perfSONAR SNMP MA Service: README

About

The perfSONAR-PS SNMP based Measurement Archive (SNMP MA) is able to expose data collected via variables from the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) protocol found on networked devices and stored in Round Robin Databases (RRD) archives. The measurements are collected through external means, normally through software such as MRTG, CACTI, or Cricket, and is commonly stored in RRD archives. External access to commonly requested data items, remains challening due to physical and political boundaries.

The SNMP MA provides a simple interface that is cable of exposing these files after basic configuration for consumption by perfSONAR client applications and services alike. The Web Service front end provides a uniform method of access using the perfSONAR XML protocols and delivers the data in an unambiguous manner, thus eliminating the mystery associated with the backend storage.

Installation

Please read the INSTALL file for instructions.

Configuration

The SNMP MA comes with a base configuration via the installation procedure. This is meant to allow for immediate testing as well as serve as a guide for customizing the service.

There are several files that may be adjusted manually to configure this service for a specific use case:

  • etc/daemon.conf:
    • Contains information that identifies the service uniquely and allows it to run in a given environment. There are several options that should be changed:
      • rrdtool -- Location of the rrdtool binary
      • service_accesspoint -- Change the "hostname" from localhost
      • service_description -- Identifying information about the service
      • service_name -- Service Name (short)
    • There are also several options that may be changed for a configuration:
      • port -- Port the service listens on
      • endpoint -- Endpoint to contact the service
      • default_resolution -- Raise higher or lower depending on RRD files
      • metadata_db_external -- Used with external tools (Cacti/Cricket)
      • ls_registration_interval -- Length of time (minutes) between contacting LS
      • enable_registrationl -- Turn on or off LS registration
    • The rest of the items are normally not to be adjusted. See also the service wiki page for more information: http://code.google.com/p/perfsonar-ps/wiki/SNMPMA
  • etc/daemon_logger.conf:
    • Contains information related to logging, there are three modes:
      • Log::Dispatch::Screen -- Log messages to screen (useful for debugging)
      • Log::Dispatch::Syslog -- Log messages to syslog facility
      • Log::Dispatch::FileRotate -- Log messages to specified file
    • The rest of the items are normally not to be adjusted. See also the service wiki page for more information: http://code.google.com/p/perfsonar-ps/wiki/SNMPMA
  • /var/lib/perfsonar/snmp_ma/store.xml:
    • This file represents the "explanation" of the data that is being offered by the service. It is written in XML and is configured for a "localhost" environment with a single empty RRD file. This file may be modified by hand to add new existing RRD files that describe specific interfaces. It is also possible to configure your service to use external collection tools such as Cacti or Cricket.

      See the wiki page for more information: http://code.google.com/p/perfsonar-ps/wiki/SNMPMA

Starting/Stopping

The service comes with init scripts that may be used to start and stop operation:

/etc/init.d/snmp_ma start
/etc/init.d/snmp_ma stop
/etc/init.d/snmp_ma restart

The service can also be run in a manual fashion (useful for debugging):

perl bin/daemon.pl --verbose --conf=etc/daemon.conf --logger=etc/daemon_logger.conf

Before doing this, be sure to edit "etc/daemon_logger.conf" to enable "Screen" debugging.

Testing

The service comes with a client application and several test messages that can be used to test functionality. There are many messages provided as examples; to test the service there are four that are recommended:

etc/requests/EchoRequest.xml
etc/requests/MetadataKeyRequest-1.xml
etc/requests/DataInfoRequest-1.xml
etc/requests/SetupDataRequest-1.xml

These four will test the major functions of this service. To test:

  1. Ensure the service is started, it helps if you have configured logging to use the "Screen" so you may monitor the service's activities.
  2. Run the client:

    perl bin/client.pl URL FILENAME

  3. Compare the results of the test with the comments in each file. Note there may be some differences (e.g. id values, key values).
  4. If everything looks OK, return logging to normal and restart service via the init system.

Maintenance

Subscribe to the user mailing lists if you are seeking help on some problem related to this software. Announcements regarding availability of new releases will also be sent to these locations:

  • perfSONAR Users Group - https://mail.internet2.edu/wws/info/perfsonar-user
  • perfSONAR Announcements - https://mail.internet2.edu/wws/info/perfsonar-announce

  • Performance Node Users - https://mail.internet2.edu/wws/info/performance-node-users
  • Performance Node Announcements - https://mail.internet2.edu/wws/info/performance-node-announce
Also if you are using package management software and have installed the Internet2 software repository, a typical upgrade should download new releases:

yum update

or

apt-get dist-upgrade

Finally, check the following websites for news of software releases:

Mon Apr 13 07:43:36 EDT 2009


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