[Xymon] "Disable until change"

john.r.rothlisberger at accenture.com john.r.rothlisberger at accenture.com
Tue Nov 3 16:02:27 CET 2015


This is in line with an similar problem that I have encountered.

Consider a situation where you have a server with multiple drives (are there any with one anymore) and it goes to yellow or red and you ack that alert for X amount of time.

What happens if another drive goes yellow/red during that time?  It gets ignored.  This applies to any test were there are multiple opportunities to have something trigger an alert.  These tests are typically disk, procs, and svcs (you could argue memory also).

I created the below perl script which I simply run from cron which tracks what warnings/alerts have been ack'd, saves the state of what is in an alert condition, and looks for changes during the ack period.  If a change is detected, in order to drop the ack, I do a quick switch to green and the next update will go back to the appropriate alert level.  This will then generate a new warning/alert.

This could be adapted to include tests that are disabled but it is not currently included within the script.  You are more than welcome to make adjustments as you see fit.

#!/usr/bin/perl
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Script Name:  watch_ackd_alerts.pl
# Author:       John Rothlisberger (john.r.rothlisberger at accenture.com)
# Created On:   March 10, 2014
# VERSION="1.04092014.01";
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Purpose:      A script to monitor ack'd alerts and watch for changes.
#               Example:  The C: drive fills up and sends out a red alert.  Knowing this will
#               take some time to fix you ack the alert for 60 minutes.  If, during that 60
#               minute window the D: drive fills up you will not be notified as the 'disk' test
#               has been acknowledged.  This script is an attempt to short circuit the ack and
#               allow for the new alert to be sent out.
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Execution:    Run every 5 minutes from xymon crontab:
# */5 * * * * /home/xymon/bin/watch_ackd_alerts.pl > /dev/null 2>&1
# The following directories need to be present:
# /home/xymon/server/tmp/ACK_WATCH
# Logging directory is assumed to be /home/xymon/logs.
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Setup COUNT and directory where to store ack info files.
$COUNT=0;
$ACKSDIR="/home/xymon/server/tmp/ACK_WATCH";

# Log file
open(LOGFILE,">> /home/xymon/logs/ack_watch.log") || die("can't open ack_watch.log:  $!");

# input for "ALERTS" from xymondboard is in the following form:
# servername|test|color|flags|lastchange|logtime|validtime|acktime|disabletime|sender|cookie|line1|ackmsg|dismsg|msg

# Open input file
open ALERTS, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'xymondboard color=yellow,red' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
#for testing
#open ALERTS, "</home/xymon/server/tmp/ACK_WATCH/ALERT_INIT" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";

# Parse all active alerts
while (<ALERTS>) {
   chomp;
   @LINE=split(/\|/,$_);
   $SERVERNAME=@LINE[0];
   $TESTTYPE=@LINE[1];
   $COLOR=@LINE[2];
   $LASTCHANGE=@LINE[4];
   $LOGTIME=@LINE[5];
   $VALTIME=@LINE[6];
   $ACKTIME=@LINE[7];
   $DISTIME=@LINE[8];
   $COOKIE=@LINE[10];
   $LINE1=@LINE[11];
   $ACKMSG=@LINE[12];
   $DISMSG=@LINE[13];
   $MSG=@LINE[14];

# Skip all alerts except disk, procs, and svcs (others are not tested)
   if ("$TESTTYPE" ne "svcs" && "$TESTTYPE" ne "disk" && "$TESTTYPE" ne "procs") {
      next;
   }

# Alert has been ack'd if ACKTIME is > 0.  This is where we watch for changes.
   if ( $ACKTIME > 0) {
      $COUNT+=1;
      $REDS=0;
      $YELLOWS=0;
      $REDS_CMP=0;
      $YELLOWS_CMP=0;
      $NEED_COMP=0;

      $now = localtime;
      $ENDTIME=localtime($ACKTIME);
      print LOGFILE "---------------------------- $now ----------------------------\n";
      print LOGFILE "Line: @LINE\n";
      print LOGFILE "SERVERNAME: $SERVERNAME\n";
      print LOGFILE "TESTTYPE: $TESTTYPE\n";
      print LOGFILE "COLOR: $COLOR\n";
      print LOGFILE "End Time: $ENDTIME\n";

#
# If this is a new ack'd alert we will create a static file that holds current test state.
# We will use this file to decide if there have been changes to what has been ack'd.
#

      if (! -e "${ACKSDIR}/${SERVERNAME}${TESTTYPE}${COLOR}${ACKTIME}" ) {

# We need to get current details of alert that has been ack'd and store in DETAILS.
         open DETAILS, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'xymondlog ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE}' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
# for testing
#open DETAILS, "</home/xymon/server/tmp/ACK_WATCH/ALERT_DETAILS" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";

# Create a new static file with current ack details.
         open OUTFILE, ">${ACKSDIR}/${SERVERNAME}${TESTTYPE}${COLOR}${ACKTIME}" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";

         while (<DETAILS>) {
            chomp;
            if ( $_ =~ /^&/ ) {
               $_ =~ s/\&//;
               @DETLINE=split(/ /,$_);

# Change colors to numbers red=2 yellow=1 anything else = 0

               if ( "$DETLINE[0]" eq "red" ) {
                  $COL_VALUE = "2";
               } elsif ( "$DETLINE[0]" eq "yellow" ) {
                  $COL_VALUE = "1";
               } else {
                  $COL_VALUE = "0";
               }

# Create the static file which will be used on subsequent runs.

               print OUTFILE "${COL_VALUE}:${DETLINE[1]}\n";
               print LOGFILE "DATA: ${COL_VALUE}:${DETLINE[1]}\n";

            }
         }
         close OUTFILE;

#
# We have already recorded the initial state of the test and saved it to a file.
# Now we will check new status output with that file to see if the alerts have changed.
#
# This is where we will now look to see if changes have occurred since the alert was ack'd.
#

      } else {

# Get current alert state details and use to compare to saved file
         open DETAILS, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'xymondlog ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE}' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
# for testing
#open DETAILS, "</home/xymon/server/tmp/ACK_WATCH/ALERT_DETAILS2" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";

# Save the current alert state if needed after disabling of ack.
         $SAVED_STATUS="\nALERT or WARNING status has changed from time of ACK!\nACK IS CANCELED\n";;

         while (<DETAILS>) {
            chomp;
            if ( $_ =~ /^&/ ) {
               $_ =~ s/\&//;
               @DETLINE=split(/ /,$_);

# Change colors to numbers red=2 yellow=1 anything else = 0

               if ( "$DETLINE[0]" eq "red" ) {
                  $COL_VALUE = "2";
               } elsif ( "$DETLINE[0]" eq "yellow" ) {
                  $COL_VALUE = "1";
               } else {
                  $COL_VALUE = "0";
               }
               push (@COMP_contents, "${COL_VALUE}:${DETLINE[1]}");
               $SAVED_STATUS.="$_\n";
            } elsif ( $_ !~ /\|\|/ ) {
               $SAVED_STATUS.="$_\n";
            }
         }

# Load the initial alert ack static file.

         open INITFILE, "<${ACKSDIR}/${SERVERNAME}${TESTTYPE}${COLOR}${ACKTIME}" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
         while (<INITFILE>) {
            chomp;
            push (@INITFILE_contents, "$_");
         }
         close INITFILE;

# Create a hash that contains the initial ack file.

         %INITF = map(($_,1), at INITFILE_contents);
         %COMP = map(($_,1), at COMP_contents);

         foreach (@COMP_contents) {
            if ($INITF{$_}) {

# No change to the alert - nothing to do.

               print LOGFILE "Alert hasn't changed: $_\n";

            } else {

# Alert has changed in some form.

               print LOGFILE "Alert has changed: $_\n";
               @CURRENT=split(/:/,$_);
               $CUR_COLOR=$CURRENT[0];
               $CUR_TEST=$CURRENT[1];
               @ACKD_EVENT=grep (/:${CUR_TEST}/, @INITFILE_contents);
               @ACK_EVENT=split(/:/,$ACKD_EVENT[0]);
               $ACK_COLOR=$ACKD_EVENT[0];
               $ACK_TEST=$ACKD_EVENT[1];

# Compare the current alert color with that which was saved initially.

               if ( $CUR_COLOR < $ACK_EVENT[0] ) {

# New color is lower than initial color - leave ack alone.

                  print LOGFILE "NO ACTION NEEDED (new level lower than ack level).\n";

               } elsif ( $CUR_COLOR > $ACK_EVENT[0] ) {

# New color is greater than initial ack color, dump ack so new alerts can be sent.

                  if ( $ACK_COLOR == "" ) {

# New alert not previously detected (different service, process, or disk alerting)

                     print LOGFILE "ACK COLOR $ACK_COLOR\n";
                     print LOGFILE "NEW ALERT - TERMINATE ACK AND SEND NEW ALERT.\n";

# Reset the server.test status to green.  Next update will reset the alert condition effectivly
# canceling the acknowledge.

                     open RESET, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'status+1 ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} green Ack Reset New Alert Rcvd.' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
                     print LOGFILE "Set status1: status+1 ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} green Ack Reset New Alert Rcvd.\n";
                     close RESET;

                     open NEWALERT, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'status ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} $DETLINE[0] $SAVED_STATUS' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
                     print LOGFILE "Set status2: satus ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} $DETLINE[0] $SAVED_STATUS\n";
                     close NEWALERT;
                     exit 0;

                  } else {

# Level of original alert has upgraded (typically yellow->red)

                     print LOGFILE "ACK COLOR $ACK_COLOR\n";
                     print LOGFILE "OLD ALERT - TERMINATE ACK AND SEND NEW ALERT.\n";

# Reset the server.test status to green.  Next update will reset the alert condition effectivly
# canceling the acknowledge.

                     open RESET, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'status+1 ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} green Ack Reset Alert Level Changed.' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
                     print LOGFILE "Set status3: status+1 ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} green Ack Reset Alert Level Changed.\n";
                     close RESET;

                     open NEWALERT, "/home/xymon/server/bin/xymon 0 'status ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} $DETLINE[0] $SAVED_STATUS' |" or die "Couldn't execute: $!";
                     print LOGFILE "Set status4: status ${SERVERNAME}.${TESTTYPE} $DETLINE[0] $SAVED_STATUS\n";
                     close NEWALERT;
                     exit 0;
                  }
               } else {
# Nothing to do here.
print "NO ACTION TAKEN\n";
                  print LOGFILE "NO ACTION NEEDED (new level equals ack level).\n";
               }
            }
         }
      }
   }
}

# When there are no ack'd alerts clean out the ACK status directory.
if ( $COUNT == 0 ) {
   unlink glob "${ACKSDIR}/*";
}

Thanks,
John
Upcoming PTO:
_____________________________________________________________________
John Rothlisberger
IT Strategy, Infrastructure & Security - Technology Growth Platform
TGP for Business Process Outsourcing
Accenture
312.693.3136 office
_____________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----
From: Xymon [mailto:xymon-bounces at xymon.com] On Behalf Of John Thurston
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2015 5:59 PM
To: xymon at xymon.com
Subject: [Xymon] "Disable until change"

We often use "disable until ok", but it was brought to my attention that it has burned us from time to time. For example:

Host foo is yellow on disk. But that's ok. We're going to allocate some new storage for it in the next service window. The test is marked "disable until ok". But before the service window arrives, something chews up a whole bunch of disk and the now-red test continues to be blue because the test is not yet ok.

We sometimes use "acknowledge" for this function, but the non-green screen can get kind of cluttered this way.

Does anyone have a good way to fake "disable while status remains unchanged"?
--
    Do things because you should, not just because you can.

John Thurston    907-465-8591
John.Thurston at alaska.gov
Enterprise Technology Services
Department of Administration
State of Alaska
_______________________________________________
Xymon mailing list
Xymon at xymon.com
http://lists.xymon.com/mailman/listinfo/xymon

________________________________

This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the e-mail by you is prohibited. Where allowed by local law, electronic communications with Accenture and its affiliates, including e-mail and instant messaging (including content), may be scanned by our systems for the purposes of information security and assessment of internal compliance with Accenture policy.
______________________________________________________________________________________

www.accenture.com


More information about the Xymon mailing list