Pandora:Documentation en:Configuration Agents

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1 Pandora FMS Software Agents

1.1 What is a software Agent?

As its name indicates, they are small pieces of software that are installed in the operating systems and remain running in them to extract monitoring information and send it to the Pandora FMS server regularly.

They use the commands and tools of the operating system in which they are installed to obtain the information. They conform the data in a file in XML format and send them to the Pandora FMS data server, which processes and stores them in the database.

Each of the individual checks is called Module.

1.2 Introduction to the Agent Configuration

The operation of the software agent is determined by its configuration file, called pandora_agent.conf, located in the installation directory (default value) %ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent on Windows systems, and /etc on GNU/Linux® systems. The configuration file contains all the operating parameters and modules of that agent.

1.3 General Agent Parameters

The Configuration of the General Agent Parameters is defined in this section. Some of them are common for MS Windows® y GNU/Linux® systems.

The agent configuration file encoding is UTF-8 on both GNU/Linux® and MS Windows® systems. If you edit this file manually, check that the encoding is correct before overwriting it. If the encoding is not UTF-8 and you use symbols (such as stress marks or extended symbols), the agent will misinterpret these symbols, not being able to guarantee a correct interpretation of its configuration.

The first time the server receives data from an agent is going to save all of the information into the database. For the following received data it will only update (depending on learning mode status enabled/disabled) the following fields from XML file: version, date, OS version, and the following parameters from the configuration file: gis_exec, latitude, longitude, altitude, parent_agent_name, timezone_offset, address and custom_field.

You may find more information about Pandora FMS XML file format here. You may also access test data generation (capacity analysis tools).

1.3.1 server_ip

The IP address or the name of the Pandora FMS Server Host where all data will be stored.

1.3.2 server_path

The server path is the comprehensive file path where the server stores all the data sent by the agents. The default path is /var/spool/pandora/data_in.

1.3.3 temporal

The path where the agent stores the data files before they are sent to the server and deleted locally.

1.3.4 description

Sends the description of the agent in XML and Pandora FMS imports this description when it creates the Agent.

1.3.5 group

If there is a group with the name specified in this parameter, the agent will be created within this group unless the server forces the creation of all agents in a given group.

1.3.6 temporal_min_size

If the free space (in MB) of the partition in which the temporary directory is located is lower than this value, it won't continue generating data packets. This prevents the disk from being full if for any reason connection to the server is lost for an extended period of time.

1.3.7 logfile

The path to the Pandora FMS agent events log file.

1.3.8 interval

It is the agent sampling time, in seconds. Each time this interval is completed, the agent will collect information and send it to the Pandora FMS server.

1.3.9 disable_logfile

This parameter disables log writing in pandora_agent.log. Only for MS Windows®.

1.3.10 debug

If it is active (1), the agent data files are stored and renamed in the temporary directory and are not deleted after being sent to the server, being able to open XML files and analyze their content.

1.3.11 agent_name

It allows setting a custom name. If it is not enabled, the agent name will be the hostname of the machine.

1.3.12 agent_name_cmd

Version 5.1 SP2 or superior.

Defines the agent name using an external command. If agent_name_cmd is set, agent_name is ignored. The command must return the agent name by STDOUT. If you return more than one line, only the first line will be used.

1.3.13 agent_alias_cmd

Version NG 7 or superior.

Defines the agent alias using an external command. If agent_alias_cmd is defined, agent_alias is ignored. The command must return the agent name by STDOUT. If you return more than one line, only the first line will be used.

1.3.14 address

This is the IP address of the software agent. It could be an IP address with the format X.X.X.X or a domain name such as localhost or auto. If it's an IP address or a domain name, it will be added to the addresses of the agent and established as a main address. If the value is auto, it will obtain the IP address from the host and added to the agent as in the previous case.

1.3.15 encoding

Installs the kind of codification of the local system, such as ISO-8859-15 or UTF-8.

1.3.16 server_port

Port where Pandora FMS Tentacle server listens to receive data files,41121 by default.

1.3.17 transfer_mode

This parameter specifies the transfer mode we have to install in order send the agent data to the server. Tentacle by default.

1.3.18 transfer_timeout

Version 6.0 or superior.

It is the timeout for file transfer, if the indicated number of seconds is exceeded without completing the transfer, it will be cancelled.

1.3.19 server_pwd

Server password for authentication: specific for Windows® FTP and for the Tentacle transfer mode, although the password for the latter is optional.

1.3.20 server_ssl

It specifies the Tentacle transfer mode. Allows to enable (1) or disable (1) SSL network encryption. Learn more about Tentacle safe communication in this section.

1.3.21 server_opts

Specific for the Tentacle transfer mode. Allows to give additional parameters to the Tentacle client for advanced configurations with security options.

Coming with the 3.2 agent version, Tentacle supports the optional use of a HTTP proxy (using CONNECT) mode to send information to the server. In order to be able to use the output through a proxy, we use the following advanced option (example):

server_opts -y user:[email protected]:8080

This will force the Tentacle client send data through a proxy located at proxy.inet on port 8080 using user and pass for authentication. If you intend to use a proxy on e.g. 192.168.1.2 on port 9000 without credentials, the command would have to be:

server_opts -y 192.168.1.2:9000

Get more information about safe Tentacle communication in this section.

1.3.22 delayed_startup

Disabled by default. Waiting time (seconds or minutes) until the agent starts running once started. For all Software Agents except for MS Windows®.

1.3.23 startup_delay

Disabled by default. Waiting time, in seconds, until the agent starts running once started. For MS Windows® only.

1.3.24 pandora_nice

This parameter allows to specify the priority that the Pandora FMS agent process will have within the system. It's only available for Unix / Linux agents.

1.3.25 autotime

If it's enabled (1) it sends a timestamp of special execution (AUTO) that makes the server use its local date / time to establish the data time, ignoring the time sent by the agent. This is necessary in agents which have a wrong time or a different hour from the server for any reason.

1.3.26 cron_mode

With this parameter, it is possible to make the agents using the Linux® crontab functions to execute itself in a predetermined interval instead of using the agents internal system to execute itself at a certain time. It is deactivated (0) by default.

1.3.27 remote_config

It enables (1) or disables (0) remote agent configuration. Operation is only allowed with Tentacle transfer mode.

1.3.28 xml_buffer

If enabled (1), the agent will save in its temporary directory the XML files that it could not send to the server in case of a connectivity problem. They will be sent when communications are restored.

1.3.29 timezone_offset

The agent can now install its timezone offset with the server. This allows the server to make a scrolling of the time collected by the agent, so that it matches the local time of the server.

# Timezone offset: Difference with the server timezone
timezone_offset 3

It is calculated by subtracting the agent's timezone from the server's timezone. For example, if the server's timezone is UTC+1 and the agent's timezone is UTC-5, the timezone offset should be 6 = 1 - (-5).

1.3.30 parent_agent_name

Indicates the parent of the software agent. It must be the name of an existing agent in Pandora FMS.

1.3.31 agent_threads

Number of threads the agent is going to launch to execute modules simultaneously.By default, the modules are executed one after the other without launching any additional thread. This is only available in Linux/Unix agents.

# Number of threads to execute modules in parallel
agent_threads 4

1.3.32 include

include <file> 

It allows to include an additional configuration file. This file can contain additional modules and collections alongside the ones found in the main configuration file. This token is optional. The file can be uploaded by those users with (AW) Agent writing permissions.

1.3.33 broker_agent

broker_agent <broker_name>

It enables broker agent feature. To activate it, you only need to uncomment the parameter and indicate the name (<broker_name>) that will be assigned to the broker agent.

1.3.34 pandora_user

pandora_user <user>

This parameter is optional and allows the agent to be executed with a specified system user(<user> . This user must have permissions to execute the agent and all associated resources.

1.3.35 custom_id

Version 5.x or superior.

Custom ID of the agent for external applications.

1.3.36 url_address

Version 5.X or superior.

Custom URL to open it from the agent in the console.

1.3.37 custom_fieldX_name

Version 5.X or superior.

Name of an agent custom field which already exists on the system. If does not exist, it will be ignored. Example:

custom_field1_name Model

1.3.38 custom_fieldX_value

Version 5.X or superior.

Value for the custom_fieldX_name in the previous parameter. Example:

custom_field1_value C1700

1.3.39 macro

Version 5.X or superior.

macro<macro> <value>

It defines a local execution macro that can be used in the definition of a module. These macros are used in the Metaconsole system and local module components system to "abstract" the difficulty of using a module by directly editing the code, presenting a local interface that allows to "fill in" values to a less advanced user. These values are used below, using a macros system, relatively similar to the macros system of the local plugins.

Local execution macros start by _fieldx_.

Example:

module_begin
module_name Particion_opt
module_type generic_data
module_exec df -kh _field1_ | tail -1 |  awk '{ print $5}' | tr -d "%"
module_macro_field1_ /opt
module_end

1.3.40 group_password <password>

Version 6.0 SP5 or superior.

Password for the agent group. Leave it commented if the group is not password-protected.

1.3.41 ehorus_conf

Version NG 7 or superior.

ehorus_conf <path>

Absolute path to a valid eHorus agent configuration file. The agent will create a custom field named eHorusID that contains the eHorus agent's identifying key.

1.3.42 transfer_mode_user

Version NG 7.0 OUM713 or superior.

transfer_mode_user <user>

User of files copied in the local transfer mode. In console folders, this user must have reading and writing permissions for the remote configuration to work properly. By default it is apache.

1.3.43 secondary_groups

Version NG 7.0 OUM721 or superior.

secondary_groups <group name1>, <group name2>, ... <group nameN>

Name of the secondary groups assigned to the agent. Several secondary groups separated by commas can be specified. If any of the groups does not exist on the server to which the information is sent, that group will not be assigned, but the creation of the agent will not be affected.

1.3.44 standby

Versión NG 7.0 OUM728 o superior.

standby <1|0>

If an agent is in standby 1 mode, the agent will not perform any check or send or generate any XML. This configuration directive makes sense in Enterprise installations where there is remote configuration. Thanks to it, it is possible to silence an agent at will just by disabling it.

The debug mode overwrites this feature and the agent is executed normally.

1.4 Secondary Server

We can define a secondary server to which the data will be sent in two possible situations depending on the configuration:

• on_error: Send data to the secondary server only in cases it could not send them to the primary one.
• always: Always send data to the secondary server, no matter if it's able to contact the main server or not.

Configuration example:

secondary_server_ip     192.168.1.123
secondary_server_path   /var/spool/pandora/data_in
secondary_mode          on_error
secondary_transfer_mode tentacle
secondary_server_port   41121

1.5 UDP Server

Bear in mind that UDP is unsafe by nature (but efficient to send messages without compromising a true response).

The Pandora FMS Agent can be configured to listen to remote commands. This server listens to a UDP port spcified by the user and allows orders to be received from a remote system - usually from Pandora FMS console through the execution of alerts on the server.

There are several options to configure the UDP remote server, the following options in its configuration file pandora_agent.conf:

• udp_server: To activate the UDP server, set it to 1. This is deactivated by default.
• udp_server_port: Port where it listens.
• udp_server_auth_address: Authorized IP address to send orders. Several Addresses can be set separated by commas. If it is configured with 0.0.0.0, UDP Server will accept orders from all addresses.

Although it can be set to 0.0.0.0 for accepting from all sources, said practice is not recommended. If you have several Pandora FMS servers and/or use IPv6, you may add different IP adresses separated by commas. For instance, if you have in IPv6: 2001:0db8:0000:130F:0000:0000:087C:140B and its abbreviation is 2001:0db8:0:130F::87C:140B , use both separated by commas.

• process_<name>_start <command>: Command which is going to start a process defined by the user.
• process_<name>_stop <command>: Command which is going to stop the process.
• service_<name> 1: Allows the service <name> to be started or stopped remotely from the UDP server.

Configuration Example:

udp_server 1
udp_server_port 4321
udp_server_auth_address 192.168.1.23
process_firefox_start firefox
process_firefox_stop killall firefox 
service_messenger 1 

The server accepts the following commands:

<START|STOP> SERVICE <service name>

Starting or stopping a service (service name).

<START|STOP> PROCESS <process name>

Starting or stopping a process (process name).

REFRESH AGENT <agent name>

Forces one execution of the agent (agent name) and refreshes data.

For example:

STOP SERVICE messenger
START PROCESS firefox
REFRESH AGENT 007

There is a script on the server at /util/udp_client.pl which is used by the Pandora FMS Server as a command of an alert to start processes or services. It has this syntax:

./udp_client.pl <address> <port> <command>

E.g. to restart an agent:

./udp_client.pl 192.168.50.30 41122 "REFRESH AGENT"

For more information, please go to the Alert Configuration section.

1.6 Modules definition

The local execution modules are defined in the configuration file pandora_agent.conf. The general syntax is the following:

module_begin
module_name <Module Name>
module_type generic_data
module_exec <local command to execute>
module_end 

Where module name is the name of the module and local command the command to be executed. There are multiple additional options for modules, in this example only common and mandatory lines have been used for most of the cases.

Learn more in our video tutorials:

• "How to configure a Linux module in Pandora FMS".
• "Windows local module creation in Pandora FMS".

The following sections explain each one of them in detail.

1.6.1 Common elements of all modules

Module fields (except for module data, description and extended info) are only stored on module creation and will never be updated if the module is already created.

1.6.1.1 module_begin

Tag at the beginning of the module. It is mandatory.

1.6.1.2 module_name

module_name <name>

Name of the module (mandatory). This name must be unique within the agent.

1.6.1.3 module_type

module_type <type>

Type of data the module will return. It is mandatory to choose one of these. The available types are:

• Numerical (generic_data): Simple numerical data, in floating points or wholes.

• Incremental (generic_data_inc): Numeric data equal to the difference between the current value and the previous one divided by the elapsed time in seconds. When this difference is negative, the value is reset, which means that when the difference becomes positive again, the previous value will be taken as long as the increment returns to a positive value.

• Absolute incremental (generic_data_inc_abs): Numeric data equal to the difference between the current value and the previous one, with no division made, so the value is the total difference or increment, and not the increment per second. When this difference is negative, the value is reset, this means that at the time when the difference is again a positive value, the base value used to make this calculation is the last one from which the incremental value is positive.

• Alphanumeric (generic_data_string): It collects alphanumeric text strings.

• Booleans (generic_proc): For values that can only be correct/affirmative (1) or incorrect/negative (0). Useful to check if a computer is alive, or a process/service is running. A negative value (0) has the critical status preassigned, while any higher value is considered correct.

• Asynchronous Alphanumeric (async_string): For asynchronous text strings. Asynchronous monitoring depends on events or changes that may or may not occur, so these types of modules are never in unknown status.

• Asynchronous Boolean (async_proc): Similar to 'generic_proc' but asynchronous.

• Asynchronous Numerical (async_data): Similar to 'generic_data' but asynchronous.

1.6.1.4 module_min <value>

module_min <value>

Minimum value that the module must return in order to be accepted. Otherwise it will be discarded by the server.

1.6.1.5 module_max <value>

module_max <value>

Maximum value that the module must return to be accepted. Otherwise it will be discarded by the server.

1.6.1.6 module_min_warning

module_min_warning <value>

This is the minimum value that will make the module go into warning status.

1.6.1.7 module_max_warning

module_max_warning <value>

This is the maximum value that will make the module go into warning status.

1.6.1.8 module_min_critical

module_min_critical <value>

This is the minimum value that will make the module go into critical status.

1.6.1.9 module_max_critical

module_max_critical <value>

This is the maximum value of the critical status threshold.

1.6.1.10 module_disabled

module_disabled <0|1>

It indicates whether the module is enabled (0) or disabled (1).

1.6.1.11 module_min_ff_event

module_min_ff_event <value>

Flip flop protection value for false positives. The number of status changes indicated in this value will be necessary for the module to visually modify its status in the web console.

1.6.1.12 module_each_ff

Version 6.0 SP4 or superior.

module_each_ff <0|1> 

If enabled (1), flip flop thresholds per status will be used instead of module_min_ff_event:

• module_min_ff_event_normal.
• module_min_ff_event_warning.
• module_min_ff_event_critical.

1.6.1.13 module_min_ff_event_normal

Version 6.0 SP4 or superior.

module_min_ff_event_normal <value> 

Flip flop protection value for switching to normal status.

1.6.1.14 module_min_ff_event_warning

Version 6.0 SP4 or superior.

module_min_ff_event_warning <value> 

Flip flop protection value for switching to warning status.

1.6.1.15 module_min_ff_event_critical

Version 6.0 SP4 or superior.

module_min_ff_event_critical <value> 

Flip flop protection value for switching to critical status.

1.6.1.16 module_ff_timeout

Version 6.0 SP4 or superior.

module_ff_timeout <seconds> 

It resets the flip flop threshold counter after the given number of seconds. This implies that the number of status changes set in module_min_ff_event must take place at an interval of module_ff_timeout seconds before the state changes in the console's visual level.

1.6.1.17 module_ff_type

Version NG 734 or superior.

module_ff_type <value>

This is a Flip Flop advanced option to control the status of a module. By means of Keep counters we will establish some counter values to pass from one status to another depending, instead of the value, on the status of the module with the received value.

Indicates if Keep counters is enabled (1) or disabled (0).

1.6.1.18 module_description

module_description <text>

Free text with information about the module.

1.6.1.19 module_interval

module_interval <factor>

This interval is calculated as a multiplier for the agent interval. If the agent has e.g. the agent's interval is 300 (5 minutes) but you wish for a module to be processed only every 15 minutes, add this line:

module_interval 3

That way the module will be processed every 300 seconds x 3 = 900 seconds (15 minutes).

In order for the module_interval to work in broker agents, it must have the same interval as the one of the agent from which it comes. Otherwise, its operation may fail.

1.6.1.20 module_timeout

module_timeout <secs> 

In seconds, maximum time allowed for the execution of the module. If this time is exceeded before the end of its execution, it will be interrupted.

1.6.1.21 module_postprocess

module_postprocess <factor> 

Numerical value by which the data returned by the module will be multiplied. It is useful for unit conversions.

1.6.1.22 module_save

module_save <var name> 

It stores the value returned by the module in a variable with the name indicated in this parameter (<var name>). This value can be used later in other modules.

Example in Unix/Linux::

module_begin
module_name echo_1
module_type generic_data
module_exec echo 41121
module_save ECHO_1
module_end

It will store the value"41121" in the "ECHO_1" variable.

module_begin
module_name echo_2
module_type generic_data
module_exec echo $ECHO_1
module_end

This second module will show the contents of the variable "$ECHO_1", it being "41121".

In Windows agents the module would have to be formed with %var% instead of $var. Following the example:

module_begin
module_name echo_2
module_type generic_data
module_exec echo %ECHO_1%
module_end

1.6.1.23 module_crontab

From version 3.2, it's possible to schedule modules in the order they'll be executed on a specific date. To do this, you're required to define the module_crontab', using a similar format to that of the crontab file: (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cron_(Unix)#Sintaxis)

module_crontab <minute> <hour> <day> <month> <day of the week>

Being:

• Minute 0-59
• Hour 0-23
• Day of the month 1-31
• Month 1-12
• Day of the week 0-6 (0 is Sunday)

It is also possible to specify intervals using the - character as a divider.

In order for one module to be executed e.g. every Monday between 12 and 15, the following configuration should be used:

module_begin
module_name crontab_test
module_type generic_data
module_exec script.sh
module_crontab * 12-15 * * 1
module_end

To execute a command every hour, in an hour and 10 minutes:

module_begin
module_name crontab_test3
module_type generic_data
module_exec script.sh
module_crontab 10 * * * *
module_end

1.6.1.24 module_condition

module_condition <operation> <command>

It is possible to define actions that will be executed by the agent according to the value returned by the module. Only available for numerical values. The syntax is the following:

• > [value]: It executes the command if the module value is higher than the given one.

• < [valor]: It executes the command if the module value is lower than the given one.

• = [valor]: It executes the command if the module value is equal to the given one.

• != [valor]: It executes the command if the module value is different to the given one.

• =~ [regular expression]: It executes the command if the module value coincides with the given regular expression.

• (valor, valor): It executes the command if the module value is ranged between the given values.

Multiple conditions can be specified for a single module. In the following case, the script_1.sh will be executed if the value returned by the module is between 1 and 3, and script_2.sh will be executed if the value of the module is greater than 5.5, so in this case, being 2.5 the value returned in the module_exec line , only the first condition script_1.sh will be executed:

module_begin
module_name condition_test
module_type generic_data
module_exec echo 2.5
module_condition (1, 3) script_1.sh
module_condition > 5.5 script_2.sh
module_end

Examples of possible real cases:

module_begin
module_name MyProcess
module_type generic_data
module_exec tasklist | grep MyProcess | wc -l
module_condition > 2 taskkill /IM MyProcess* /F
module_end

module_begin
module_name Service_Spooler
module_type generic_proc
module_service Spooler
module_condition = 0 net start Spooler
module_end

• NOTE: On Windows platforms, it is recommended to use cmd.exe /c to execute the command to ensure it's executed properly. For example:

module_begin
module_name condition_test
module_type generic_data
module_exec echo 5
module_condition (2, 8) cmd.exe /c script.bat
module_end

1.6.1.25 module_precondition

module_precondition <operation> <command>

It allows to determin whether a module is executed or not depending on the result of a given execution. Syntax:

• > [value]: It executes the command if the module value is higher than the given one.

• < [value]: It executes the command if the module value is lower than the given one.

• = [value]: It executes the command if the module value is equal to the given one.

• != [value]: It executes the command if the module value is different to the given one.

• =~ [regular expression]: It executes the command if the module value coincides with the given regular expression.

• (value, value): It executes the command if the module value is ranged between the given values.

In the following example, the module monitoring_variable.bat will only be executed if the result of the execution indicated in the precondition is between 2 and 8. In this case, the execution result indicated in the module_precondition line is 5, a value between 2 and 8, so monitoring_variable.bat will be executed correctly:

module_begin
module_name Precondition_test1
module_type generic_data
module_precondition (2, 8) echo 5
module_exec monitoring_variable.bat
module_end

Like postconditions, it's also possible to use several preconditions. The module will only be executed if all preconditions are met:

module_begin
module_name Precondition_test2
module_type generic_data
module_precondition (2, 8) echo 5
module_precondition < 3 echo 5
module_exec monitoring_variable.bat
module_end

• NOTE: On Windows platforms, it is recommended to use cmd.exe /c to execute the command to ensure it's proper execution. For example:

module_begin
module_name Precondition_test3
module_type generic_data
module_precondition (2, 8) cmd.exe /c script.bat
module_exec monitoring_variable.bat
module_end

1.6.1.26 module_unit

Version 5.x or superior.

module_unit <string>

Units shown as a text string next to the value obtained by the module. Example:

module_unit %

1.6.1.27 module_group

Version 5.X or superior.

module_group <value>

It allows to indicate the module group (value) the module will be assigned to. Example:

module_group Networking

1.6.1.28 module_custom_id

Version 5.X or superior.

module_custom_id <value>

This is a custom identifier for the module. Example:

module_custom_id host101

1.6.1.29 module_str_warning

Version 5.X or superior.

module_str_warning <value>

This is a regular expression to define the warning threshold in alphanumeric modules (string). Example:

module_str_warning .*NOTICE.*

1.6.1.30 module_str_critical

Version 5.X or superior.

module_str_critical <value>

This is a regular expression to define the critical status threshold in the string modules. Example:

module_str_critical .*ERROR.*

1.6.1.31 module_warning_instructions

Version 5.x or superior.

module_warning_instructions <value>

These are the instructions shown in the module-generated event when going into warning status.

Example to show the message indicating an issue getting higher priority:

module_warning_instructions Raise advocacy priority

1.6.1.32 module_critical_instructions

Version 5.x or superior.

module_critical_instructions <value>

These are the instructions shown in de module-generated event when going into critical status.

Example of a message to alert the system department:

module_critical_instructions Call to sys department

1.6.1.33 module_unknown_instructions

Version 5.x or superior.

module_unknown_instructions <value>

These are the instructions shown in the module-generated event when going into unknown status.

Example of message to open issue:

module_unknown_instructions Open incident

1.6.1.34 module_tags

Version 5.x or superior.

module_tags <value>

Tags to be assigned to the module separated by commas.

Example:

module_tags tag1,tag2,tag3

1.6.1.35 module_warning_inverse

Version 5.x or superior.

module_warning_inverse <value>

It allows activating (1) the inverse interval for the warning threshold.

Example:

module_warning_inverse 1

1.6.1.36 module_critical_inverse

Version 5.x or superior.

module_critical_inverse <value> 

It allows activating (1) the inverse interval for the critical threshold.

Example:

module_critical_inverse 1

1.6.1.37 module_native_encoding

Version 5.x or superior on Win32 only.

module_native_encoding <value> 

This configuration token only affects executed modules by command line, that is, there is a module_exec in the module configuration.

MS Windows® manages three encodings for its processes: the command line encoding (OEM), the system encoding (ANSI) and UTF-16. Both encodings are agree on basic characters, but they are different on less common characters, like written accents. With this token, the Pandora FMS agent transforms the output to the encoding specified in the configuration file.

module_native_encoding has four acceptable values:

module_native_encoding OEM: to command line encoding

• module_native_encoding ANSI: to system encoding
• module_native_encoding UTFLE: to UTF-16 little-endian
• module_native_encoding UTFBE: to UTF-16 big-endian

If module_native_encoding does not appear, no re-encoding will be done.

1.6.1.38 module_quiet

Version 5.x or superior.

module_quiet <value>

If enabled (1) the module will be in silent mode: it will not generate events or trigger alerts, nor will it store data history.

Example:

module_quiet 1

1.6.1.39 module_ff_interval

Version 5.x or superior.

module_ff_interval <value> 

This is the Flip Flop execution threshold of the module (in seconds). For instance:

module_ff_interval 2

1.6.1.40 module_macro

module_macro<macro> <value> 

It only applies to local components from the console. It is not useful in the configuration file.

1.6.1.41 module_alert_template

module_alert_template <template_name> 

This macro assigns to the module the alert template that corresponds to the name introduced as parameter (see Alert templates).

Example:

<module>
<name><![CDATA[CPU usage]]></name>
<type>generic_data</type>
<module_interval>1</module_interval>
<min_critical>91</min_critical>
<max_critical>100</max_critical>
<min_warning>70</min_warning>
<max_warning>90</max_warning>
<alert_template><![CDATA[Critical condition]]></alert_template>
<data><![CDATA[92]]></data>
</module>

1.6.1.42 module_end

Defines the end of the module. It is mandatory.

1.6.2 Specific guidelines to obtain information

Furthermore, there are the specific guidelines that could be specified for each module in order to obtain information as such. Only one type can be used in each module.

1.6.2.1 module_exec

module_exec <command>

General command execution line. The desired run must be specified to obtain the information in a single line.

On GNU/Linux, the command will be executed using the default command prompt. The default interpreter will be determined by the symbolic link /bin/sh. Usually the link points to bash, but in systems like Ubuntu this is not the case (in this case it points to dash). Therefore, it could happen that a command is tested in the terminal and then there is an error when the agent executes it. A solution that will work in most cases will be forcing the bash execution of the command as follows:

module_exec bash -c "<command>"

If execution returns a return code different from 0, it will be interpreted as execution error and the information will be discarded.

For a Windows® agent there are more guidelines for obtaining data, which are described below.

1.6.2.2 module_service

module_service <service> 

It checks whther a specific service is being executed on the machine.

1.6.2.2.1 In MS Windows

Remember to use the " " characters if the name of the service contains blank spaces.

module_begin
module_name Service_Dhcp
module_type generic_proc
module_service Dhcp
module_description Service DHCP Client
module_end

The service is identified with the short name of the service (Service name), as it appears in the Windows services manager.

Asynchronous Mode

Pandora FMS usually executes a test battery (each of them defined by a module) every N seconds (300 sec. = 5 min. by default). If a service is down just after a Pandora FMS execution, it will take 300 additional seconds to find out the service that went down. The difference on asynchronous mode is that modules notify Pandora FMS right away about the fail or shutdown of this service. This is called asynchronous operation mode. It would be enough to add the following command to the guideline to use it:

module_async yes

This feature is not supported on broker agents.

In Windows Home Edition®, this asynchronous feature is not supported and, only in those versions, Pandora FMS agent makes a periodic query to find out whether the service is running or not. This can be quite resource-intensive so it is recommended to use the synchronous version if a large number of services are being monitored.

Service Watchdog

There is a watchdog mode for the services, so the agent is able to restart them if they stop. In this case, the restarted service does not require any parameter, because Windows® already knows how to do it. In such cases, the configuration is a lot easier:

module_begin
module_name ServiceSched
module_type generic_proc
module_service Schedule
module_description Service Task scheduler
module_async yes
module_watchdog yes
module_end

1.6.2.2.2 In Unix

In Unix, it works the same as in MS Windows®, the only difference is that for Unix, process and service are the same concepts, for example to see if the bash process is active in the system, just run:

module_begin
module_name Service_bash
module_type generic_proc
module_service /bin/bash
module_description Process bash running
module_end

Watchdog mode and asynchronous detection are not possible in the Unix agent.

1.6.2.3 module_proc

module_proc <process> 

It checks whether a specific process name is working in this machine.

1.6.2.3.1 In MS Windows

Quotation marks are not needed for the process name. Bear in mind that the name of the process must have the .exe extention. The module will return the number of processes executed with this name.

This is an example of the monitoring of the cmd.exe process:

module_begin
module_name CMDProcess
module_type generic_proc
module_proc cmd.exe
module_description Process Command line
module_end

Asynchronous mode

In a similar way to the services, monitoring processes can be critical in some cases. The Windows® software agent supports asynchronous checking for the module_proc parameter. In this case, the agent immediately reports it if the process changes its status without waiting for the agent's execution interval to be reached again. That way, you may get informed about failed of critical processes right away. This is an example of process asynchronous monitoring:

module_begin
module_name Notepad
module_type generic_proc
module_proc notepad.exe
module_description Notepad
module_async yes
module_end

The difference is located in the module_async yes configuration token. This feature is not supported on broker agents.

Processes Watchdog

A Watchdog is a system that allows to act immediately if an agent is down, usually activating the process that went down. Pandora FMS Windows® Agent could work as a watchdog when a process is down.

Since executing a process would require some parameters, there are some additional configuration options for these kind of modules.

It is important to keep in mind that the watchdog mode only works if the module type is set to asynchronous.

This is an example of configuration of module_proc with watchdog enabled:

module_begin
module_name Notepad
module_type generic_proc
module_proc notepad.exe
module_description Notepad
module_async yes
module_watchdog yes
module_start_command c:\windows\notepad.exe
module_startdelay 3000
module_retrydelay 2000
module_retries 5
module_end

This is the definition of additional parameters for module_proc with watchdog enabled:

module_retries

Number of consecutive attempts that the module will try to activate the process before deactivating the watchdog. If the limit is reached, the watchdog mechanism for this module will be deactivated and will never attempt to launch the process again until the agent is restarted. Unlimited by default.

module_startdelay

Number of milliseconds the module will wait before starting the process for the first time.

module_retrydelay

Number of milliseconds that the module will wait before trying to launch the process in each retry.

module_user_session

It controls in which session you want the process to be launched. If set to no, the process will start in the service session and therefore remain in the background (default setting). Otherwise, if set to yes, the process will be launched in the user's session and will be visible from the PC desktop.

For versions prior to Windows Vista®, the module_user_session token can be configured in a general way by enabling the checkbox "Interactive access with desktop" in the Pandora FMS service properties (Allow service to interact with desktop):

Pandora FMS is executed under the SYSTEM account if started as a service. The executed process will do it under that user and with that environment, so that if you want to execute any particular process that requires a certain user, you will have to include in a script (.bat or similar) the previous processes to initialize the environment, environment variables, etc., and execute that script as a watchdog action.

1.6.2.3.2 In Unix

Under UNIX, this module works just like module_service. It does not support asynchronous and/or watchdog mode.

1.6.2.4 module_cpuproc

Only for Unix

module_cpuproc <process>

It returns the CPU usage of a specific process. Example:

module_begin
module_name myserver_cpu
module_type generic_data
module_cpuproc myserver
module_description Process Command line
module_end

1.6.2.5 module_memproc

module_memproc <process> 

Only for Unix. It returns the memory used by a specific process.

module_begin
module_name myserver_mem
module_type generic_data
module_memproc myserver
module_description Process Command line
module_end

1.6.2.6 module_freedisk

module_freedisk <disk_letter:>|<vol> 

It checks for the free space in the disk unit.

In Windows

Place : after the <disk_letter:>.

module_begin
module_name freedisk
module_type generic_data
module_freedisk C:
module_end

In Unix

The volume to test, such as /var.

module_begin
module_name disk_var
module_type generic_data
module_freedisk /var
module_end

1.6.2.7 module_freepercentdisk

module_freepercentdisk <disk_letter:>|<vol> 

This module returns the free disk percentage under a logic unit.

In Windows

Type : after <disk_letter:>.

module_begin
module_name freepercentdisk
module_type generic_data
module_freepercentdisk C:
module_end

In Unix

The volume to check, such as /var.

module_begin
module_name disk_var
module_type generic_data
module_freepercentdisk /var
module_end

1.6.2.8 module_occupiedpercentdisk

module_occupiedpercentdisk <vol>

Only for Unix. This module returns the occupied disk percentage, for instance:

module_begin
module_name disk_var
module_type generic_data
module_occupiedpercentdisk /var
module_end

1.6.2.9 module_cpuusage

module_cpuusage [<cpu id>|all] 

It returns the CPU usage in a CPU number. If there is only one CPU, please leave it blank or use all. For Windows® and Unix.

It is also possible to obtain the average use of all CPUs in multiprocessor systems this way:

module_begin
module_name CPU_use
module_type generic_data
module_cpuusage all
module_description CPU average use
module_end

To check the CPU usage in CPU #1:

module_begin
module_name CPU_1
module_type generic_data
module_cpuusage 1
module_description CPU #1 average use
module_end

1.6.2.10 module_freememory

Supported in Windows® and UNIX. It returns the free memory of the whole system:

module_begin
module_name FreeMemory
module_type generic_data
module_freememory
module_description Non-used memory on system
module_end

1.6.2.11 module_freepercentmemory

Supported under UNIX and Windows®. This module returns the free memory percentage on one system:

module_begin
module_name freepercentmemory
module_type generic_data
module_freepercentmemory
module_end

1.6.2.12 module_tcpcheck

Only MS Windows®. This module tries to connect with the specified IP and port. It returns 1 if successful and 0 if not. It is also recommended to specify an expiration time with module_timeout. Example:

module_begin
module_name tcpcheck
module_type generic_proc
module_tcpcheck www.pandorafms.com
module_port 80
module_timeout 5
module_end

1.6.2.13 module_regexp

Only for MS Windows®. This module monitors a record file (log) looking for matches using regular expressions, ruling out the already existing lines when starting the monitoring. The data returned by the module depend on the module type:

• generic_data_string, async_string: It returns all the lines matching the regular expression.
• generic_data: It returns the number of lines matching the regular expression.
• generic_proc: It returns 1 if there is a match and 0 if not.
• module_noseekeof: By default disabled 0. With this configuration token active 1, in each module execution and regardless of any target file modification, the module will restart its check process without searching for the file's EOF flag. It will always retrieve from the XML all lines that correspond to your search pattern. Example:

module_begin
module_name regexp
module_type generic_data_string
module_regexp %SystemRoot%\my.log
module_pattern ^\[error\].*
module_noseekeof 1
module_end

1.6.2.14 module_wmiquery

Only Windows®. The WMI modules allow to locally execute any WMI query without the use of an external tool. It is configured through two parameters:

• module_wmiquery: Used WQL query. As a result, several lines could be obtained which will be inserted as several data.

• module_wmicolumn: Name of the column which will be used as a data source.

For example, for a list of the installed services:

module_begin
module_name Services
module_type generic_data_string
module_wmiquery Select Name from Win32_Service
module_wmicolumn Name
module_end

Or the current CPU load:

module_begin
module_name CPU_speed
module_type generic_data
module_wmiquery SELECT LoadPercentage FROM Win32_Processor
module_wmicolumn LoadPercentage
module_end

1.6.2.15 module_perfcounter

Only for MS Windows®.

It obtains data from the performance counter (performance counter) through the PDH interface. The library pdh.dll should be installed in the system. PDH.DLL is a Windows library. If you have not installed it yet, you have to install the Windows® performance analysis tool, usually installed by default.

module_begin
module_name perfcounter
module_type generic_data
module_perfcounter \Memory\Pages/sec
module_end

The Windows® performance monitor is a powerful tool with hundreds of parameters that can be used for monitoring. In addition, each manufacturer incorporates its own counters.

Performance counters can be seen using the Performance tool:

New performance counters can be added using the system tool. Its configuration has a management structure with elements and sub-elements. In this case Processor, % of processor time and _Total:

The configuration of the module for this particular check would be as follows:

module_begin
module_name Processor_Time
module_type generic_data_inc
module_perfcounter \Procesador(_Total)\% of processor time
module_end

By default the raw value of the counter is shown, to get the cooked value add the module_cooked 1 parameter:

module_begin
module_name Disk_E/S_Seg
module_type generic_data
module_cooked 1
module_perfcounter \DiscoFísico(_Total)\E/S divided by secs.
module_end

Most of the returned data are just counters, so you should use generic_data_inc as data type. It is also able to return values in very high data scales (several millions), so you could reduce these values using the module post process with values like 0.000001 or similar.

1.6.2.16 module_inventory DEPRECATED

Currently this feature has been replaced by inventory from agent plugins on both Windows and Linux/Unix® systems.

1.6.2.17 module_logevent

Only for MS Windows®. It allows obtaining information from the Windows® event log based on the indicated patterns, providing the possibility to filter according to the source and event type.

The general format of this module is as follows:

module_begin
module_name MyEvent
module_type async_string
module_logevent
module_source <logName>
module_eventtype <event_type/level>
module_eventcode <event_id>
module_application <source>
module_pattern <text substring to match>
module_description
module_end

To avoid showing duplicated information, only those events which occurred since the last time the agent was executed will be considered.

module_logevent accepts the following parameters (all of them are case-sensitive):

• module_source: Event source (System, Application, Security). This field is mandatory.
• module_eventtype: Event type (failure, information...). This is an optional field.
• module_pattern: Pattern to search (substring). It is an optional field.
• module_eventcode: It is a numeric event ID, e.g. 5112. It is an optional field.
• module_application: Application source of the event registered on the log. Be careful not to mistake it by module_source which shows the source name or log file where the events are looked for.

For example, to show all events of an error type system,:

module_begin
module_name log_events
module_type generic_data_string
module_description System errors
module_logevent
module_source System
module_eventtype error
module_end

To show all events that contain the word PandoraAgent:

module_begin
module_name log_events_pandora
module_type async_string
module_description PandoraAgent related events
module_logevent
module_source System
module_pattern PandoraAgent
module_end

Example for filtering the following event:

module_begin
module_name MyEvent
module_type async_string
module_source Application
module_eventtype Information
module_eventcode 6000
module_application Winlogon
module_pattern unavailable to handle
module_description
module_end

1.6.2.18 module_logchannel

Version NG 715 or superior, only for MS Windows®.

Type of module that allows you to obtain information about Windows® log channels. Although module_logevent only has access to Windows® Logs, this type of module allows you to retrieve data from other log files that are configured as channels. That way, it is possible to obtain the logs included in service and application logs.

The general format of this module is as follows:

module_begin
module_name MyEvent
module_type async_string
module_logchannel
module_source <logChannel>
module_eventtype <event_type/level>
module_eventcode <event_id>
module_application <source>
module_pattern <text substring to match>
module_description <description>
module_end

To avoid displaying repeated information, only those events that took place since the start of the agent are taken into account.

module_logchannel accepts the following parameters (all (case-sensitive):

• module_source: Event channel. With the command wevtutil.exe enum-logs, a list of all the local log channels of the machine is obtained. Required field.
• module_eventtype: Event type (critical, error, warning, info or verbose). Optional field.
• module_pattern: Pattern to search (substring). Optional field.
• module_eventcode: Numeric ID of the event. Optional field.
• module_application: Application source of the event. Be careful not to mistake it with module_source which shows the source name or log file where events are looked for.

For example, the following module shows all information events of the channel Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler/Operational, with code 201 and with log text code 0:

module_begin
module_name New logs
module_type async_string
module_logchannel
module_description Successfully completed tasks
module_source Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler/Operational
module_eventtype information
module_eventcode 201
module_pattern code 0
module_end

With this module configuration, Pandora FMS agent would collect the following log:

To get the name of the event channel, right click on it, choose Properties and copy the parameter Full name, which is the one needed in module_source.

1.6.2.19 module_plugin

For agent plugin execution. It is a special case, since it does not require any other tag like module_begin or module_end, nor will it need the module type.

Syntax with its corresponding parameters:

module_plugin plugin_filename parameter_1 parameter_2 (...) parameter_X

However, it can be used between the usual module labels to add additional options such as conditions or interval:

module_begin
module_plugin plugin_filename parameter_1 parameter_2 parameter_3
module_interval 2
module_condition (0, 1) script.sh
module_end

The parameters to be used will be different for each plugin, so it will be necessary to refer to your particular documentation. We will describe the operation of one of the plugins that comes by default with the Agent, the grep_log plugin to search for matches in a file:

module_plugin grep_log /var/log/syslog Syslog ssh

In this example, the name of the plugin is 'grep_log' and it's going to search for the regular expression 'ssh' in the file '/var/log/syslog' which will be kept in a module called 'Syslog'.

Another example intended to be solely used on Windows-based systems (and only on versions 3.1 or later):

module_plugin cscript.exe //B "%ProgramFiles%\Pandora_Agent\util\df_percent.vbs"

1.6.2.20 module_ping

Only for Windows®.

module_ping <host>

This module pings the preset host and returns 1 if it is online.

Configuration parameters:

• module_ping_count x: Number of ECHO_REQUEST packages to be sent (1 by default).
• module_ping_timeout x: Timeout in milliseconds to wait for each reply (1000 by default).
• module_advanced_options: Advanced options for ping.exe.

Example:

module_begin
module_name Ping
module_type generic_proc
module_ping 192.168.1.1
module_ping_count 2
module_ping_timeout 500
module_end

1.6.2.21 module_snmpget

Only for MS Windows®.

module_snmpget

This module performs an SNMP get query and returns the requested value. The configuration parameters must be specified in the following lines like this:

• module_snmpversion [1,2c,3]: SNMP version (1 by default).
• module_snmp_community <community>: SNMP community (public by default).
• module_snmp_agent <host>: Target SNMP agent.
• module_snmp_oid <oid>: Target OID.
• module_advanced_options: Advanced options for snmpget.exe.

Example:

module_begin
module_name SNMP get
module_type generic_data
module_snmpget
module_snmpversion 1
module_snmp_community public
module_snmp_agent 192.168.1.1
module_snmp_oid .1.3.6.1.2.1.2.2.1.1.148
module_end

1.7 Automatic agent configuration

1.7.1 Introduction

Version NG 725 or superior.

In the agent configuration process, you may set a series of rules for your agents to be configured automatically. It works like this:

1. Prepare automatic configurations in your Pandora FMS Console o Pandora FMS Metaconsole.
2. Install the agents reporting towards your Pandora FMS (if you have a Metaconsole with the automatic provisioning system configured, set the Metaconsole itself as server).

1. Pandora FMS Server will receive an XML (.data) with the agent's data for the first time.

1. Rules will be evaluated for determining the automatic configuration to be applied.

1. The agent will retrieve the new configuration and report in the next cycle with the updated configuration.

1.7.2 Creation of an automatic agent configuration

Console

Access automatic configuration management through Configuration -> Manage agent autoconfiguration:

Metaconsole

Go to Advanced -> Agent management -> agent automatic configuration icon:

Once you access the management page, you may create new automatic configurations by clicking "Add new configuration definition". You will need to choose a name and description for its automatic configuration.

Once the new automatic configuration is created, you may see the configuration forms by clicking on the section you need:

1.7.2.1 Rules

To define the agents to which the automatic configuration will be applied, first add rules to identify them.

Deploy the rules section within your automatic configuration, and select Add new rule. You may choose a series of options in the rule selector to identify the agents to be configured.

Server name

Server name match.

Group name

Group name match.

OS

OS name match (uses regular expressions).

Custom field

Match by key/value based on a custom field reported by the agent. Specify the name of the custom field and the value it should have.

IP range

Match by IP range (network), use IP/mask notation, for example:

192.168.1.0/24

Script output (> 0)

Conceived to execute a script, whose result will be evaluated as valid as long as the standard output is higher than 0.

Call to the rule script

It supports the following macros in the 'arguments' field (you may choose between operators AND and OR to modify rule logic):

• • _agent_ : It will be replaced by the agent name.
  • _agentalias_ : It will be replaced by the agent's alias.
  • _address_ : It will be replaced by the main IP address, reported by the agent.
  • _agentgroup_ : It will be replaced by the group's nname, reported by the agent.
  • _agentos_ : It will be replaced by the agent's OS .

If you do not add any rules, the automatic configuration will not be applied. If you need a single configuration for all agents, you may use the following regular expression to match any alias: .*

1.7.2.2 Settings

From this section we will be able to configure:

Agent's group

You may keep it unchanged or force it to be a specific one.

Secondary groups

The groups selected here will be added as secondary groups to the agent.

Policies

You may select policies to be applied automatically when the agent reaches the server.

Configuration block

It adds the extra raw configuration to the agent configuration file.

Note: If you try to access automatic configuration management from a node belonging to a Metaconsole, with centralized management active, the view will be read-only:

1.7.2.3 Extra Actions

From this section you may associate other actions to the auto-configuration, for example:

1. Launch custom event
2. Launch alert alert action
3. Launch script

The system supports the following macros:

_agent_ 

It will be replaced by the agent name.

_agentalias_ 

It will be replaced by the agent alias.

_address_ 

It will be replaced by the main IP address, reported by the agent.

_agentgroup_ 

It will be replaced by the group name, reported by the agent.

_agentos_ 

It will be replaced by the agent's OS.

_agentid_ 

It will be replaced by the agent's ID.

1.8 UNIX / Linux Agents

1.8.1 Pandora FMS UNIX Agents Configuration

The fundamental paths and directories to consider are:

• /usr/share/pandora_agent: Where Pandora FMS agent is installed. In systems where this is not possible for reasons like a strict system policy, we recommend creating a link to this path from the real installation path, e.g. /opt/pandora -> /usr/share/pandora_agent.

• /etc/pandora/pandora_agent.conf: Main agent configuration file. Local execution modules ans agent plugins are configured here.

• * /usr/local/bin/pandora_agent: Agent executable binary. It usually has a link to /usr/bin/pandora_agent.

• /usr/local/bin/tentacle_client: Tentacle executable binary, for file transfer to the server. It ususlly has a link to /usr/bin/tentacle_client.

• /etc/init.d/pandora_agent_daemon: Start/stop/restar script. In AIX systems, the daemon is /etc/rc.pandora_agent_daemon.

• /var/log/pandora/pandora_agent.log: Text file where the activity of Pandora FMS agent is kept if the agent is executed in depuration mode.

• /etc/pandora/plugins: Directory that keeps the agent's plugins. It is linked to /usr/share/pandora_agent/plugins.

• /etc/pandora/collections: Directory containing the collections of the agent. It is linked to the directory /usr/share/pandora_agent/collections.

1.8.2 Initial Execution of a UNIX Agent

To start the agent, simply execute:

/etc/init.d/pandora_agent_daemon start

To stop the agent, just execute:

/etc/init.d/pandora_agent_daemon stop

This boot script will be able to start or stop the Pandora FMS agent, which will be running in the system as a daemon by default after started.

1.8.3 Altering the way UNIX Agents obtain system information

As we saw in the configuration section, there are some modules that obtain the information in a predefined way without having to specify a command with module_exec. These modules are:

• module_procmem
• module_freedisk
• module_freepercentdisk
• module_cpuproc
• module_proc
• module_procmem
• module_cpuusage
• module_freememory
• module_freepercentmemory

It is possible to modify the operation of these modules by directly editing the agent executable (/usr/bin/pandora_agent by default). Pandora FMS agent is generally located in /usr/bin/pandora_agent.

Search for the Commands to retrieve string that contains the code with the internal commands. You may make the modifications you need to adapt them to your system.

# Commands to retrieve total memory information in kB
use constant TOTALMEMORY_CMDS => {
	linux => 'cat /proc/meminfo  | grep MemTotal: | awk \'{ print $2 }\,
	solaris => 'MEM=`prtconf | grep Memory | awk \'{print $3}\'` bash -c \'echo $(( 1024 * $MEM ))\,
	hpux => 'swapinfo -t | grep memory | awk \'{print $2}\
};

# Commands to retrieve partition information in kB
use constant PART_CMDS => {
	# total, available, mount point
	linux => 'df -P | awk \'NR > 1 {print $2, $4, $6}\,
	solaris => 'df -k | awk \'NR > 1 {print $2, $4, $6}\,
	hpux => 'df -P | awk \'NR > 1 {print $2, $4, $6}\,
	aix => 'df -kP | awk \'NR > 1 {print $2, $4, $6}\
};

To change any of the predefined values to get the information, just edit the command but be careful with the following:

1. Check that blocks { }; always end in semi-colon.
2. Check that commands are between ' ' symbols.
3. In turn, within said simple quotation marks, you may need additional ones, like ` ` (see the previous example).
4. Check that any simple quotation mark that you may want to use in the command is preceded by \, that means \'. For instance, this command that usually would be:

df -P | awk 'NR > 1 {print $2, $4, $6}'

Will be

df -P | awk \'NR > 1 {print $2, $4, $6}\'

1.9 Pandora FMS Windows Agents

1.9.1 Configuration of Pandora FMS Windows Agent

The fundamental paths and directories in the Windows agent installation will be found in the directory where the agent is installed, by default %ProgramFiles%.

The most important ones to keep in mind are:

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent

Where Pandora FMS agent, its executable and its directories are installed.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\pandora_agent.conf

Agent configuration main file. Local execution modules and agent plugins are configured here.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\PandoraAgent.exe

Executable agent binary.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\util\tentacle_client.exe

Tentacle executable binary for transferring files to the server.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\scripts

Pandora FMS agent start/stop/restart scripts.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\pandora_agent.log

Text file where Pandora FMS agent activity is saved, when the agent is executed in debug mode.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\util

Directory containing the agent plugins.

%ProgramFiles%\pandora_agent\collections

Directory containing the agent's collections.

1.10 Software agent automatic deployment

You may deploy software agents by using the deployment central through the Discovery system, more information in this link.

1.11 Auto-updating Software Agents

Using file collections and pandora_update tool you may provide a way to "auto-update" software agents.

pandora_update tool requires Perl's Digest::MD5 module to work. It is included by default from Perl 5.14, but for earlier versions it has to be manually installed.

It works the following way:

1. Agents receive new binaries in the file collection's incoming directory.

Windows® example:

c:\program files\pandora_agent\collections\fc_1\PandoraAgent.exe

Linux® example:

/etc/pandora/collections/fc_1/pandora_agent

2. The agent runs pandora_update plugin. This plugin receives a single parameter: the short name of the collection (in this example, fc_1). It will scan the collection directory for the agent binary, compare the binary located in the collection with the one currently running and if they are different, pandora_update stops the agent, replaces the binary and restarts the agent again using the new binary.

To update different architectures, a different collection must be established for each one of them. For example, if you need to update 32-bit and 64-bit Windows® agents, you will have to create two collections and include the corresponding PandoraAgent.exe binary in each one of them.

3. Pandora_update also writes the updated event into a small log, to be able to recover in the next execution and warn the user (by using an async_string) about the agent update process.

This means that the used modules could be configured to have a high interval to perform the update process.

UNIX Standard Installation

module_begin
module_name Pandora_Update
module_type async_string
module_interval 20
module_exec nohup /etc/pandora/plugins/pandora_update fc_1 2> /dev/null && tail -1 nohup.out 2> /dev/null
module_description Module to check new version of pandora agent and update itself
module_end

UNIX Custon Installation

module_begin
module_name Pandora_Update
module_type async_string
module_interval 20
module_exec nohup /var/opt/PandoraFMS/etc/pandora/plugins/pandora_update fc_1 /var/opt/PandoraFMS 2> /dev/null && tail -1 nohup.out 2> /dev/null
module_description Module to check new version of pandora agent and update itself
module_end

The pandora_update supports as second parameter Pandora FMS installation directory path, you do not need to specify it if installation was performed in the default path.

Windows®

module_begin
module_name Pandora_Update
module_type async_string
module_interval 20
module_exec pandora_update.exe fc_1
module_description Module to check new version of pandora agent and update itself
module_end

1.12 Agent / Module Autocreation from XML File / Learning Mode

Agents can be configured from the console in three working modes:

• Learning mode: If the XML received from the software agent contains new modules, they will be automatically created. This is the default behavior.
• Normal mode: No new modules will be created that arrive in XML if they have not been previously declared in the console.
• Autodisable mode: Similar to learning mode, in this mode, also, if all modules pass to unknown state the agent will be automatically disabled, going to be enabled again if it receives new information.

1.12.1 Loaded Data from the XML in the Creation of an Agent

The data that is incorporated into the agent at the moment of its creation automatically when receiving an XML is the following:

• Agent name.
• Agent's IP address.
• Agent description.
• Agent's parent.
• Timezone offset.
• Group.
• Operating system.
• Agent interval.
• Agent version
• Custom fields.
• Custom ID.
• URL address.
• Agent mode: Learning, Normal, Autodisable.

1.12.2 Data modified in the Agent when receiving XML (Learning Mode enabled)

• Agent's IP address.
• Agent's parent .
• OS Version.
• Agent's version.
• Timezone.
• Custom fields.

The GIS data are always updated (if enabled). It doesn't matter at all if the learning mode is enabled or not.

In addition, with the learning mode activated, new modules will be created in Pandora FMS when received through XMLs.

1.12.3 Data added to the Module on Creation Time

The data entered in the module the first time an XML is received is as follows:

• Name.
• Type.
• Description.
• Max Min value filter.
• Post process.
• Module interval.
• Min / Max Critical.
• Min / Max Warning.
• Disabled module.
• Units.
• Module group.
• Custom ID.
• Str. Warning / Critical.
• Critical instructions.
• Warning instructions.
• Unknown instructions.
• Tags.
• Critical inversion mode.
• Warning inversion mode.
• Quiet mode.
• Min. FF Threshold.
• Alert template.
• Crontab.

1.12.4 Loaded Data when Module already exists

When an XML containing information from an existing module is received, only the description and extended information are updated, in addition to the module data.

Go back to Pandora FMS documentation index