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        /^influx_.+/ = influx_location = In the basement
29        localaddr = myhost-nat-if
30        passive = yes
31        password = test-password
32        pings = 5
33        port = 3255
34        timeout = 10
35        username = test-user
36
37        # [...]
38
39        *** Targets ***
40
41        probe = FTPtransfer # if this should be the default probe
42
43        # [...]
44
45        + mytarget
46        # probe = FTPtransfer # if the default probe is something else
47        host = my.host
48        /^influx_.+/ = influx_location = In the basement
49        localaddr = myhost-nat-if
50        passive = yes
51        password = test-password
52        pings = 5
53        port = 3255
54        timeout = 10
55        username = test-user
56

DESCRIPTION

58       The probe uses the Net::FTP perl client to run performance tests using
59       an FTP server as a target. This probe is intrusive as it transfers real
60       data. By using real data we get a fair shot at figuring out what a link
61       is capable of when it comes to transferring actual files.
62
63       The password can be specified either (in order of precedence, with the
64       latter overriding the former) in the probe-specific variable
65       `password', in an external file or in the target-specific variable
66       `password'.  The location of this external file is given in the probe-
67       specific variable `passwordfile'. See
68       Smokeping::probes::passwordchecker(3pm) for the format of this file
69       (summary: colon-separated triplets of the form
70       `<host>:<username>:<password>')
71
72       The probe tries to be nice to the server and waits at least X seconds
73       between starting filetransfers, where X is the value of the probe
74       specific `min_interval' variable (1 by default).
75
76       Many variables can be specified either in the probe or in the target
77       definition, the target-specific variable will override the prove-
78       specific variable.
79
80       If your transfer takes a lot of time, you may want to make sure to set
81       the timeout and max_rtt properly so that smokeping does not abort the
82       transfers of limit the graph size.
83

VARIABLES

85       Supported probe-specific variables:
86
87       destfile
88           Normally the destination filename is the same as the source
89           filename (without the path). If you want keep files in different
90           directories this may not work, and you have to specify destfile as
91           well.
92
93           Example value: path/to/destinationfile.xxx
94
95       forks
96           Run this many concurrent processes at maximum
97
98           Example value: 5
99
100           Default value: 5
101
102       min_interval
103           The minimum interval between each starting ftp sessions in seconds.
104
105           Default value: 1
106
107       mode
108           The ftp probe can be in either put or get mode. If it is in put
109           mode then it will send a file to the ftp server. In get mode it
110           will retrieve a file from the ftp server.
111
112           Example value: get
113
114           This setting is mandatory.
115
116       offset
117           If you run many probes concurrently you may want to prevent them
118           from hitting your network all at the same time. Using the probe-
119           specific offset parameter you can change the point in time when
120           each probe will be run. Offset is specified in % of total interval,
121           or alternatively as 'random', and the offset from the 'General'
122           section is used if nothing is specified here. Note that this does
123           NOT influence the rrds itself, it is just a matter of when data
124           acquisition is initiated.  (This variable is only applicable if the
125           variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)
126
127           Example value: 50%
128
129       passwordfile
130           Location of the file containing usernames and passwords.
131
132           Example value: /some/place/secret
133
134       srcfile
135           The name of the source file. If the probe is in put mode, this file
136           has to be on the local machine, if the probe is in get mode then
137           this file should sit in the remote ftp account.
138
139           Example value: src/path/mybig.pdf
140
141           This setting is mandatory.
142
143       step
144           Duration of the base interval that this probe should use, if
145           different from the one specified in the 'Database' section. Note
146           that the step in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally
147           generated, and if you change the step parameter afterwards, you'll
148           have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them. (This
149           variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is
150           set in the 'General' section.)
151
152           Example value: 300
153
154       timeout
155           The timeout is the maximum amount of time you will allow the probe
156           to transfer the file. If the probe does not succeed to transfer in
157           the time specified, it will get killed and a 'loss' will be logged.
158
159           Since FTPtransfer is an invasive probe you should make sure you do
160           not load the link for more than a few seconds anyway. Smokeping
161           currently has a hard limit of 180 seconds for any RTT.
162
163           Example value: 15
164
165           This setting is mandatory.
166
167       Supported target-specific variables:
168
169       /^influx_.+/
170           This is a tag that will be sent to influxdb and has no impact on
171           the probe measurement. The tag name will be sent without the
172           "influx_" prefix, which will be replaced with "tag_" instead. Tags
173           can be used for filtering.
174
175           Example value: influx_location = In the basement
176
177       localaddr
178           The local address to be used when making connections
179
180           Example value: myhost-nat-if
181
182       passive
183           Use passive FTP protocol
184
185           Example value: yes
186
187       password
188           The password for the user, if not present in the password file.
189
190           Example value: test-password
191
192       pings
193           How many pings should be sent to each target, if different from the
194           global value specified in the Database section. Note that the
195           number of pings in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally
196           generated, and if you change this parameter afterwards, you'll have
197           to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them.
198
199           Example value: 5
200
201       port
202           A non-standard FTP port to be used
203
204           Example value: 3255
205
206       timeout
207           Timeout in seconds for the FTP transfer to complete.
208
209           Example value: 10
210
211       username
212           The username to be tested.
213
214           Example value: test-user
215

AUTHORS

217       Tobias Oetiker <tobi@oetiker.ch> sponsored by Virtela
218

BUGS

220       This probe has the capability for saturating your links, so don't use
221       it unless you know what you are doing.
222
223       The FTPtransfer probe measures bandwidth, but we report the number of
224       seconds it took to transfer the 'reference' file. This is because
225       currently the notion of Round Trip Time is at the core of the
226       application. It would take some re-engineering to split this out in
227       plugins and thus make it configurable ...
228
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2312.8.2                             2022-07-23   Smokeping_probes_FTPtransfer(3)
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