Smokeping/probes/FPing

# NAME

Smokeping::probes::FPing - FPing Probe for SmokePing

# SYNOPSIS

     *** Probes ***

     +FPing

     binary = /usr/bin/fping # mandatory
     blazemode = true
     hostinterval = 1.5
     mininterval = 0.001
     offset = 50%
     packetsize = 5000
     pings = 20
     sourceaddress = 192.168.0.1
     step = 300
     timeout = 1.5

     # [...]

     *** Targets ***

     probe = FPing # if this should be the default probe

     # [...]

     + mytarget
     # probe = FPing # if the default probe is something else
     host = my.host

# DESCRIPTION

Integrates FPing as a probe into smokeping. The variable binary must point to your copy of the FPing program. If it is not installed on your system yet, you can get it from http://www.fping.com/.

    The (optional) B<packetsize> option lets you configure the packetsize for the pings sent.

In blazemode, FPing sends one more ping than requested, and discards the first RTT value returned as it's likely to be an outlier.

The FPing manpage has the following to say on this topic:

Number of bytes of ping data to send. The minimum size (normally 12) allows room for the data that fping needs to do its work (sequence number, timestamp). The reported received data size includes the IP header (normally 20 bytes) and ICMP header (8 bytes), so the minimum total size is 40 bytes. Default is 56, as in ping. Maximum is the theoretical maximum IP datagram size (64K), though most systems limit this to a smaller, system-dependent number.

# VARIABLES

Supported probe-specific variables:

binary

  The location of your fping binary.

  Example value: /usr/bin/fping

  This setting is mandatory.

blazemode

  Send an extra ping and then discarge the first answer since the first is bound to be an outliner.

  Example value: true

hostinterval

  The fping ``-p'' parameter, but in (possibly fractional) seconds rather than milliseconds, for consistency with other Smokeping probes. From fping(1):

  This parameter sets the time that fping waits between successive packets to an individual target.

  Example value: 1.5

mininterval

  The fping ``-i'' parameter, but in (probably fractional) seconds rather than milliseconds, for consistency with other Smokeping probes. From fping(1):

  The minimum amount of time between sending a ping packet to any target.

  Example value: 0.001

  Default value: 0.01

offset

  If you run many probes concurrently you may want to prevent them from hitting your network all at the same time. Using the probe-specific offset parameter you can change the point in time when each probe will be run. Offset is specified in % of total interval, or alternatively as 'random', and the offset from the 'General' section is used if nothing is specified here. Note that this does NOT influence the rrds itself, it is just a matter of when data acqusition is initiated. (This variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)

  Example value: 50%

packetsize

  The ping packet size (in the range of 12-64000 bytes).

  Example value: 5000

pings

  How many pings should be sent to each target, if different from the global value specified in the Database section. Note that the number of pings in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally generated, and if you change this parameter afterwards, you'll have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them.

  Example value: 20

sourceaddress

  The fping ``-S'' parameter . From fping(1):

  Set source address.

  Example value: 192.168.0.1

step

  Duration of the base interval that this probe should use, if different from the one specified in the 'Database' section. Note that the step in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally generated, and if you change the step parameter afterwards, you'll have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them. (This variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)

  Example value: 300

timeout

  The fping ``-t'' parameter, but in (possibly fractional) seconds rather than milliseconds, for consistency with other Smokeping probes. Note that as Smokeping uses the fping 'counting' mode (-C), this apparently only affects the last ping.

  Example value: 1.5

# AUTHORS

Tobias Oetiker <tobi@oetiker.ch>