Smokeping/probes/passwordchecker

# NAME

Smokeping::probes::passwordchecker - A Base Class for implementing SmokePing Probes

# OVERVIEW

Like Smokeping::probes::basefork, but supports a probe-specific configuration file for storing passwords and a method for accessing them.

# SYNOPSIS

     *** Probes ***

     +passwordchecker

     forks = 5
     offset = 50%
     passwordfile = /some/place/secret
     step = 300
     timeout = 15

     # The following variables can be overridden in each target section
     pings = 5

     # [...]

     *** Targets ***

     probe = passwordchecker # if this should be the default probe

     # [...]

     + mytarget
     # probe = passwordchecker # if the default probe is something else
     host = my.host
     pings = 5

# DESCRIPTION

## synopsis with more detail

SmokePing main configuration file:

     *** Probes ***
     + MyPasswordChecker
     # location of the file containing usernames and passwords
     passwordfile = /usr/share/smokeping/etc/passwords

The specified password file:

     # host:username:password
     host1:joe:hardlyasecret
      # comments and whitespace lines are allowed

     host2:sue:notasecreteither

## Actual description

In implementing authentication probes, it might not be desirable to store the necessary cleartext passwords in the SmokePing main configuration file, since the latter must be readable both by the SmokePing daemon performing the probes and the CGI that displays the results. If the passwords are stored in a different file, this file can be made readable by only the user the daemon runs as. This way we can be sure that nobody can trick the CGI into displaying the passwords on the Web.

This module reads the passwords in at startup from the file specified in the probe-specific variable `passwordfile'. The passwords can later be accessed and modified by the password method, that needs the corresponding host and username as arguments.

## Password file format

The password file format is simply one line for each triplet of host, username and password, separated from each other by colons (:).

Comment lines, starting with the `#' sign, are ignored, as well as empty lines.

# VARIABLES

Supported probe-specific variables:

forks
  Run this many concurrent processes at maximum

  Example value: 5

  Default value: 5

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%

passwordfile
  Location of the file containing usernames and passwords.

  Example value: /some/place/secret

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
  How long a single 'ping' takes at maximum

  Example value: 15

  Default value: 5

Supported target-specific variables:

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: 5

# AUTHORS

Niko Tyni <ntyni@iki.fi>

# BUGS

The need for storing cleartext passwords can be considered a bug in itself.

# SEE ALSO

the Smokeping::probes::basefork manpage, the Smokeping::probes::Radius manpage, the Smokeping::probes::LDAP manpage