Biggest Problem with Nagios: Poor Setup/Installation

[jeff vier]

On Mon, 2004-08-16 at 12:05 -0700, Sam Stave wrote:
> Well, i can tell you that this is an extremely poorly
> documented util.

You can tell us?

So, this isn't a subjective issue?

Damn, I guess I was mistaken, then.  I was of the impression that it's
amazingly documented.

> There is no place that states nor clearly describes
> the exact methods for getting a check to run -
> especially when it is not an actual service that a
> host is presenting to external users.

What?

> There is a tremendous amount of trial and error and
> WTF type of reading and re-reading the config files to
> figure out how the thing is supposed to be configured.

Maybe you should read the DOCS.

> While this is a great way to really learn what the
> tool is doing and how it actually does it - just
> because one person with sys admin experience can make
> many deductions quickly and flow past any issues -
> most of the undocumented idiosyncrosis of the utility
> can be show-stoppers for the "average" person.

I think the "idiosyncrosis" (sic) are minimal, and well documented.
I, and many others, judging by this thread, have never had the
"problems" that you and the original poster describe.  Perhaps that says
more about you (and him) than the tool.

> I am writing a clear and concise installation and
> configuration run-book which i will publish on this
> list, so one example is:
> 
> Nagios is a utility which is designed to natively
> check external services presented to clients on a
> network. Nagios will act as a client of the service
> and access the service to determine if it is actually
> running.

SOME checks work that way.  Many don't.
Describing ICMP (ping) as a client/service relationship is awfully
convoluted.  Not to mention passive services.  and negation.  And load
checks, and disk checks.  and others.

>  In order to do this, Nagios requires that one
> host definition be placed in the host.cfg file

Not true.

It requires that a host be defined, but there is no file name
requirement.  In fact, I have no host.cfg.  or hosts.cfg, which is
default.

> (usually a host is defined as a single IP) - then

what?

> services associated with this host can be listed in
> the service.cfg file. For example, host 10.1.1.1 may
> be a web/ftp server.

So, you don't delineate between host_name and address?  And you think
Nagios has idiosyncrasies?

> For 10.1.1.1, you would tell Nagios to run a check_ftp
> and a check_http service check.
> 
> Your host definition in host.cfg looks like this:
> 
> [Standard host definition]
> 
> A service check definition associated with a host
> should be entered into service.cfg like this:
> 
> [standrd service definition]
> 
> You can list as many service checks to a single host
> as you like.
> 
> The services that Nagios can check natively are all
> *external* services. For internal system checks, such
> as check_disk check_load and other checks which must
> run commands on a local host, Nagios needs to be
> configured to run these checks via ssh. The

Or nsca, you know.

> check_by_ssh command allows for Nagios to SSH to a
> machine, execute a Nagios plugin that is *installed on
> the remote host* and report based on the output of
> that check.
> 
> -----
> 
> That is the level of description that Nagios does
> *not* have... and that was just off the top of my
> head... and I am new to Nagios. So i am sure that
> those who are much more familiar with it should have
> been able to write some better documentation.

You *really* didn't read the docs, did you?

> additionally, there are other issues, like what
> dependancy packages need to be added. The fact that it
> appears that check_by_ssh does *NOT* work when both
> the Nagios Server and Client are solaris (as I have
> found - check_by_ssh returns no output when I have
> both server and client as solaris boxes - but I am
> currently setting up both a linux server and client to
> verify this)

compile-time dependencies are a fact of life.  If you're not used to
them such that it causes you this level of consternation, perhaps pre-
compiled packages are a better option.

> The installation and configuration runbook that I am
> writing is for me, but i am happy to share it with the
> Nagios community....
> 
> Sam
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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::: Please include Nagios version, plugin version (-v) and OS when reporting any issue. 
::: Messages without supporting info will risk being sent to /dev/null