check_icmp/check_ping trigger values

[Andreas Ericsson]

Bergström Sebastian wrote:
> We are using Nagios 1.2 and are evaluating check_icmp as a check_ping
> replacement. Nagios is currently monitoring 21 branchoffices with
> Cisco switches and routers using 2mBit connections to each site.
> 
> The reason for replacing check_ping is that it produces critical
> errors sporadicly. It is pertinent to mention that the critical
> errors only occurs during the first checks and therefore does not
> send notifications. My mission is to drasticly lower the amount of
> errors occuring to an absolute minimum.
> 
> What are the most sensible trigger values to use with check_icmp or
> check_ping?

Short answer (read archives for longer one);
For service checks, these values should work in most networks with 
normal-to-high load.
check_icmp -H $HOSTADDRESS$ -w 200.0,40% -c 500.0,60% -i 200ms
max_check_attempts 3

For host checks;
# ln -s check_icmp check_host
check_host -H $HOSTADDRESS$ -i 0.5s -p 10 -t 20
max_check_attempts 3

check_icmp returns immediately upon any received packet when called as 
check_host, so it's safe to use a higher packet count and timeout and 
lower the max_check_attempts accordingly (it won't let nagios sit and 
wait as check_ping does).

Remember that check_icmp must be setuid root to work properly on nearly 
all linux boxen.

> The original Nagios configuration (the same I am using)
> are: check_ping -H $HOSTADDRESS$ -w 3000.0,80% -c 5000.0,100% -p 1 -t
> 20
> 
> My definition of sensible in this case is using a value that is
> producing as few errors as possible, when there are no real problems.
> Not sure if this is a attainable goal or not since I know that some
> equipment drops ICMP packets if they are to busy.
> 
> Any views or comments are appreciated.
> 
> 
> Best regards, Sebastian Bergstroem
> 
> ---------------------------------------------- Sebastian Bergstroem 
> Technical coordinator Kunskapsskolan i Sverige AB 
> sebastian.bergstroem at kunskapsskolan.se 
> -----------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------- SF email is
> sponsored by - The IT Product Guide Read honest & candid reviews on
> hundreds of IT Products from real users. Discover which products
> truly live up to the hype. Start reading now. 
> http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_ide95&alloc_id396&op=click 
> _______________________________________________ Nagios-users mailing
> list Nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net 
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/nagios-users ::: Please
> include Nagios version, plugin version (-v) and OS when reporting any
> issue. ::: Messages without supporting info will risk being sent to
> /dev/null
> 

-- 
Andreas Ericsson                   andreas.ericsson at op5.se
OP5 AB                             www.op5.se
Lead Developer


-------------------------------------------------------
SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide
Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users.
Discover which products truly live up to the hype. Start reading now.
http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=6595&alloc_id=14396&op=click
_______________________________________________
Nagios-users mailing list
Nagios-users at lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/nagios-users
::: Please include Nagios version, plugin version (-v) and OS when reporting any issue. 
::: Messages without supporting info will risk being sent to /dev/null