Smokeping/probes/AnotherDNS

# NAME

Smokeping::probes::AnotherDNS - Alternate DNS Probe

# SYNOPSIS

     *** Probes ***

     +AnotherDNS

     forks = 5
     offset = 50%
     step = 300

     # The following variables can be overridden in each target section
     lookup = www.example.org
     mininterval = 0.5
     pings = 5
     port = 53
     recordtype = A
     require_answers = 0
     require_noerror = 0
     timeout = 5

     # [...]

     *** Targets ***

     probe = AnotherDNS # if this should be the default probe

     # [...]

     + mytarget
     # probe = AnotherDNS # if the default probe is something else
     host = my.host
     lookup = www.example.org
     mininterval = 0.5
     pings = 5
     port = 53
     recordtype = A
     require_answers = 0
     require_noerror = 0
     timeout = 5

# DESCRIPTION

Like DNS, but uses Net::DNS and Time::HiRes instead of dig. This probe does *not* retry the request three times before it is considerd ``lost'', like dig and other resolver do by default. If operating as caching Nameserver, BIND (and maybe others) expect clients to retry the request if the answer is not in the cache. So, ask the nameserver for something that he is authoritative for if you want measure the network packet loss correctly.

If you have a really fast network and nameserver, you will notice that this probe reports the query time in microsecond resolution. :-)

# 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%

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

Supported target-specific variables:

lookup
  Name of the host to look up in the dns.

  Example value: www.example.org

mininterval
  Minimum time between sending two lookup queries in (possibly fractional) seconds.

  Default value: 0.5

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

port
  The UDP Port to use.

  Default value: 53

recordtype
  Record type to look up.

  Default value: A

require_answers
  Only Count Answers with answer count >= this value.

  Default value: 0

require_noerror
  Only Count Answers with Response Status NOERROR.

  Default value: 0

timeout
  Timeout for a single request in seconds.

  Default value: 5

# AUTHORS

Christoph Heine <Christoph.Heine@HaDiKo.DE>