Shinken-configuration.md

Shinken configuration

The Shinken configuration files are located in /etc/shinken directory.

Note: All the files creation and modification should be made when lloged in with the shinken user.

Shinken main configuration file

The main interesting part of this file are documented hereunder

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/shinken.cfg

   ...
   # Fred: default is 60 minutes, it is better every 15 minutes
   # Number of minutes between 2 retention save, here 1hour
   retention_update_interval=60

   ...
   # Fred: unnecessary and noisy when checking configuration.
   # if 1, disable all notice and warning messages at
   # configuration checking
   disable_old_nagios_parameters_whining=1

Main server configuration

Main server is monitored using SNMP checks.

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/hosts/localhost.cfg

   define host{
           use                     generic-host, linux-snmp, important
           contact_groups          admins
           host_name               shinken
           alias                   Shinken
           display_name            Shinken monitoring server
           address                 127.0.0.1
           }

Hosts

For adding hosts, see this document.

Contacts

By default, I configured three contacts (admin, support and guest) and two contacts groups (admins and guests).

Note: the contact password defined in the password property is only to be used for Web UI login.

Defined contacts

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/contacts/admin.cfg

   # Administrator
   define contact{
      use                 generic-contact
      contact_name        admin
      alias               Big brother
      email               shinken@localhost
      pager               0600000000
      password            **********
      is_admin            1
      expert              1
   }

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/contacts/support.cfg

   # Support
   define contact{
      use             generic-contact
      contact_name    support
      alias           Support
      email           frederic.mohier@gmail.com
      pager           0600000000
      password        **********
      is_admin        1
      expert          1
   }

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/contacts/guest.cfg

   # Guest user
   # Fred: Change its password or remove this contact ...
   define contact{
      use                 generic-contact
      contact_name        guest
      alias               Guest
      email               guest@localhost
      password            ********
      can_submit_commands 0
   }

Defined contacts groups

To add a contact to a contacts groups, simply add its contact_name to the members property of the group.

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/contactgroups/admins.cfg

define contactgroup{
   contactgroup_name   admins
   alias               Administrators
   members             admin
}

Business impact

Business impact defines an importance level for host or service. From 0 (not important) to 5 (top for business).

An host can be affected a business impact in two ways:

• business_impact property, valued from 0 to 5
• use a predefined tag (preferred way): no-importance, qualification, production, important, top-for-business

Set the BI tag in the host use list property to affect a business impact to an host.

shinken@shinken:~$ vi /etc/shinken/templates/business-impact.cfg


# Some business impact templates. The default value for
# business impact is 2, mean "ok it's prod". 1 means, low
# 0 mean none. For top value, the higher the most important ;)
define host{
       name             qualification
       register         0
       business_impact  1
}

# 0 is for no importance at all, and no notification
define host{
       name                     no-importance
       register                 0
       business_impact          0
       notifications_enabled    0
}

# Ok we start to be important
define host{
       name             production
       register         0
       business_impact  3
}


# It began to be very  important
define host{
       name             important
       register         0
       business_impact  4
}


# TOP FOR BUSINESS!
define host{
       name             top-for-business
       register         0
       business_impact  5
}


# Some business impact templates. The default value for
# business impact is 2, mean "ok it's prod". 1 means, low
# 0 mean none. For top value, the higher the most important ;)
define service{
       name             qualification
       register         0
       business_impact  1
}

# 0 is for no importance at all, and no notification
define service{
       name                     no-importance
       register                 0
       business_impact          0
       notifications_enabled    0
}

# Ok we start to be important
define service{
       name             production
       register         0
       business_impact  3
}


# It began to be very  important
define service{
       name             important
       register         0
       business_impact  4
}


# TOP FOR BUSINESS!
define service{
       name             top-for-business
       register         0
       business_impact  5
}