Cacti 0.8 Beginner's Guide

Cover......Page 1
Copyright......Page 3
Credits......Page 4
About the Author......Page 5
About the Reviewers......Page 6
www.PacktPub.com......Page 7
Table of Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 20
Web server......Page 28
Preparing the system......Page 29
Time for action – downloading Cacti......Page 30
Time for action – creating the database......Page 32
Configuring Cacti......Page 33
Time for action – configuring Cacti......Page 34
Installing the Spine poller......Page 35
Time for action – installing Spine......Page 36
Differences between source and APT/Yum installations......Page 37
The community-built Windows Installer......Page 38
Time for action – starting the Windows setup......Page 39
Time for action – upgrading Cacti......Page 41
Time for action – configuring Cacti......Page 43
Create section......Page 45
Utilities section......Page 46
Before we continue......Page 47
Summary......Page 48
Creating graphs with the RRDtool......Page 50
Basic RRDtool graph creation......Page 51
Advanced RRDtool graph creation......Page 52
Further reading......Page 57
Creating a device......Page 58
Time for action – creating a new device in Cacti......Page 59
Time for action – adding a host template to the device......Page 61
Time for action – adding graphs to the device......Page 63
Time for action – adding interface graphs to a device......Page 65
Time for action – creating a Cacti tree......Page 67
Time for action – adding a sub-tree......Page 68
Time for action – adding a device to the Cacti tree......Page 69
Before we continue......Page 70
Summary......Page 71
An introduction to templates......Page 72
Defining a data template......Page 73
Time for action – defining a data template......Page 74
Defining a graph template......Page 76
Time for action – defining a CDEF in Cacti......Page 77
Time for action – defining the graph template......Page 78
Time for action – defining a graph template......Page 80
Time for action – adding the color areas......Page 81
Time for action – adding a legend......Page 82
Back to basics—rrdtool graph command......Page 84
Time for action – defining a host template......Page 85
Assigning a host template to a device......Page 86
Time for action – importing a template......Page 87
Time for action – exporting a template......Page 90
The template repository......Page 91
Summary......Page 92
Users......Page 94
Time for action – creating the first Cacti user......Page 95
Authentication Realm......Page 97
Import/export permissions......Page 98
Graph permissions......Page 99
Time for action – setting graph permissions......Page 100
Graph settings......Page 101
Time for action – installing the missing packages......Page 102
Time for action – the Batch Copy......Page 103
External user management......Page 104
Time for action – setting up Active Directory authentication......Page 105
Time for action – importing users from the CLI......Page 107
Reading the import file......Page 109
Before we continue......Page 110
Summary......Page 111
Data input methods......Page 112
Gathering the data......Page 113
Time for action – creating a data input method – Step 1......Page 114
Time for action – creating a data input method – Step 2......Page 115
The data template......Page 117
XML header......Page 118
XML output......Page 119
Time for action – creating a data query – Step 1......Page 120
Time for action – creating a data query – Step 2......Page 121
The remote script......Page 124
The local script......Page 125
SSH public key authentication......Page 128
Time for action – create SSH keys with PuTTY Key Generator......Page 129
Time for action – creating the data input method......Page 131
Adding the graph to the device......Page 133
Alternative methods......Page 134
Before we continue......Page 135
Summary......Page 136
An introduction to Cacti maintenance......Page 138
docs......Page 139
Backup and restore procedures......Page 140
Time for action – backup your Cacti database......Page 141
Removing old backup files......Page 142
The whole script......Page 143
Building the backup file list......Page 144
Time for action – enhancing the backup script......Page 145
Time for action – creating a cronjob......Page 146
Restoring the Cacti files......Page 147
Time for action – restoring all Cacti files......Page 148
Time for action – restoring the Cacti config.php file......Page 149
Time for action – configuring Logrotate......Page 151
Time for action – finding orphaned RRD files......Page 152
Automating the orphaned RRD file check......Page 154
Repairing templates......Page 156
Repairing the database......Page 157
Summary......Page 158
Network devices......Page 160
Configuring SNMP access on a Cisco switch......Page 161
Time for action – set up SNMP on Cisco devices......Page 162
Time for action – adding a Cisco switch to Cacti......Page 163
Time for action – set up SNMP access on Cisco PIX......Page 164
Time for action – adding a Cisco PIX Firewall to Cacti......Page 165
Time for action – set up SNMP access on an ESXi  4 server......Page 166
Time for action – set up SNMP access on an ESX 3.5 server......Page 167
Time for action – adding a VMware ESX host to Cacti......Page 168
Time for action – enabling the SNMP server feature......Page 169
Time for action – configuring the Windows SNMP service......Page 170
WMI setup......Page 172
Time for action – setting up a Windows WMI user......Page 173
Installing the CactiWMI add-on......Page 175
Time for action – installing the CactiWMI add-on – Part 1......Page 176
Time for action – installing the CactiWMI add-on – Part 2......Page 177
Time for action – performance measurement with CactiWMI......Page 178
Summary......Page 182
Why plugins?......Page 184
Thold......Page 185
Time for action – installing the Plugin Architecture......Page 186
Time for action – upgrading the Plugin Architecture......Page 188
Time for action – configuring the Plugin Architecture......Page 189
PIA directory structure......Page 191
The plugin repository......Page 192
Time for action – installing the settings plugin......Page 193
Removing a plugin......Page 194
Time for action – removing the settings plugin......Page 195
Adding plugin permissions......Page 196
Summary......Page 197
Plugin design......Page 198
The ntop_config_settings function......Page 199
The ntop_show_tab function......Page 201
Functionality......Page 203
Time for action – adding an external page to Cacti......Page 204
Concept and design......Page 206
PIA hooks......Page 207
The plugin_cbEnhancedInfo_install function......Page 208
Time for action – adding the realm permission functions......Page 209
The cbEnhancedInfo_draw_navigation_text function......Page 210
The cbEnhancedInfo_config_form function......Page 211
The cbEnhancedInfo_api_device_save function......Page 212
Time for action – adding additional fields to the host table......Page 213
The cbEnhancedInfo_config_settings function......Page 216
Data presentation......Page 217
Time for action – retrieve data from the database......Page 218
Time for action – presenting data on the tree view page......Page 220
Creating the table list web page......Page 221
Time for action – deleting data......Page 222
Time for action – sorting and retrieving data......Page 223
Time for action – presenting the data......Page 226
The form_display function......Page 228
The form_save function......Page 232
Time for action – retrieving data from the form post......Page 233
Time for action – creating a new database item......Page 234
Time for action – updating an existing item......Page 235
Publishing......Page 237
Summary......Page 238
Threshold monitoring......Page 240
Time for action – installing Thold......Page 241
General options......Page 242
Default Emailing Options......Page 243
Default Baseline Options......Page 244
Time for action – give permission to a user......Page 245
Time for action – creating your first threshold – Part 1......Page 246
The threshold creation page......Page 247
Time for action – creating your first threshold – Part 2......Page 251
Time for action – installing the stress tool......Page 252
Time for action – viewing breached thresholds......Page 253
Time for action – creating your first threshold template......Page 254
Time for action – assigning a threshold template......Page 257
Summary......Page 259
Nectar......Page 260
Nectar......Page 261
Report generation......Page 262
Time for action – create your first Nectar report......Page 263
Time for action – adding report items......Page 264
Installation......Page 265
Time for action – installing CereusReporting......Page 266
Time for action – configure CereusReporting......Page 267
Time for action – creating an on-demand report......Page 269
Time for action – creating a pre-defined report......Page 270
Scheduling a report......Page 272
Time for action – scheduling a pre-defined report......Page 273
Time for action – Backup and Restore a pre-defined report......Page 274
Time for action – setup of a cron-based report generation......Page 276
Availability reports......Page 277
Mobile client support......Page 278
Report templates......Page 279
Summary......Page 280
The Cacti CLI......Page 282
Graphs......Page 283
Time for action – adding permissions to a user......Page 284
Time for action – adding a Cacti tree......Page 286
Adding a device......Page 288
Time for action – adding a single device to Cacti......Page 289
Importing a list of devices into Cacti......Page 290
Autom8 – true Cacti automation......Page 291
Time for action – patching the Cacti files......Page 292
Time for action – adding a new Tree Rule......Page 294
Time for action – applying an Autom8 rule to devices......Page 298
Time for action – adding a Graph Rule......Page 299
Further information......Page 301
Summary......Page 302
iCacti—the iPhone/iPad client......Page 304
nmidMobileClient—the Windows mobile client......Page 305
The mobile plugin—mobile enhanced Cacti web page......Page 306
Requirements......Page 307
Time for action – installing the WSO2 WebService framework......Page 308
Installing the nmidWebService plugin......Page 309
Time for action – installing the nmidWebService plugin......Page 310
Time for action – installing the BBCacti client......Page 311
Time for action – configuration of BBCacti......Page 313
Time for action – using the BBCacti client......Page 316
Time for action – installing the mobile plugin......Page 318
Summary......Page 319
Cacti website......Page 320
Cacti plugin hooks overview......Page 321
Xing German Cacti group......Page 322
NMID plugins and CereusReporting......Page 323
The RRD file architecture......Page 324
The Management Information Base......Page 326
SNMPv1......Page 327
Security......Page 328
Cacti forums......Page 329
Commercial support......Page 330
Appendix D: Pop Quiz Answers......Page 332
Index......Page 336