Kevin MenardServprise International, Inc.kmenard@servprise.com

+1 508.892.3823 x308

Nagios: A Framework for Hardware-based Monitoring

October 11, 2007

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Nagios Out-of-the-box

• Only monitors part of network– Software-based services– Hardware via SNMP

Structure of Modern Networks

Need for Hardware Plugins

• Necessary for total network coverage

• Monitor non-network services

• Take corrective action with hardware

SNMP isn’t Enough

• Difficult for complex operations

• MIB management can be a hassle

• Security– Non-existent security until SNMPv3– May require holes in firewall

• Need hardware-specific plugins

Nagios as Mediator

• Register event handlers with checks

• Execute event handlers due to checks

• Schedule checks based on event handlers

• Simple checks, simple event handlers

Hardware-based Plugins

• Handle complex interactions

• Provide semantic meaning

• Provide hardware-specific error messages

Web Service-enabled Hardware

• Standards-defined interface (W3C)

• Supports most modern programming languages

• Lower cost of client support

• Lower cost for client development

Web Service Security

• Use SSL channel (HTTPS)

• Use HTTP authentication methods

• No special firewall rules needed

Vendor Value Proposition

• Push complex monitoring to 3rd party

• Support widely deployed monitoring app

• Potential for community contributions

Nagios Value Proposition

• Total network coverage

• Push development off to vendor

• Competitive advantage against other monitoring applications

What Can Nagios Do?

• Can’t develop plugins for everything

• Register support with vendors

• Perhaps ship packaged up plugins– Simpler for end users

• Develop an ontology of actions

Example Ontology of Actions

Ontology Benefits

• Common set of checks

• Common set of corrective actions

• Materialized by command definitions

• Vendor interoperability

• Minimized configuration

Ontology Representation

• Use W3C’s OWL standard

• XSL transformation to command definitions

• Vendors “plug-in” command, keep command name the same

What Can Vendors Do?

• Embrace open source

• Use open interface– Can still shield proprietary internals

• Produce open source plugins using interface

Working with Nagios Community

• Users– Know what they want to use– Can offer great suggestions

• Developers– Know Nagios internals– Can offer technical support

• Neither are obligated– Quid pro quo

Plugin Licensing

• Nagios is GPL

• Plugins are not necessarily derived works

• Plugins that do not use GPL code do not need to be GPL

• Non-open source unlikely to succeed, but doable

Conclusion

• Lot of value for Nagios, vendors

• Symbiotic relationship between them

• Nagios can technically support vendors, needs to support them at higher level

• Vendors need to work with Nagios community

• End users win

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Acknowledgements

• Nagios community

• Netways

• Servprise staff

• Special thanks to:– Melanie Bolduc– Ethan Galstad