Generating custom client data file

[Everett, Vernon]

Hi all

I got no response from this, and after doing a little more experimenting and debugging, found the answer myself, which I am posting, to add it to the knowledge pool.

As stated, we are trying to create a status for a cluster system, where there is no physical machine to send the test from.
Instead, it will be coming from any one of the cluster members.

We started with the basics, and sent a status message file which looked like the one below.
(I am refering to the file you will find in ~hobbit/client/tmp/msg.$(hostname).txt)
This caused issues, generating false alerts. See previous mail for more details.

Eventually, by ignoring these, and just continuing to forge ahead, we added a few more tests to the file, an to our surprise, the false alerts went away.

It seems, xymon/hobbit is not happy to receive such a minimalist status message file.
I also found I did not need to add much either.
A data file looking like this enough. Disk results went green, and reflected the correct status.
client PERDBS41_EV_SQL2005.bbwin win32
[date]
Thu Jan 22 11:46:02 WST 2009
[disk]
Filesystem     1K-blocks     Used       Avail    Capacity    Mounted      Summary(Total\Avail)
I              314568732   24666084  289902648    7.%       /FIXED/I        300.00gb\276.47gb
J               26210012    6593428   19616584    25%       /FIXED/J        25.00gb\18.71gb
K               26210012    6593428   19616584    25%       /FIXED/K        25.00gb\18.71gb
L               26210012    6593428   19616584    25%       /FIXED/L        25.00gb\18.71gb
[clientversion]

[who]

Strange, but there you have it.

Regards
      Vernon

________________________________
From: Everett, Vernon [mailto:Vernon.Everett at woodside.com.au]
Sent: Monday, 19 January 2009 4:41 PM
To: hobbit at hswn.dk
Subject: [hobbit] Generating custom client data file

Greetings all

I have an interesting question/problem, and I am hoping somebody can help me. (I think this might be one for Henrik though)

We have a Windoze database cluster, with bbwin on each, which works OK.
Those who know the Microsoft cluster software, will know that the "active" disks could be resident on any server.
As a result, you may have a disk appear on one server, then "disappear", and suddenly "reappear" on another server in the cluster.
This makes consistent monitoring and trending difficult.

We decided to try and write a test which created a consistent view of the cluster.
To do this, we created a script which runs on all the members of the cluster, but only the "active" member would send results, pretending to be a server called $CLUSTER_NAME

To make this happen, we decided  to send a new data file to the hobbit server, as if it was a new client altogether.
(Data file like the one you see when you click on "Client Data" link in the disk view)
Of course, there is no physical server with this name, it's just a "place-holder" and an entry in bb-hosts.

We ended up sending just the basics - at least to start with. It looked like this.
client DBS_CLUSTER.bbwin win32
[date]
19/01/2009 2:55:51 PM
[disk]
Filesystem     1K-blocks     Used       Avail    Capacity    Mounted      Summary(Total\Avail)
I               314568732   23992884   290575848    7.%       /FIXED/I        300.00gb\277.11gb
J               26210012   6593428   19616584    25%       /FIXED/J        25.00gb\18.71gb

Then something really strange happened. (see attached image)
It graphed the 2 drives OK, but these 2 red entries appeared. They are not related to any disk, and we have no idea where they are coming from.

Any ideas or suggestions welcome

Regards
     Vernon


[cid:954025423 at 22012009-0B76]


NOTICE: This email and any attachments are confidential.
They may contain legally privileged information or
copyright material. You must not read, copy, use or
disclose them without authorisation. If you are not an
intended recipient, please contact us at once by return
email and then delete both messages and all attachments.


NOTICE: This email and any attachments are confidential. 
They may contain legally privileged information or 
copyright material. You must not read, copy, use or 
disclose them without authorisation. If you are not an 
intended recipient, please contact us at once by return 
email and then delete both messages and all attachments.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.xymon.com/pipermail/xymon/attachments/20090123/2b7c57a2/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PBrush 1.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 62522 bytes
Desc: PBrush 1.jpg
URL: <http://lists.xymon.com/pipermail/xymon/attachments/20090123/2b7c57a2/attachment.jpg>