keith

- --
kkeller-(E-Mail Removed)
(try just my userid to email me)
AOLSFAQ=http://wombat.san-francisco.ca.us/cgi-bin/fom

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the_dba wrote on 08.09.2004 18:16:
> <SIGH> I'm gonna get flamed </SIGH>. After RTFM'ing & searching the
> newsgroups, I'm still a bit lost. I'd like to be able to monitor
> hosts (Linux, Solaris, and Windows) using check_ssh THROUGH the WEB
> interface (it works fine from the command-line). I'm missing
> something simple. I'm running on Linux (2.4.21) with Apache (2.0.50).
> In /usr/local/nagios/etc/services.cfg, I find FTP, HTTP, POP3, and
> SMTP "service_descriptions". I'm hoping that a SSH
> service_description is also available. Since I find check_ssh in the
> libexec directory (/usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_ssh), I'm figuring
> that I don't need to write my own plugin/etc. Nonetheless, I'm
> clueless on how to proceed. Please help me get a clue.

I guess you try to monitor the SSH deamon? This is what check_ssh is
meant for.

Have you tried something like this in services.cfg:

# SSH
define service{
use generic-service
host_name host
service_description SSH
check_command check_ssh
}

If you want to monitor machines _via_ SSH you use check_by_ssh and might
want to look at these pages:
<http://www.totkat.org/pages/nconf_commands.shtml>,
<http://article.gmane.org/gmane.network.nagios.plugins/920>.

HTH

Walter

--
It works! Now if only I could remember what I did...

7 wrote on 08.09.2004 22:36:
[completly misunderstood the question]

This is not about how to reach a remote machine, this is about how to
use the check_ssh plugin of Nagios or how to monitor machines via SSH
with Nagios.

Walter

I extend my gratitude to both Walter and Keith. Between your posts, I
was able to quickly implement monitoring via SSH. I don't typically
allow PING (or any ICMP) on my networks -- neither through the
firewall nor internally. The check_ssh module is wonderful. Contrary
to some suggestions [on the web], it's not necessary to setup PKI for
check_ssh. Key-pairs are only required for check_by_ssh.

You guys have been extremely helpful.

At the risk of "pushing my luck," has anyone been able to use the
check_oracle plugin? I'm using Oracle's Instant Client. I have
several years of Oracle DBA experience... yet I'm baffled. I've set
the TNS_ADMIN and ORACLE_HOME variables (exported & available in
current shell). Nonetheless, the check_oracle plugin fails with
"Cannot determine ORACLE_HOME for sid." Let me know if you have any
insight. I should add that I'm trying to monitor REMOTE Oracle
instances [with different ORACLE_HOMES -- on Windows and on Solaris].
Thanks.

Again, thanks for your help!

- Todd

> Have you tried something like this in services.cfg:
>
> # SSH
> define service{
> use generic-service
> host_name host
> service_description SSH
> check_command check_ssh
> }

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On 2004-09-09, the_dba <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> At the risk of "pushing my luck," has anyone been able to use the
> check_oracle plugin?

I have not, but it's just a shell script. You might be able to figure
out what's wrong by looking through it. (And if it does have to come to
writing your own plugin, you could use that script as a base.)

- --keith

- --
kkeller-(E-Mail Removed)
(try just my userid to email me)
AOLSFAQ=http://wombat.san-francisco.ca.us/cgi-bin/fom

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