=head1 NAME

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

=head1 SYNOPSIS

 *** Probes ***

 +RemoteFPing

 binary = /usr/bin/ssh # mandatory
 hostinterval = 1.5
 mininterval = 0.001
 offset = 50%
 packetsize = 5000
 pings = 20
 rbinary = /usr/bin/fping # mandatory
 rhost = my.pinger.host # mandatory
 ruser = foo
 step = 300
 timeout = 1.5

 # [...]

 *** Targets ***

 probe = RemoteFPing # if this should be the default probe

 # [...]

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

=head1 DESCRIPTION

Integrates the remote execution of FPing via ssh/rsh into smokeping.
The variable B<binary> must point to your copy of the ssh/rsh program.
The variable B<rbinary> must point to your copy of the fping program 
at the remote end.

=head1 VARIABLES

Supported probe-specific variables:

=over

=item binary

This variable specifies the path of the remote shell program (usually ssh,
rsh or remsh). Any other script or binary that can be called as

binary [ -l ruser ] rhost rbinary

may be used.

Example value: /usr/bin/ssh

This setting is mandatory.

=item 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

=item 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

=item 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%

=item packetsize

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

Example value: 5000

=item 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

=item rbinary

The location of your fping binary.

Example value: /usr/bin/fping

This setting is mandatory.

=item rhost

The B<rhost> option specifies the remote device from where fping will
be launched.

Example value: my.pinger.host

This setting is mandatory.

=item ruser

The (optional) B<ruser> option allows you to specify the remote user,
if different from the one running the smokeping daemon.

Example value: foo

=item 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

=item 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

=back


=head1 AUTHORS

 Luis F Balbinot <hades@inf.ufrgs.br>

 Niko Tyni <ntyni@iki.fi>

 derived from Smokeping::probes::FPing by

 Tobias Oetiker <tobi@oetiker.ch>

=head1 NOTES

It is important to make sure that you can access the remote machine
without a password prompt, otherwise this probe will not work properly.
To test just try something like this:

    $ ssh foo@HostA.foobar.com fping HostB.barfoo.com 

The next thing you see must be fping's output.

The B<rhost>, B<ruser> and B<rbinary> variables used to be configured in
the Targets section of the first target or its parents They were moved
to the Probes section, because the variables aren't really target-specific
(all the targets are measured with the same parameters). The Targets
sections aren't recognized anymore.

=head1 BUGS

This functionality should be in a generic 'remote execution' module
so that it could be used for the other probes too.

=cut