=head1 NAME

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

=head1 SYNOPSIS

 *** Probes ***

 +FPing

 binary = /usr/bin/fping # mandatory
 hostinterval = 1.5
 mininterval = 0.001
 offset = 50%
 packetsize = 5000
 pings = 20
 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

=head1 DESCRIPTION

Integrates FPing as a probe into smokeping. The variable B<binary> must 
point to your copy of the FPing program.  If it is not installed on 
your system yet, you can get it from L<http://www.fping.com/>.
  
The (optional) B<packetsize> option lets you configure the packetsize for the pings sent.

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.

=head1 VARIABLES

Supported probe-specific variables:

=over

=item binary

The location of your fping binary.

Example value: /usr/bin/fping

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 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

Tobias Oetiker <tobi@oetiker.ch>

=cut