NagiosGrapher - useful charts in nagios

1.Preparations

First of all we need to install necessary packages

apt-get install perl perl-base perl-modules libcalendar-simple-perl libgd-gd2-perl perlmagick librrds-perl liburi-perl autoconf rrdtool

2.Nagiosgrapher installation

Currently latest stable version of nagiosgrapher is 1.7.1. The sources can be stored in /tmp directory:

cd /tmp
wget http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/nagiosgrapher/nagiosgrapher/NagiosGrapher-1.7.1/NagiosGrapher-1.7.1.tar.gz?use_mirror=mesh

Unpack with command:

tar -zxvf NagiosGrapher-1.7.1.tar.gz
cd NagiosGrapher-1.7.1

With --prefix mark we should point where the nagios is installed:

autoconf && ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/nagios

Make test for perl package dependencies:

make testdeps

After installing all necessary packages we can install nagiosgrapher running below command:

make install

Add or change in your nagios.conf file following lines (make sure that sericeext directory exists):

cfg_dir=/usr/local/nagios/etc/serviceext
process_performance_data=1
service_perfdata_file=/usr/local/nagios/var/service-perfdata
service_perfdata_file_template=$HOSTNAME$\t$SERVICEDESC$\t$SERVICEOUTPUT$\t$SERVICEPERFDATA$\t$TIMET$\n
service_perfdata_file_mode=a
service_perfdata_file_processing_interval=30
service_perfdata_file_processing_command=process-service-perfdata-file

Define in your nagios new command as shown below:

define command {
  command_name process-service-perfdata-file
  command_line mv /usr/local/nagios/var/service-perfdata /usr/local/nagios/var/service-perfdata.$TIMET$
}

3.Usage

In /usr/local/nagios/etc/ngraph.d/templates directory there are - ready to use examples nagiosgrapher templates

Example file check_dns.ncfg (if file name is with *_disabled remove it to enable plugin)

# ---
# NagiosGrapher Template for check_dns
# ---

# DNS
define ngraph{
service_name		DNS # service name in nagios
graph_log_regex		(\d+) second 
#DNS service should return regex value ex: 0,15 second
graph_value		sec # y axis description
graph_units		seconds 
graph_legend		response time
rrd_plottype		LINE2 # could be LINE1 or AREA
rrd_color		00a000
}
# [EOF]

After creating some new templates the nagiosgrapher daemon needs to be restarted

/etc/init.d/nagios_grapher restart

You can monitor the nagiosgrapher log file for regex matches:

tail -f /usr/local/nagios/var/ngraph.log


PIPE: Server DNS DNS OK: 0,086 seconds response time. www.google.pl returns 11.22.33.44,55.66.77.88	time=0,085865s;;;0,000000	1273179557
REGEX: 1 blocks for 'DNS' found.
REGEX: graph_value=sec
REGEX: output=plugin.
REGEX: regex=m/(\d+) second/i
REGEX: perfdata=dns ok: 0,086 seconds response time. www.google.pl returns 11.22.33.44,55.66.77.88
REGEX: match=086
VALUES: [Server][DNS]: sec=086 
RRD: rrdtool update /usr/local/nagios/var/rrd/Server/19ac25babd382d4bb58325eb417d4ba5.rrd --template=sec 1273179557:086

New rrd file has been created, so check your /usr/local/nagios/etc/serviceext for new nagios serviceextinfo files. If there are any new ones, restart nagios to see graph icon near service description in service detail table:

/etc/init.d/nagios restart

Do not forget to change log level in /usr/local/nagios/etc/ngraph.ncfg after you finish working with configuring templates:

# log_level               1023
  log_level               0001

Example DNS nagiosgrapher charts: