NetQC(Manual)

NAME
netqc - Network monitoring system using SNMP

SYNOPSIS
netqc < conf.file

DESCRIPTION
netqc is a small management system, based on Net-SNMP package, which prime aim is providing an easy and efficient way for remote managing of SNMP enabled devices within LANs. It supports MySQL logging, which can be used for web-front representation of the different events on the monitored entities. There's an option for logging in NetQC native log file or through syslog facility. As NetQC is primerly designed as a network monitoring system, what we are talking here is some devices (PCs, hubs, routers, switches ) being controlled. To achieve this you should first make sure NetQC knows about them. Basically, you can do this with all SNMP-aware entities. Here we provide some quick guides about that configuration.

CONFIGURATION
First it must be pointed that the configuration issues have two aspects:

•   configuring the SNMP-agents . This take place at the very devices / hosts. You should check your device vendors documentation about specific information. If you use Net-snmp there, you'd better have a look at their site(www.netsnmp.org)

•   configuring the netqc-server itself. (bellow)
There's three possible types of configuration directives in netqc.conf.

-   Global directives log_file Point to the NetQC log file. This is where all server's messages are being logged, as well as the 'log'-actions events. mysql Either ON or OFF. If you compiled NetQC without Mysql support or just don't want to have database logging, you may turn it off here. mysql_host Mysql server's host. Make sure you have mysql=ON directive. mysql_user The user we are logging as. It depends wholy on your decision when making the mysql database itself. mysql_pass Same as the above. You should be cautios with the permissions of the NetQC configuration file. If not properly set(read-only permissions for the user running NetQC) it may reveal security holes into your system. mysql_db You can freely chose the database name where NetQc will be putting all its data. If not default(netqc) change this line appropriately. sleep Time interval between two pollings. Well, as this is the first version of NetQc, there's no sleep-setting on per-host basis. This is high in my TODO-list however.

-   Entity directive [hostname:community:version]

    Colon separated list of hostname of the remote entity, community phrase and SNMP version. The valid version strings are ``v1'' or ``v3'' (default v3). If there's no set community string, the default is ``public''. You could ommit it only if SNMP version is also ommitted.

-   OID directive OID event action parameter start_counter repeat_counter break_counter
Lines like this one represent a monitored entity's variable. As a rule of thumb, make sure you never forget the leading dot( .) in front of such line. It tells NetQC this line is about an OID. Have a look for examples in the instalation directory conf-file. The seconf field is the event-field. Possible values(so far) are:

•   onSame - the action gets active when there's no change in OID's value between two pollings

•   onChange - there is a change

•   onNonZero - do the action provided the value of the OID is not zero

•   <value - action if the OIDs value is less than value

•   >value - action if the OIDs value is greeater then value

•   everything else in this field makes NetQC compare the OID's value from the last polling with this field.
action One of the following:

•   log Log to the NetQC native log-file(see log_file)

•   syslog Use syslog(3) facility.

•   notify (in TODO list)

parameter - most frequently the logging/syslog message

start_counter, repeat_counter, break_counteer These three counters provide an efficent mechanism of managing the logging proccess. Suppose, we have active event, but we think it's normal for that OID to have that value occasionally , so we don't want to be noticed every time when the event is present. So, we set start_conter to 10 for example. In this case, we'll be noticed(log/syslog) every tenth time(provided the event is still present during that period).Thus, if the event is active during 10 NetQC cycles, we'll be informed just once. The repeat_counter determines how many times the action will be exuceted before checking the break_counter. So, for example, if it is set to 3, and break_counter=2, NetQC will log an active event acording to the action-field three times, then pause for 2 cycles(if the event is still active). Afterwards NetQC will use only the last two fields, e.g the start_counter is used just once, when the event arises for the first time. Changing the status of event-field(not active any more) moves the counting of start, repeat and break-counter back.

FILES
If you've installed from source tarball, check in the installation directory. FreeBSD ports users can check the example configuration file in /usr/local/etc

EXAMPLES
See FILES above

AUTHORS
Radoslav Vasilev Tsenov Academy of Economics Svishtov, Bulgaria