[hobbit] Feasibility of Windows Client

Wed Mar 1 14:45:27 CET 2006

I do know that the bb1.9c code does compile on windows under cygwin. My
next check was to see if I could get the bbgen client compiled using
cygwin. Maybe see if the hobbit code can compile under cygwin. Once
compiled, you do not need the full cygwin resources, but the cygwin dll.
I have found the BB win client to be very lacking in some regards. In my
current environment I need to stay with BigBrother, and am able not
upgrade to Hobbit. So I am left with the test thresholds configured on
the client side. With the windows client, configuration & thresholds are
handled differently than the *nix clients. Also windows client does not
have the option to configure what color status to alert on. Some of my
servers need to alert on Yellow. Also, bb windows client does not handle
the full bb protocol, I have some custom scripts that need to submit
information via 'data'. So to me having a windows client that is
configured, and has all the same options a *nix is very needful. 

Of late I just have not had the time to dig into this, but figured I
would let you all know compiling under cygwin with the existing source
is possible.

	-----Original Message-----
	From: Norton, Peter [mailto:Peter.Norton at Manage5Nines.com] 
	Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 8:10 AM
	To: 'hobbit at hswn.dk'
	Subject: RE: [hobbit] Feasibility of Windows Client

	This e-mail is subject to the disclaimer set out below.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- 

	Hi Etienne,

	I've been playing around with getting the various bit of info,
such as disk usage, cpu, services, etc. using WMI scripts via .vbs. I've
attached the file.

	I've not touched it for a month or so, but it might be of some
use. The [ps] section uses the Sysinternals tools plist.

	My original idea was to output the data in the same format as
the linux client, so no further coding was required in the hobbit
daemon.

	Regards,

	Peter

	-----Original Message-----
	From: Etienne Grignon [mailto:etienne.grignon at gmail.com] 
	Sent: 01 March 2006 12:53
	To: hobbit at hswn.dk
	Subject: Re: [hobbit] Feasibility of Windows Client

	Hi all,

	I wanted to make you the surprise but I think I have to announce
it today.

	I'm thinking of an open source big brother hobbit client for
months and started to code it 2 month ago.

	The client is coded in C++ using the platform SDK, the visual
C++ toolkit (free edition of the compiler). I have written the program
with the idea: "I want to make it work without installing nothing more
than a default Windows 2000 installation".

	It will work as a native service and it will not be a monolithic
program as the actual quest bbnt.  We are in 2006, I think each program
should have been written to take part of the plug in architecture. So,
the service is actually an engine loading native agent (dll). So, the
service loads the agents and it schedules their execution.

	Of course, one of my agent is called externals.dll and will be
able to execute all existing scripts that every one are using with the
original bbnt. But, for the future, every one will be able to develop
native agents (using a small C++ api that I wrote).

	So, at first, I'm working on externals agent and with important
agents as cpu, disk and memory (respectively: cpu.dll, disk.dll,
memory.dll). For events, I'm waiting to be able to implement the same
thing that Henrik is making for the unix agent.

	 About the configuration, it is done thanks to the registry only
for paths information, and the configuration of the service and each
agent is done with a nice XML configuration file.

	 About the installer, it will be a native MSI written using the
wix toolkit to be able to deploy the package very easily. I'm working on
it but for the moment, but my concentration for the moment is really on
the service and the agents.

	 Now, let's talk about the project name:

	 The software is called bbwin (project already created on bbwin)
I will try to post the source soon after the preview release. (For the
moment, I'm trying to find a nice way to publish posts from my
subversion repository to the cvs sourceforge repository :)  ) 

	There will be 2 executables:

	 Bbwin.Exe : build as a native service

	 Bbwincmd.exe : it is a simple command line client as bb.exe on
unix, it is compiled with my hobbit protocol C++ class implementing 95 %
of the protocol. I posted a preview on sourceforge :
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=136450&package_id=
149927&release_id=397674 

	About compatibility, it should work well on Windows XP, Windows
2000, Windows 2003 and also on Windows NT 4.0 SP 6. For 64 bits, I have
no hardware to test for the moment. 

	Also, Henrik, you told us that you knew someone working on it.
Would it be possible for you to make me in contact with him ? May be we
could work together. Even, if for the moment, I don't have much of
native agents, I think working together could be cool and try to get the
best of the 2 windows clients. 

	So please, wait some days, I'm preparing a first preview so, you
will be able to judge on it. I will post a new message on the list on
March 15th .

	Last thing, if you are going to renew your bbnt licence pack, I
think you should wait some time ...  : )

	Etienne (aka sharpyy)

	From Paris

	2006/3/1, Rich Smrcina <rsmrcina at wi.rr.com>:

	Yes, the BB windows client does work just fine.  Word is that
there is a
	Hobbit windows client in development, which we are very eagerly
waiting for.

	Ralph Mitchell wrote:
	> I would expect the Windows BB client to be able to report to
Hobbit - 
	> after all, the other various BB tests I've tried seem to work
just
	> fine.  I've never used the Windows client, so I don't know if
there'd
	> be much advantage in re-inventing it.
	>
	> Ralph Mitchell 
	>
	>
	> On 3/1/06, Camp, Neil D. (ManTech) CTR <neil.camp at deca.mil>
wrote:
	>> Question to all,
	>>
	>> What would be the feasibility of building a windows client? 
	>> Would you have to write it from scratch?
	>> Could you potentially use cygwin dlls to assist?
	>> Could you use the BB windows client?
	>>
	>> I am curious, and would like to pursue this. I am not a coder
especially 
	>> for windows, but I would be willing to give it a try. I just
need some
	>> suggestions and input on what direction to go, and if there
would be any
	>> interest in a windows client. Thanks!
	>>
	>> --neil
	>>
	>> ManTech
	>> DeCA Operations Systems Administrator
	>> (804) 734-8353
	>> neil.camp at deca.mil
	>>
	>>
	>> To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to
	>> hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk
	>>
	>>
	>>
	>
	> To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to 
	> hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk
	>
	>

	--
	Rich Smrcina
	VM Assist, Inc.
	Main: (262)392-2026
	Cell: (414)491-6001
	Ans Service:  (360)715-2467 
	rich.smrcina at vmassist.com

	Catch the WAVV!  http://www.wavv.org
	WAVV 2006 - Chattanooga, TN - April 7-11, 2006

	To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to 
	hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk

	-- 
	Etienne GRIGNON 

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