Smokeping_probes_passwordchecker(3)

1Smokeping_probes_passwordchecker(3)SmokePingSmokeping_probes_passwordchecker(3)
2
3
4

NAME

6       Smokeping::probes::passwordchecker - A Base Class for implementing
7       SmokePing Probes
8

OVERVIEW

10       Like Smokeping::probes::basefork, but supports a probe-specific
11       configuration file for storing passwords and a method for accessing
12       them.
13

SYNOPSIS

15        *** Probes ***
16
17        +passwordchecker
18
19        forks = 5
20        offset = 50%
21        passwordfile = /some/place/secret
22        step = 300
23        timeout = 15
24
25        # The following variables can be overridden in each target section
26        pings = 5
27
28        # [...]
29
30        *** Targets ***
31
32        probe = passwordchecker # if this should be the default probe
33
34        # [...]
35
36        + mytarget
37        # probe = passwordchecker # if the default probe is something else
38        host = my.host
39        pings = 5
40

DESCRIPTION

42   synopsis with more detail
43       SmokePing main configuration file:
44
45        *** Probes ***
46        + MyPasswordChecker
47        # location of the file containing usernames and passwords
48        passwordfile = /usr/share/smokeping/etc/passwords
49
50       The specified password file:
51
52        # host:username:password
53        host1:joe:hardlyasecret
54         # comments and whitespace lines are allowed
55
56        host2:sue:notasecreteither
57
58   Actual description
59       In implementing authentication probes, it might not be desirable to
60       store the necessary cleartext passwords in the SmokePing main
61       configuration file, since the latter must be readable both by the
62       SmokePing daemon performing the probes and the CGI that displays the
63       results. If the passwords are stored in a different file, this file can
64       be made readable by only the user the daemon runs as. This way we can
65       be sure that nobody can trick the CGI into displaying the passwords on
66       the Web.
67
68       This module reads the passwords in at startup from the file specified
69       in the probe-specific variable `passwordfile'. The passwords can later
70       be accessed and modified by the password method, that needs the
71       corresponding host and username as arguments.
72
73   Password file format
74       The password file format is simply one line for each triplet of host,
75       username and password, separated from each other by colons (:).
76
77       Comment lines, starting with the `#' sign, are ignored, as well as
78       empty lines.
79

VARIABLES

81       Supported probe-specific variables:
82
83       forks
84           Run this many concurrent processes at maximum
85
86           Example value: 5
87
88           Default value: 5
89
90       offset
91           If you run many probes concurrently you may want to prevent them
92           from hitting your network all at the same time. Using the probe-
93           specific offset parameter you can change the point in time when
94           each probe will be run. Offset is specified in % of total interval,
95           or alternatively as 'random', and the offset from the 'General'
96           section is used if nothing is specified here. Note that this does
97           NOT influence the rrds itself, it is just a matter of when data
98           acqusition is initiated.  (This variable is only applicable if the
99           variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)
100
101           Example value: 50%
102
103       passwordfile
104           Location of the file containing usernames and passwords.
105
106           Example value: /some/place/secret
107
108       step
109           Duration of the base interval that this probe should use, if
110           different from the one specified in the 'Database' section. Note
111           that the step in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally
112           generated, and if you change the step parameter afterwards, you'll
113           have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them. (This
114           variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is
115           set in the 'General' section.)
116
117           Example value: 300
118
119       timeout
120           How long a single 'ping' takes at maximum
121
122           Example value: 15
123
124           Default value: 5
125
126       Supported target-specific variables:
127
128       pings
129           How many pings should be sent to each target, if different from the
130           global value specified in the Database section. Note that the
131           number of pings in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally
132           generated, and if you change this parameter afterwards, you'll have
133           to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them.
134
135           Example value: 5
136

AUTHORS

138       Niko Tyni <ntyni@iki.fi>
139

BUGS

141       The need for storing cleartext passwords can be considered a bug in
142       itself.
143