text pagers / 2-way responses too

[Brandon Knitter]

I know that sometimes email is your only option, but...

Email is by far the absolute WORST way to get your monitoring alerts.  Even 
when your network and internet connectivity is up.  The smtp protocol in 
general states that there is no guaranteed delivery time (there are typically 
warning responses at 24 hours, and complete failure at 72 hours), as well many 
email gateways (your paging provider's) will queue up messages based upon load 
and other rules.  There is no guarantee that you will get your message today 
even!  I frequently used to get a "GOOD" page before a "BAD" one when using 
email, and sometimes only a "GOOD" one since the "BAD" email got lost somewhere.

With that said, TAP is a great way to send things (qpage, sendpage, etc.).  But 
you do lose some features, although it's a great backup.  If you can cascade 
things, start by sending a page to your provider's delivery gateway.  Many 
paging companies provide an SNPP or WCTP gateway which allows you to "drop off" 
a message on their server directly, and you will get the page sooner than 
email...that's just about what their email gateways do...when the email gateway 
actually gets the message.

In the case of 2 way pagers, I have written scripts that will drop off a 
message on a WCTP gateway and save off the message identifier.  Then, every 5 
minutes I check and see if any of those messages have had a response from the 
pager (that expires after 60 minutes).  When my pager gets the message 
(typically within 15-20 seconds of Nagios sending the alert) I have a list of 
canned response options I add to the message (ack, dis 30, dis nagios, etc.).  
I choose my response, then when the response is picked up by my server it does 
the appropriate action on Nagios.  Very handy when you can't get to a terminal 
and are at the colo and want to quiet an alarm.

If you want to try out the scripts, check out the project I started at SF: 

    http://sourceforge.net/projects/wctpxml-perl

For now just grab it from CVS (tests project) I'll make a distro and write up a 
quickie README file for how it works, and an INSTALL for how to make it work! :)

I'd be curious if that script is helpful for anyone.  I mean come on, let's use 
the second direction in our two-way pagers! :)

-- 
-bk


Quoting Brandon Galbraith <brandon at corruptedtruth.com>:

> Most providers provide an email gateway. For example, I use a T-Mobile phone
> and can email <my_cell_#>@t-mobile.net and it gets sent to my phone within
> 30 seconds or so.
> 
> --brandon
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagios-users-admin at lists.sourceforge.net
> [mailto:nagios-users-admin at lists.sourceforge.net]On Behalf Of Jeff
> McKeon
> Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 6:56 AM
> To: Brandon Galbraith
> Cc: Anoop Atre; Nagios List
> Subject: RE: [Nagios-users] text pagers
> 
> 
> That would work except....
> 
> Nobody is watching their e-mail in the middle of the night.  You can
> however sleep with a pager on the nightstand.. :o)
> 
> On Wed, 2002-11-13 at 17:36, Brandon Galbraith wrote:
> > In the event your pager/cellphone company doesn't have a phone # you can
> > dial up and send pages with, you could always purchase a $20 a month
> dialup
> > account and have ppp dial out to send the mail in the event there is no
> > other route available.
> >
> > -brandon
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagios-users-admin at lists.sourceforge.net
> > [mailto:nagios-users-admin at lists.sourceforge.net]On Behalf Of Anoop Atre
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 2:06 PM
> > To: Nagios List
> > Subject: Re: [Nagios-users] text pagers
> >
> >
> > Exactly, which is why I'm trying to get a reciprocative setup going with
> > another university : )
> >
> > A box checking priority boxes on my network would page moi in case of
> > issues and I'd host
> > one for them in return, anyone doing this already?
> >
> > Maybe we can setup a sign up sheet on the nagios forums say based on
> > geographic location
> > of both parties.
> >
> > Of course securing the box and making sure it's updated with the minimal
> > patches should be each other's responsibility.
> >
> > ~
> >
> > >
> > > Then what about when the network is down, email wont help much then.
> > :) I
> > > think that's what he wants.
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Atle
> > > -
> > > Flying Crocodile Inc, Unix Systems Administrator
> > >
> >
> >
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