= Network Management & Monitoring - Smokeping  =

In this exercise you will install Smokeping and get it to monitor various devices in the class network.

Since most of the tasks in this exercise require you to be "root", the first thing you should do is to connect to your PC and start a root shell.
{{{
$ sudo -s
#
}}}
=== Install Smokeping ===
Before we install Smokeping we have to update our OS and install Apache web server.
{{{
# apt update
# apt upgrade
# apt install apache2
# systemctl start apache2
# systemctl enable apache2
}}}
Now we will continue with the Smokeping installation. 
{{{
# apt install smokeping
# chmod u+s /usr/bin/fping
# a2enmod cgi
# systemctl reload apache2
}}}
=== Initial Configuration ===
Let's make sure that your web server and Smokeping are running:
{{{
# systemctl start apache2
# systemctl enable smokeping
# systemctl start smokeping
}}}
Then point your web browser at:
{{{
http://hostX/smokeping/smokeping.cgi
}}}
(replace "hostX" with your own host/IP) to check that it is running.

Files that are associated with Smokeping can accessed as follows;
{{{
# cd /etc/smokeping/config.d
# ls -l

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  578 2022-02-26 01:55 Alerts
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  237 2022-02-26 01:55 Database
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  413 2022-02-26 05:40 General
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  271 2022-02-26 01:55 pathnames
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  859 2022-02-26 01:55 Presentation
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  116 2022-02-26 01:55 Probes
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  155 2022-02-26 01:55 Slaves
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 8990 2022-02-26 06:30 Targets
}}}
The files that you'll need to change, at a minimum, are:

* Alerts
* General
* Probes (to be done later)
* Targets
Now open the General file (note the first capital letter)
{{{
# vim General
}}}
(you can replace "vim" with "nano" or "vi" if you like)

Change the following lines according to your institute:
{{{
owner    = NOC
contact  = sysadm@localhost
mailhost = localhost
cgiurl   = http://localhost/smokeping/smokeping.cgi
# specify this to get syslog logging
syslogfacility = local5
}}}
Save the file and exit. Now let's restart the Smokeping service to verify that no mistakes have been made before going any further:
{{{
# systemctl restart smokeping
}}}

Now open the Alerts file (note the first capital letter)
{{{
# cd /etc/smokeping/config.d
# vim Alerts
}}}

Change the following lines:
{{{
to = sysadm@localhost
from = smokeping-alert@localhost
}}}
Save the file and exit. Restart Smokeping:
{{{
# systemctl restart smokeping
}}}

= Configure monitoring of devices =
The majority of your time and work configuring Smokeping will be done in the file ''' /etc/smokeping/config.d/Targets'''

For this class please do the following:

Use the default FPing probe to check:

* Servers in your campus
* Firewalls
* Switches
* Routers

You can use the your physical Network Devices or the Devices in Network we configured on our last Workshop ''' (Workshop on Tuning up Campus Network) ''' for testing.

Create some hierarchy to the Smokeping menu for your checks.

For example, the Targets file is already partially pre configured. To start we are going to add some entries to this file.

Start with:

{{{
# cd /etc/smokeping/config.d
# editor Targets
}}}

You can take the section from *** Targets *** to the end of the Local Machine and make it look something like this. Feel free to use your own "remark", "menu" text and titles.

NOTE: We recommend that you COPY and PASTE text from these exercises directly in to the Targets file and do the amendments according to your network setup. Typing all this by hand will take too long.

{{{

*** Targets ***

probe = FPing

menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Smokeping Latency Grapher for Network Monitoring \
         and Management Workshop.

+Local

menu = Local Network Monitoring and Management
title = Local Network

++LocalMachine

menu = Local Machine
title = This host
host = localhost
}}}

Now, below the "localhost" we start with the configuration of items for our class.

We will add in an entry for our workshop ''' DMZ Web server ''' (172.30.1.20) and for all the hosts on your campus.

''' NOTE: ''' Be sure that you replace "Y" with your campus number.

{{{
#
# ********* Campus Servers **********
#

+WebServers

menu = WebServers
title = Campus web Servers

++Web

menu = DMZ Web
title = DMZ Web
host = 172.30.1.20
}}}
OK. Let's see if we can get Smokeping to stop and start with the changes we have made, so far. Save and exit from the Targets file. Now try doing:

{{{
# systemctl restart smokeping
}}}

If you see error messages, then read them closely and try to correct the problem in the Targets file. In addition, Smokeping is now sending log message to the file ''' /var/log/syslog '''. You can view what Smokeping is saying by typing:
{{{
# tail -F /var/log/syslog
}}}