1. NSClient++ in the new millenium!
(re)Discovering NSClient++
Name: Michael Medin
Blog:
Project: NSClient++
Web:
Hello my name is Michael Medin.
I am from Stockholm, Sweden
NSClient++: I am here to talk about NSClient++ (as always) but NOT about Windows (so much) this time
Different: For those of you who have seen me before (Means I will screw up more)
Questions: Any questions: feel free to chime in at any time • ∘

2. No disclaimer this year…
Still your fault though!

3. Michael Medin dev not ops worked in ops a long time ago by misstake
Always been a fan of DEVOPS
Work with soa
work with “soa”
not, C/C++, nagios, icinga, …

4. No agenda this year either…

5. About NSClient++ (the program)
linux and
windows
<0.4.0
Since 2003?
Open source
Open source
not open core
0.4.0: xx
modular (pluggable)
Written in C++
Since 2003
Windows (pre 0.4.0)
Linux and Windows
Modular
Open source (not core)
0.4.0 (may)
0.4.1 (October)
0.4.2 (next year)
Releases every year (in the past)
.0 and .1 (same same) .2 and .3 (same same)
0.4.1 is the new stable,
means is legacy, 0.3.9: Time to move on: QUEUE Comic
0.4.1: xx
0.4.2: xx?

6. About NSClient++ (the project)
one-man-band
no company
, no commercial version
, no payed time
Please don’t be angry!
but…
sponsoring!
= feedback
donations!
One man band
Don’t be angry
If I missed your comment … it was because I forgot not because I hate you
support?

7. NSClient++ (What can I do?)
Update the wiki!
Fork me on github
Respond in the forums…
Submit patches
Submit bug reports
Update wiki
Use the forums
Submit patches
Fork on github
Report bugs
Come with ideas
Tell me what you need
Come with ideas
Tell me what you need! • ∘

8. NSClient++ (What’s new)
Sockets: ipv6, ssl (true)
Protocols: NRPE, NSCA, NRDP, check_mk, check_nt, Graphite, syslog, smtp
Real-time checks (eventlog, logfiles)
Whats new?
Sockets
Protocols
Realtime checks
Command line syntax
Command line syntax ∘ •

9. Thank you!
Thank you to my sponsors

10. More then a 1000 words?
The logo: Windows ∘ •

11. …for windows… ∘ • but it runs on linux …time for a new logo? Probably!
By ~Nac-Mac-Feegle
but it runs on linux
…time for a new logo?
…for windows…
Probably!
Runs on Linux • ∘

12. Building on Linux ∘ • apt-get install …
git clone git://github.com/mickem/nscp.git
mkdir build ; cd build
cmake ../nscp
apt-get install
git clone
mkdir build
cmake
make
make • ∘

13. Building on windows… ∘ • Get visual studio (express), python and cmake
Download unpack nscp source
python nscp\build\python\fetchdeps.py
--target x64 --cmake-config dist
Manually install visual studio, python, cmake
git clone (or download source)
Build all dependencies
cmake
msbuild
cmake ../nscp
msbuild /p:Configuration=RelWithDebInfo NSCP.sln • ∘

14. More then a 1000 words? • ∘ The logo: Daemon
And this is stretching it a bit but I liked the logo transition concept  ∘ •

15. …daemon ∘ • let me work let nagios/icinga/* rest passive monitoring?
Tobias Leeger
let me work
…daemon
let nagios/icinga/* rest
passive monitoring?
NO!
event based monitoring?
real-time monitoring?
Distribute your monitoring load (less strain on central server)
Luleå story
Would you want your doctor to call you every 5 minutes asking if you are ok?
The right way to do monitoring?
simplified monitoring?
preventive monitoring? • ∘

16. More then a 1000 words?
The logo: Secure ∘ •

17. Secure monitoring ∘ • Check_nt: no encryption! Check_nrpe:
no authentication, encryption?
Check_nsca:
no (strong) authentication!
Check_mk:
no authentication, no encryption!
Problems => Solutions
Not supported in the various clients though 
Check_nrdp:
No ecryption (in nsclient++)
Check_nscp:
Encryption! Authentication! • ∘

18. Secure monitoring • ∘ Check_nt: Encryption! Authentication!
Check_nrpe:
Encryption! Authentication!
Check_nsca:
Encryption! Authentication!
Check_mk:
Encryption! Authentication!
Problems => Solutions
Not supported in the various clients though 
Check_nrdp:
No ecryption (Yet!)
Check_nscp:
Encryption! Authentication! ∘ •

19. Security ∘ • Strong encryption Ssl (standard) Certificates
Certificate based authentication
Client AND(or) server
Standard SSL solution
…but you never know…
Remember clients usually do not support it 
Secure?
I hope so… • ∘

20. ∘ • Secure? I hope so… But you never know… Standard SSL solution
Remember clients usually do not support it 
Secure?
I hope so…
But you never know… • ∘

21. DEMO: Using NSClient++
Time to get real…
DEMO: Using NSClient++
Time to make a fool of my self  • ∘

22. General usage
nscp Display all(?) available context nscp --help Get help (can be used in many places) nscp <context or alias> [options] [-- [module options]] General usage syntax

23. Contexts
help Get help client Act as a client. (think check_nrpe) Usually aliases we can use instead. service (un)Install and display windows service settings Work with configuration test Find errors and problems unit Run unit test scripts

24. Aliases
lua Run lua scripts python Run python scripts nrpe Think check_nrpe nsca Think send_nsca sys Nice pdh front-end (more to come) wmi WMI front end eventlog Add event log message from command line

25. Settings (Configuration)
nscp settings --help
nscp settings --add-missing --generate [--load-all]
Will update your configuration with ALL keys
nscp settings --add-missing --activate-module <module>
Great way to "enable a new module“
nscp settings --remove-defaults --generate
Will remove all default keys/sections
nscp settings --validate
Show problems with the settings file
Remember there is no "--delete-missing“ (yet)

26. check_nrpe nscp nrpe -- --help
The -- is important
nscp nrpe -- -H c foo -a foo bar
Execute nrpe query from nsclient++
0.4.2 will introduce:
nrpe_client -H c foo -a foo bar
nsca_client …
…_client …
Time for demo
rm nsclient.ini
./nscp settings --activate-module NRPEServer --add-defaults
vi nsclient.ini
# change port
./nscp settings --remove-defaults --generate
#add foo=bar
./nscp settings --validate

27. DEMO: real-time log file monitoring
Time to get real…
DEMO: real-time log file monitoring
More demos (this time for real) • ∘

28. Modules CheckLogFile Subscribes to filechanges SimpleFileWriter
Write notifications to file
NSCAClient
Submit NSCA messages
./nscp settings --activate-module CheckLogFile --add-defaults
vi nsclient.ini
# file=./test.txt
# filter=column1 like ‘hello’
# warning = column2 like ‘warn’
# critical = column2 like ‘crit’
# destination = FILE
./nscp settings --activate-module SimpleFileWriter
./nscp test
echo –e “hello\tworld”
echo –e “hello\tcrit”
./nscp settings --activate-module NSCAClient
# encryption = xor
# password = secret
./nscp settings –generate --remove-defaults
NSCP
NSCA
NSCAClient
CheckLogFile
FILE
SimpleFileWriter

29. Resulting config from DEMO
[/modules] CheckLogFile = enabled SimpleFileWriter = enabled [/settings/logfile/real-time/checks/sample] critical = column2 like 'crit' destination = FILE file = ./test.txt filter = column1 like 'hello' warning = column2 like 'warn' [/settings/logfile/real-time] enabled = true

30. Resulting config from DEMO
[/modules]
CheckLogFile = enabled
NSCAClient = enabled
SimpleFileWriter = enabled
[/settings/logfile/real-time/checks/sample]
critical = column2 like 'crit'
destination = FILE,NSCA
file = ./test.txt
filter = column1 like 'hello'
warning = column2 like 'warn'
[/settings/logfile/real-time] enabled = true [/settings/NSCA/client/targets/default] address = encryption = xor password = secret

31. Run the following
./nscp test tail –f ./output.txt echo –e “hello\tworld” echo –e “hello\twarn” echo –e “hello\tcrit”

32. DEMO: real-time log file monitoring…
Time to get real…
DEMO: real-time log file monitoring…
…via NRPE?
After all these mistakes…yet more demos? • ∘

33. Modules CheckLogFile Subscribes to filechanges SimpleCache
Store our result
NRPEClient
Accept remote checks (if there is time)
NRPEServer
NSCP
CheckLogFile
CACHE
SimpleCache

34. Resulting config from DEMO
[/modules]
CheckLogFile = enabled
NSCAClient = enabled
SimpleFileWriter = enabled
SimleCache = enabled
[/settings/logfile/real-time/checks/sample]
critical = column2 like 'crit'
destination = FILE,NSCA,CACHE
file = ./test.txt
filter = column1 like 'hello'
warning = column2 like 'warn'
[/settings/logfile/real-time] enabled = true [/settings/NSCA/client/targets/default] address = encryption = xor password = secret

35. Run the following
./nscp test echo –e “hello\tworld” echo –e “hello\twarn” echo –e “hello\tcrit” In nsclient console execute: check_cache index=sample

36. Photo by Olga Berrios
Questions?
Q&A

37. facebook.com/nsclient
Thank You!
Michael Medin
com/in/mickem
Information about NSClient++
facebook.com/nsclient
Slides, and examples
The end!