Cheshire Cat Computing

Hello,

I am using Nagios on OpenSuse. I have lots of Windows servers that I have nsclient++ running.

I successfully installed the windows client. I then installed NSCA on my Nagios box. I am able to have the windows client successfully run a test to the nagios server.

But now all my nsclient++ polling has stopped.

I am having trouble installing the service. I do not have a services.cfg file in my /usr/local/nagios/etc/ directory.

I am trying to follow your .doc (nwela-howto.doc)

I have attached a screen shot of my directory structure on my nagios box.

Thanks in advance!

Hello Steve,

When I install from YAST, It installs NSCA into a new directory /etc/nagios/

But all my Nagios files are in /usr/local/nagios/

I tried to copy the nsca.cfg file into the above directoy and create symbolic links, but I am just striking out.

Do you know what I am doing wrong or what I need to start fixing?

Thank in advance!

Although NSCA forwards data to Nagios, it doesnt need to be installed in the same place. As long as the nsca.conf file correctly specifies where the Nagios command pipe is then it should work correctly.

_________________
Steve Shipway
UNIX Systems, ITSS, University of Auckland, NZ
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning... -- Isaiah 5:11

Hi Steve,

My Windows server works only when I install NSCA on my Nagios server. This is when I can successfully send a test from your program running on my windows server. It actually starts working when I start the nsca service on my nagios server. Then the test works. But all my other NSCLIENT++ services stop working when I install the NSCA on my nagios server. One I uninstall the NSCA on my nagios server, then all my NSCLIENT++ services start reporting as normal.

I do not unsderstand how:

"it doesnt need to be installed in the same place. As long as the nsca.conf file correctly specifies where the Nagios command pipe is then it should work correctly."

So are you recommending that I only get a copy of the nsca.conf file (I think I only see a nsca.cfg file) and do not install the entire nsca (which includes the actual nsca service within init.d)?

I do not know where the nagios command pipe is?

Anything you suggest I will follow, I really really want to get this working, I then want to use all your tools! Awesome work!

Happy Holidays!

No...

Both the Nagios Eventlog Agent and the passive services of NSClient++ use NSCA to report status. NSClient++ is also an agent for active service checks in addition to this.

The nsca.conf or nsca.cfg file is the configuration file for NSCA. As long as NSCA can find it it doesnt matter where you install it. You just need to get a working NSCA.

If you already have NSCA operational in order to make NSClient++'s passive service checks work, then check its configuration. You may have set it up with a different encryption setup or something which is preventing NagEventLog from sending status information.

You need to check with whoever installed and configured your Nagios setup to find out the setup and then get them to configure NSCA appropriately; once you have a wokring NSCA then configure the NagiosEventLog agent with the same encryption settings and it should work. Check your nsca and nagios logs to see if there are errors being reported.

_________________
Steve Shipway
UNIX Systems, ITSS, University of Auckland, NZ
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning... -- Isaiah 5:11

Hi Steve,

I had to reinstall the nsca and now Nagios is working.

I am able to run the NSCA Daemons Test.

I am very confused on where to put the following code:
Following the instructions doc, I do not have the services.cfg file anywhere.

Can you suggest where I should put the top code(defile service) and the bottom (define service) code?
Thanks for all your help!


define service{
use generic-service
service_description Application
active_checks_enabled 0
passive_checks_enabled 1
flap_detection_enabled 0
register 0
is_volatile 0
check_period 24x7
max_check_attempts 1
normal_check_interval 5
retry_check_interval 1
check_freshness 1
freshness_threshold 1500
contact_groups YOUR_CONTACT_GROUP
notification_interval 120
notification_period 24x7
notification_options w,u,c,r
stalking_options w,c,u
name Application
}


define service{
use Application
service_description System EventLog
host_name YOUR_HOSTNAME
check_command check_dummy!0
}

I have tried to put the top code within my templates.cfg and the bottom code into my windows.cfg files.

Nagios will not function with the code in those locations.

Where you put them depends on your Nagios configuration - somewhere you will have a file which contains service templates, and somewhere a file containg the definitions of services to monitor. The top example is a template, and the bottom is an example of how to use the template. Of course you need to modify these to specify the correct hostname, contact group, notification and check periods, etc and also make sure you have check_dummy defined. THESE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES; you cannot just copy them into your configuration as they are without changing them to match your particular Nagios configuration.

If Nagios is not working, run a config check (nagios -v nagios.cfg) and see what it is complaining about - probably you have forgotten to configure the service correctly.

_________________
Steve Shipway
UNIX Systems, ITSS, University of Auckland, NZ
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning... -- Isaiah 5:11

Hi Steve,

I am getting close. In the last couple days, I have reconfigured a new Nagios server.

I have installed everything properly and starting on a fresh server.

My nagios service will not start using the Top Code in my templates.cfg file.

define service{
use generic-service
service_description Application
active_checks_enabled 0
passive_checks_enabled 1
flap_detection_enabled 0
register 0
is_volatile 0
check_period 24x7
max_check_attempts 1
normal_check_interval 5
retry_check_interval 1
check_freshness 1
freshness_threshold 1500
contact_groups admins
notification_interval 120
notification_period 24x7
notification_options w,u,c,r
stalking_options w,c,u
name Application
}

I then have the Bottom Code in my windows.cfg file. Which Spock is the name of the server I want to monitor which is running the EventLog application.

define service{
use Application
service_description System EventLog
host_name Spock
check_command check_dummy!0
}


I have also started the nsca service.

Here is another oddity.

I can uncomment the Bottom Code within my Windows.cfg file and I am able to start the service.