Using passive host checks and freshness

Kevin Keane subscription at kkeane.com
Sun Jun 21 07:32:05 CEST 2009


I am using Nagios 3.0.6. In my setup, most checks are passive. I also am 
using passive host checks. I can't get freshness checking to work right 
for host checks, though it works fine for services. I'd appreciate some 
help with that!

I tried configuring the host checks the same way as service checks:

active_checks_enabled 0
passive_checks_enabled 1
check_freshness         1
freshness_threshold     900
check_command           check_dummy!2!"Server is down!"

But freshness checking apparently is never taking place.

When I set active_checks_enabled to 1, Nagios will change the status to 
UP when a check result arrives for the host, and then immediately, 
within ten seconds or less, change it back to DOWN. Oddly enough, it 
does not use the status text return from check_dummy ("Server is down!") 
but rather (null).




The relevant host and template definitions are attached below, as well 
as an excerpt from the nagios.log file for the same server.

define host {
        host_name                       xxxx.xxxx.xxxx
        hostgroups                      servers
        alias                           XXXXX
        address                         192.168.2.197
        use                             windows-server
        contact_groups                  mainoffice
}

define host{
        name                    windows-server  ; The name of this host 
template
        use                     generic-host    ; Inherit default values 
from the generic-host template
        check_period            24x7            ; By default, Windows 
servers are monitored round the clock
        check_interval          5               ; Actively check the 
server every 5 minutes
        retry_interval          1               ; Schedule host check 
retries at 1 minute intervals
        max_check_attempts      10              ; Check each server 10 
times (max)
        # check_command         check-host-alive        ; Default 
command to check if servers are "alive"
        passive_checks_enabled  1
        check_freshness         1
        freshness_threshold     900
        check_command           check_dummy!2!"Server is down!"
        # normal_check_interval   5
        # retry_check_interval    2
        notification_period     24x7            ; Send notification out 
at any time - day or night
        notification_interval   30              ; Resend notifications 
every 30 minutes
        notification_options    d,r             ; Only send 
notifications for specific host states
        contact_groups          admins          ; Notifications get sent 
to the admins by default
        hostgroups              windows-servers ; Host groups that 
Windows servers should be a member of
        register                0               ; DONT REGISTER THIS - 
ITS JUST A TEMPLATE
        }

The Nagios.log file contains:

[1245555922] PASSIVE HOST CHECK: xxxx.xxxx.xxxx;0;sometext
[1245555922] HOST ALERT: xxxx.xxxx.xxxx;UP;HARD;1;sometext
[1245555922] HOST NOTIFICATION: 
xxx at xxx.com;xxxx.xxxx.xxxx;UP;notify-host-by-email;sometext
[1245555930] HOST NOTIFICATION: 
kkeane;xxxx.xxxx.xxxx;UP;notify-host-by-email;sometext
[1245555931] HOST ALERT: xxxx.xxxx.xxxx;DOWN;SOFT;1;(null)



-- 
Kevin Keane
Owner
The NetTech
Find the Uncommon: Expert Solutions for a Network You Never Have to Think About

Office: 866-642-7116
http://www.4nettech.com

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