1Smokeping_probes_FTPtransfer(3)    SmokePing   Smokeping_probes_FTPtransfer(3)
2
3
4

NAME

6       Smokeping::probes::FTPtransfer - intrusive bandwidth probe
7

OVERVIEW

9       This probe send and retrieve files to or from an ftp server. It will
10       plot the bandwidth it could use.
11

SYNOPSIS

13        *** Probes ***
14
15        +FTPtransfer
16
17        destfile = path/to/destinationfile.xxx
18        forks = 5
19        min_interval = 1
20        mode = get # mandatory
21        offset = 50%
22        passwordfile = /some/place/secret
23        srcfile = src/path/mybig.pdf # mandatory
24        step = 300
25        timeout = 15 # mandatory
26
27        # The following variables can be overridden in each target section
28        localaddr = myhost-nat-if
29        passive = yes
30        password = test-password
31        pings = 5
32        port = 3255
33        timeout = 10
34        username = test-user
35
36        # [...]
37
38        *** Targets ***
39
40        probe = FTPtransfer # if this should be the default probe
41
42        # [...]
43
44        + mytarget
45        # probe = FTPtransfer # if the default probe is something else
46        host = my.host
47        localaddr = myhost-nat-if
48        passive = yes
49        password = test-password
50        pings = 5
51        port = 3255
52        timeout = 10
53        username = test-user
54

DESCRIPTION

56       The probe uses the Net::FTP perl client to run performance tests using
57       an FTP server as a target. This probe is intrusive as it transfers real
58       data. By using real data we get a fair shot at figuring out what a link
59       is capable of when it comes to transfering actual files.
60
61       The password can be specified either (in order of precedence, with the
62       latter overriding the former) in the probe-specific variable
63       `password', in an external file or in the target-specific variable
64       `password'.  The location of this external file is given in the probe-
65       specific variable `passwordfile'. See
66       Smokeping::probes::passwordchecker(3pm) for the format of this file
67       (summary: colon-separated triplets of the form
68       `<host>:<username>:<password>')
69
70       The probe tries to be nice to the server and waits at least X seconds
71       between starting filetransfers, where X is the value of the probe
72       specific `min_interval' variable (1 by default).
73
74       Many variables can be specified either in the probe or in the target
75       definition, the target-specific variable will override the prove-
76       specific variable.
77
78       If your transfer takes a lot of time, you may want to make sure to set
79       the timeout and max_rtt properly so that smokeping does not abort the
80       transfers of limit the graph size.
81

VARIABLES

83       Supported probe-specific variables:
84
85       destfile
86           Normally the destination filename is the same as the source
87           filename (without the path). If you want keep files in different
88           directories this may not work, and you have to specify destfile as
89           well.
90
91           Example value: path/to/destinationfile.xxx
92
93       forks
94           Run this many concurrent processes at maximum
95
96           Example value: 5
97
98           Default value: 5
99
100       min_interval
101           The minimum interval between each starting ftp sessions in seconds.
102
103           Default value: 1
104
105       mode
106           The ftp probe can be in either put or get mode. If it is in put
107           mode then it will send a file to the ftp server. In get mode it
108           will retrieve a file from the ftp server.
109
110           Example value: get
111
112           This setting is mandatory.
113
114       offset
115           If you run many probes concurrently you may want to prevent them
116           from hitting your network all at the same time. Using the probe-
117           specific offset parameter you can change the point in time when
118           each probe will be run. Offset is specified in % of total interval,
119           or alternatively as 'random', and the offset from the 'General'
120           section is used if nothing is specified here. Note that this does
121           NOT influence the rrds itself, it is just a matter of when data
122           acqusition is initiated.  (This variable is only applicable if the
123           variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)
124
125           Example value: 50%
126
127       passwordfile
128           Location of the file containing usernames and passwords.
129
130           Example value: /some/place/secret
131
132       srcfile
133           The name of the source file. If the probe is in put mode, this file
134           has to be on the local machine, if the probe is in get mode then
135           this file should sit in the remote ftp account.
136
137           Example value: src/path/mybig.pdf
138
139           This setting is mandatory.
140
141       step
142           Duration of the base interval that this probe should use, if
143           different from the one specified in the 'Database' section. Note
144           that the step in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally
145           generated, and if you change the step parameter afterwards, you'll
146           have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them. (This
147           variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is
148           set in the 'General' section.)
149
150           Example value: 300
151
152       timeout
153           The timeout is the maximum amount of time you will allow the probe
154           to transfer the file. If the probe does not succeed to transfer in
155           the time specified, it will get killed and a 'loss' will be loged.
156
157           Since FTPtransfer is an invasive probe you should make sure you do
158           not load the link for more than a few seconds anyway. Smokeping
159           curently has a hard limit of 180 seconds for any RTT.
160
161           Example value: 15
162
163           This setting is mandatory.
164
165       Supported target-specific variables:
166
167       localaddr
168           The local address to be used when making connections
169
170           Example value: myhost-nat-if
171
172       passive
173           Use passive FTP protocol
174
175           Example value: yes
176
177       password
178           The password for the user, if not present in the password file.
179
180           Example value: test-password
181
182       pings
183           How many pings should be sent to each target, if different from the
184           global value specified in the Database section. Note that the
185           number of pings in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally
186           generated, and if you change this parameter afterwards, you'll have
187           to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them.
188
189           Example value: 5
190
191       port
192           A non-standard FTP port to be used
193
194           Example value: 3255
195
196       timeout
197           Timeout in seconds for the FTP transfer to complete.
198
199           Example value: 10
200
201       username
202           The username to be tested.
203
204           Example value: test-user
205

AUTHORS

207       Tobias Oetiker <tobi@oetiker.ch> sponsored by Virtela
208

BUGS

210       This probe has the capability for saturating your links, so don't use
211       it unless you know what you are doing.
212
213       The FTPtransfer probe measures bandwidth, but we report the number of
214       seconds it took to transfer the 'reference' file. This is because
215       curently the notion of Round Trip Time is at the core of the
216       application. It would take some re-engineering to split this out in
217       plugins and thus make it configurable ...
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2212.7.2                             2020-01-30   Smokeping_probes_FTPtransfer(3)
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