A few broken items built in to a new install - Request fixes

N3NCY

I have been working with Brian on a new "Cacti Migration" plug-in (work in progress)
http://forums.cacti.net/viewtopic.php?t=28197

Specifically, my part is to create the “import” portion of the migrate plug-in.

I am creating the script in PERL and things are going very well.
In fact, things are going so well, I decided to write a Cacti installer in PERL.
Long story made short, I have installed Cacti 0.8.7b and PIA 2.1 about a zillion times during my script testing.
In doing so, I see a few things that should be cleaned up on “fresh installs”.

1.) A clean install of Cacti 0.8.7b and PIA 2.1 has a few somewhat harmless but still annoying errors:
Warning: reset() [function.reset]: Passed variable is not an array or object in /var/www/cacti/lib/ on 146
Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in /var/www/cacti/lib/fon 147
Described here:
http://forums.cacti.net/viewtopic.php?t=27807&highlight=functions.php++line+146

2.) During the install, RRDTool 1.3 is not in the install drop down box as a possible choice and 1.0 is the default.
Please add RRDTool 1.3 as a drop down choice and make it default.
Net-SNMP 5.x is in the other drop down box as default and it looks good.

3.) The default host (localhost) that is created has 5 graphs, but they do not result in the RRD files being created since the host is set to UDP and Port 0 as the downed host detection. Since the poller thinks this host is down (UDP port 0) it never updates the RRDs.
Result: New users on a clean install see broken graphs and think Cacti is not working.
Maybe TCP and Port 80 would be a better default on the localhost device that is created on new installs?

4.) Another thing about the “localhost” that is added by default on a clean install:
The poller thinks that it has “two” (2) hosts right out the box.
The initial count is off by one (1) on a clean install.
The poller log should say Hosts:1 not Hosts:2

Anyway, I would love to see these items fixed or addressed in next release or patch or in SVN or whichever makes sense.
I will be glad to test anything on a new install.
Remember, I can crank out a new install in a VM using my script very rapidly and I am more than happy to test things.
I will post the PERL install / migrate script shortly as well, I am still polishing it up a bit.
Thank you for taking a look at this and for Cacti!

Linegod · Developer Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 517 Location: Canada

Post bugs on them, and I'll check them out...

TheWitness · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:06 am Post subject:

Ernie,

Can you take on rounding up a half dozen testers for 0.8.7c. I want to push the PIA issue in SF next week and we will be planning a release. However, we need beta testers.

Larry

N3NCY · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 3:47 pm Post subject:

I should be able to get a few testers.

I will test it heavily this Saturday & Sunday myself as well.

Is the latest thing you want to have tested in SVN?

TheWitness · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:43 pm Post subject:

Branches 0.8.7. It's pretty much up-to-date.

Larry

Howie

streaker69

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:49 am Post subject:

Beginning testing.
svn checkout in progress...

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:18 am Post subject:

svn checkout completed.

Starting randomly as a new user would.

1.) Readme has incorrect info:
cacti/branches/0.8.7/README
Please view "docs/README" and "docs/INSTALL.htm" for more information.
- docs/INSTALL.htm does not exist
- docs/README seems scattered with random information, a link back to the Cacti Documentation web would be better or a "quick start" set of instructions may be more useful

2.) I did find this document helpful as a "reference for building Cacti documentation"
cacti/branches/0.8.7/docs/build/manual.sgml
- A while back I was tasked with writing a FreeBSD guide in a particular format:
http://forums.cacti.net/viewtopic.php?p=114786&highlight=#114786
- This had led me into the insane world of XML and DocBook:
http://www.docbook.org/specs/docbook-5.0-spec-cd-04.html
and into the even more insane attempt to find an XML editor, for now I continue to use JEdit
- At least I now see a working an example in manual.sgml

testing continues...

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:55 am Post subject:

Run #1 - Rapid Cacti install from SVN without PIA

# Move the SVN code to production location
mv /usr/src/cacti/cacti/branches/0.8.7 /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti

# Create the Cacti DB and import the schema
/opt/mysql/bin/mysqladmin --user=mysql --password=mysqlpassword create cacti
/opt/mysql/bin/mysql --user=mysql --password=mysqlpassword cacti < /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/cacti.sql

# Edit the config.php like a true PERL maniac!
cp /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/include/config.php.dist /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/include/config.php
perl -i.bak -p -e 's/database_username = "\w*";/database_username = "mysql";/ig' /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/include/config.php
perl -i.bak -p -e 's/database_password = "\w*";/database_password = "mysqlpassword";/g' /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/include/config.php

# Update the crontab to include the Cacti Polling engine at 5 minute intervals
echo "# Cacti Poller" >> /etc/crontab
echo "*/5 * * * * root /usr/local/bin/php /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/poller.php > /dev/null 2>&1" >> /etc/crontab

# Set UNIX permisions
chown -R www:www /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/

# Log in into the test server's web interface and walk through first time install and set a password
http://172.28.0.70/cacti

RRDTool 1.3 and NET-SNMP 5.x as well as all required files where found.

New password set.

Cacti 0.8.7b from SVN is alive and no errors were seen at this point.

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

3.) Cacti poller has ran at least three times now and no graphs are useable - Only broken graphs appear at this time

08/02/2008 09:55:02 AM - SYSTEM STATS: Time:1.2095 Method:cmd.php Processes:1 Threads:N/A Hosts:2 HostsPerProcess:2 DataSources:5 RRDsProcessed:0
08/02/2008 09:50:01 AM - SYSTEM STATS: Time:1.1954 Method:cmd.php Processes:1 Threads:N/A Hosts:2 HostsPerProcess:2 DataSources:5 RRDsProcessed:0
08/02/2008 09:45:01 AM - SYSTEM STATS: Time:1.1996 Method:cmd.php Processes:1 Threads:N/A Hosts:2 HostsPerProcess:2 DataSources:5 RRDsProcessed:0

Two issues are seen on a new install each time a new install is completed:
- An incorrect number of hosts is counted by the poller:
Hosts:2
- The default localhost imported on a fresh install fails to generate graphs since the downed host detection sees the local host as down via UPD Port 0 and does not update the RRD files resulting in broken graphs
RRDsProcessed:0

Corrective actions requested:

- Fix the poller script to get an accurate count of hosts, it is off by 1 to start
Hosts:1

and

Set the localhost to a default downed detection status that is likely to succeed:
TCP Port 80
This fix should be included in the default SQL schema data that is imported on fresh installs
cacti/cacti.sql

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:36 am Post subject:

4.) Some default data sources not valid on FreeBSD
On a new UNIX/Linux type install, Localhost 127.0.0.1 is created
5 things are set to generate graphs as imported from cacti/cacti.sql
Localhost - Load Average Unix - Get Load Average
Localhost - Logged in Users Unix - Get Logged In Users
Localhost - Memory - Free Linux - Get Memory Usage
Localhost - Memory - Free Swap Linux - Get Memory Usage
Localhost - Processes Unix - Get System Processes

Two of these are broken on FreeBSD
Localhost - Memory - Free Linux - Get Memory Usage
Localhost - Memory - Free Swap Linux - Get Memory Usage

08/02/2008 10:30:01 AM - SYSTEM STATS: Time:1.2218 Method:cmd.php Processes:1 Threads:N/A Hosts:2 HostsPerProcess:2 DataSources:5 RRDsProcessed:5
08/02/2008 10:30:01 AM - CMDPHP: Poller[0] Host[1] DS[4] WARNING: Result from CMD not valid. Partial Result:
08/02/2008 10:30:01 AM - CMDPHP: Poller[0] Host[1] DS[3] WARNING: Result from CMD not valid. Partial Result:

Corrective action requested:
Either detect FreeBSD as UNIX not Linux and do not include:
Localhost - Memory - Free Linux - Get Memory Usage
Localhost - Memory - Free Swap Linux - Get Memory Usage
or
As a simple fix limit the data sources on a default new install in cacti/cacti.sql to only include three (3) things that are safe to use / sure to yield results for all new users on new installs to these:
Localhost - Load Average Unix - Get Load Average
Localhost - Logged in Users Unix - Get Logged In Users
Localhost - Processes Unix - Get System Processes

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:26 am Post subject:

Run #2 - Rapid Cacti install from SVN and add the PIA on top of Cacti from SVN that is already running

# Get the "Plug-in Architecture"
cd /usr/src
fetch http://cactiusers.org/downloads/cacti-plugin-arch.tar.gz
tar xvf cacti-plugin-arch.tar.gz
cp -R /usr/src/cacti-plugin-arch/files-0.8.7b/ /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/

# Edit Cacti global configuration file
vi /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/include/global.php
$database_type = "mysql";
$database_default = "cacti";
$database_hostname = "localhost";
$database_username = "mysql";
$database_password = "mysqlpassword";
$database_port = "3306";
$config['url_path'] = '/cacti/';

# Import the default PIA database schema and starting data
/opt/mysql/bin/mysql --user=cactiuser --password=cactipassword cacti < /usr/src/cacti-plugin-arch/pa.sql

# Set UNIX permisions
chown -R www:www /opt/apache/htdocs/cacti/

Testing continues...

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:31 am Post subject:

5.) Right out of the box PA broke my ability to see graphs

PIA 2.1 does not know about RRDTool 1.3 so it defaulted back to 1.0

A quick change of the drop down box to the only viable choice
RRDTool 1.2
and now I can see my graphs again

Corrective action requested:
Add RRDTool 1.3 to the PIA code

Testing continues...

N3NCY · Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:38 am Post subject:

6.) ICMP Raw Socket creation and downed host detection still an issue with or without the plugin architecture

See:
http://forums.cacti.net/viewtopic.php?p=141248&highlight=#141248

Corrective action requested:
Either stop having PHP check for downed hosts via ICMP since this should really be the pollers job since it already runs as root and can create ICMP easily
and/or
Get SUID code working (I know we are testing this option)
This may never be possible in Windows?