Plugin Architecture for Cacti and Monitoring Module

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 pm

This was originally posted in the Threshold thread, but it was decided it would be best if in its own thread.

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Here is the beginnings of a plugin architecture for Cacti. This is basically the same plugin backend we currently use in Squirrelmail (GPL Licensed!). It makes for an excellent way to hook into almost any area of the code, just by adding a simple function call. I threw this together the other night, and it seems to work without any problems. Eventually we would want to add a ton more hooks, but the functionality is the same.

There are a few things that were taken for granted before, but can't be now. We can't be sure that the current displayed page will always be in the root of the Cacti folder, so we have to add an extra variable to the config.php for this, and modify the header images to use it, instead of just blindly saying "images/picture.gif". You basically just specifiy the root url path to cacti, like "/cacti/". We also add a $plugins variable to list the name (IE folder name) of the plugins we want to load. We could have them auto-load, but that would be a security hole waiting to happen.

The current patch is against plain v0.8.6f, without the threshold module instatlled. The patches are only 22K, so its very unintrusive.

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Just as a proof of concept, I have completely modified my Monitoring module to use this architecture. You can see that I easily added to the Host editting form, saving forms, permissions, and even a tab up top. Much more can be done, and I am sure will be done in the future. This plugin itself will add a Column to your Host table called "monitor" but other than that, it doesn't change a single thing.

As with anytime you are testing something new, BESURE TO BACKUP FIRST!!!! (Database and files!)

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Instructions are simple, apply the patch by unzipping it and then copying the diff file to your cacti directory. While you are in your cacti directory, run this command
patch -p1 -N < cacti-plugin-arch.diff

You can also use the included already patched files, by just overriding your current files (you will have to reset up your database info in config.php)

Next extract the contents of the plugin into a folder called "monitor" in the plugins folder. Edit your patched include/config.php and uncomment the $plugins[] = 'monitor'; and also set the $config['url_path'].

Thats it!

(These patches contain a few fixes that were not in patches in the other thread, please let me know if you have any issues.

You can get the Patch here
Plugin Architecture Patch
Or the Plugins here
Cacti Plugins

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(Edit: Updated this thread with the current information)

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Wed May 25, 2005 3:37 pm

(Edit - Updated this with current data)

I have now converted the Threshold (Thold) Module to the plugin format. You can get it here

Threshold Plugin

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Wed May 25, 2005 3:48 pm

For those wondering what the Monitor Plugin actually does, this is from my post in the other thread.

The "Monitor" tab was developed to replace What's Up Gold, which displays all the Hosts you want to monitor (Simple checkbox on the device to disable monitoring). Up devices are green, Down are red, and Recovering are Blue. It throws an Audiable alert when a host is down, you are able to silence the alert, and it uses a little AI to tell when to re-enable the alert automatically. This allows our 24 hour staff to be alerted when a host goes down, and a quick glance at the screen shows which hosts are down.

Not included in this plugin is a faster version of poller.php that just checks for host up/down status and updates the database. I took the poller, and cmd.php and ripped out alot of stuff to where you can run every minute (if you normally only poll every 5). The fast poller only checks to see if the host is up, and updates the database with the info. The fast poller don't interfer with the normal poller as it runs side by side (its not a replacement) with this, you can set the Monitor window to refresh itself every 30 seconds (instead of the current 5 minutes, so to not miss something). If anyone wants this, just let me know and I will zip it up.

mgb · Post by **mgb** » Thu May 26, 2005 4:43 am

@cigamit

I've installed the plugin and everything looks ok but for some reason I'm not autherized for the page. I'm logged in as admin so I should be able to view that page. Any info?

Michael

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Thu May 26, 2005 8:16 am

mgb wrote:@cigamit

I've installed the plugin and everything looks ok but for some reason I'm not autherized for the page. I'm logged in as admin so I should be able to view that page. Any info?

Michael

Did you goto the User Panel and add permissions for yourself?

john le lardon · Post by **john le lardon** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:30 am

when i'm in monitor page i don't see tabs pics , it's a bug?

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Thu May 26, 2005 9:38 am

john le lardon wrote:when i'm in monitor page i don't see tabs pics , it's a bug?

Did you edit your include/config.php and set the $config['url_path'] to point to the proper URL for your cacti install?

Do you have thresholds installed? And if so did you use the thresholds patch instead of the other?

john le lardon · Post by **john le lardon** » Fri May 27, 2005 2:39 am

I edit my config.php and change URL by "http://<myipserver>/cacti/" it's the url i use for seeing my cacti server .
i use therhold apply before plugin patch and monitor apply after plungin patch.

when i try to go to graph ot thold tab i have error .
cacti search on /cacti/plugins/mointor graph_view.php and graph_thold.php
any idea ?

mgb · Post by **mgb** » Fri May 27, 2005 3:50 am

@cigamit

This is the repsons from my patching

patch -p1 -N < cacti-plugin-arch.diff
patching file include/config_arrays.php
Hunk #1 FAILED at 433.
1 out of 1 hunk FAILED -- saving rejects to file include/config_arrays.php.rej
patching file include/config_form.php
patching file include/config.php
Hunk #1 succeeded at 31 with fuzz 2.
patching file include/config_settings.php
Hunk #1 succeeded at 801 (offset 17 lines).
patching file include/plugins.php
patching file include/top_graph_header.php
Hunk #1 succeeded at 92 with fuzz 1 (offset 2 lines).
Hunk #3 succeeded at 125 (offset 2 lines).
Hunk #5 succeeded at 145 (offset 2 lines).
patching file include/top_header.php
patching file lib/api_device.php
patching file lib/functions.php
patching file plugins/index.php

in config_arrays.php.rej the following text could be found

***************
*** 433,436 ****
GDC_SLASH => "/"
);

- ?>
--- 433,438 ----
GDC_SLASH => "/"
);

+ do_hook("config_arrays");
+
+ ?>

When I add the line by hand to that file cacti is not working. I did not see any file. When I leave config_arrays as is (without the patch applied by hand) I get a fourth button (monitor) but when i click on that button i receive the message:

Access Denied
You are not permitted to access this section of Cacti. If you feel that you need access to this particular section, please contact the Cacti administrator.

When i remove the authentication part of that page i get the following reply:

No Database Selected

any thoughts?

I work with thold2.1a

Michael

john le lardon · Post by **john le lardon** » Fri May 27, 2005 4:45 am

for :

Access Denied
You are not permitted to access this section of Cacti. If you feel that you need access to this particular section, please contact the Cacti administrator.

try console / User Management / <user_who_can_monitor> / see Realm Permissions (bottom of page ) check "View Monitoring "

for the patch do you have thold ? because if thold install use patch cacti-plugin-arch-thold.zip

mgb · Post by **mgb** » Fri May 27, 2005 5:32 am

@john le lardon

I do not have that option you described. It looks like the database needs some adjustment but i'm not sure how.

Michael

john le lardon · Post by **john le lardon** » Fri May 27, 2005 7:07 am

how u have install monitor? by plugins ? instalation is juste a unziping files .

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Fri May 27, 2005 12:03 pm

mgb wrote:@cigamit

This is the repsons from my patching

patch -p1 -N < cacti-plugin-arch.diff

<snip>

I work with thold2.1a

You applied the non-thold patch to a thold installation. Restore the files patched from backup, and then apply the patch I provided for people that use thold. That should do the trick.

cigamit · Post by **cigamit** » Fri May 27, 2005 12:22 pm

john le lardon wrote:I edit my config.php and change URL by "http://<myipserver>/cacti/" it's the url i use for seeing my cacti server .
i use therhold apply before plugin patch and monitor apply after plungin patch.

when i try to go to graph ot thold tab i have error .
cacti search on /cacti/plugins/mointor graph_view.php and graph_thold.php
any idea ?

When you were patching, did it happen to fail while applying the patches to top_header.php and top_graph_header.php?

Try these attached versions. They have both the thold patches, and the plugin patches applied.

Maybe I should include full versions of all the files for people who are having issues trying to patch.

mgb · Post by **mgb** » Mon May 30, 2005 2:52 am

@cigamit

I'm pretty sure I used your Thold patch. Don't know what went wrong. Is it possible to post all the patched files complete? Cacti 0.8.6d + Thold 2.1a

That would be great.

Michael

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Plugin Architecture for Cacti and Monitoring Module

Plugin Architecture for Cacti and Monitoring Module

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Monitoring Plugin for Cacti

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