[smokeping-users] Optimizing Smokeping - how many tasks can I run

[Peter Kristolaitis]

FPing sends out its requests in parallel (more or less, it's actually a 
multi-threaded round-robin model).  The way it will work with your 
config is that SmokePing will invoke FPing once every 120 seconds with 
all 528 targets, and FPing will poll the hosts in parallel.   If the 
FPing process doesn't complete and return a result set within 120 
seconds, SmokePing will kill it, issue the warning you're seeing, and 
then start the next poll cycle.

There is no hard-and-fast rule to determining the maximum number of 
targets for any given steps and pings setting; it largely depends on the 
typical network conditions for your site(s);  if you expect a lot of 
hosts to respond slowly or not at all on a frequent basis, you might 
need to lower pings or increase steps.

The other option is to implement multiple probe instances -- you can 
configure SmokePing to use multiple FPing probe 'groups', and configure 
different groups of hosts to use different probes (e.g. probe A will 
handle hosts 0-99;  probe B will handle hosts 100-199; etc).   SmokePing 
will kick off one FPing process for each probe instance, but with the 
same pings and steps -- so instead of waiting for 500+ hosts to respond 
to 10 pings in 120 seconds, you're only waiting for 100 hosts.  If one 
probe group exceeds the time limit, you'll still get results for the 
other ones.

Unfortunately, the settings that will work best with your site are 
largely a function of experience and tuning;  over time you'll tweak the 
settings to be appropriate to your site.    As a first step, I recommend 
investigating the multiple-probe option, as it doesn't require changes 
to your RRD files.   Check the SmokePing docs for information on how to 
set up multiple probes.

- Peter


On 09/07/2010 10:41 AM, Mersberger, Robert wrote:
> I am running version 20070126 with steps =120 and pings =10 and 
> currently have 528 targets.  I very seldom see warning message where 
> step has been exceeded.  How can I determine the max number of targets 
> that will work under this configuration?
> Dose Smokeping (Fping) send out all 10 pings at the same time or does 
> it cycle through each target.
> Trying to understand.
> Robert Mersberger
> LAN Consultant, Information Technology
> Phone 479-201-3442
> Fax 479-478-3837
> Email robert.mersberger at goldenliving.com
> _www.Goldenliving.com_
> Golden Living
> 1000 Fianna Way
> Fort Smith, AR 72919
>
> _  ________________________________ _
> Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
>
> CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE:
> This e-mail message and any attachment(s) (collectively,
> this 'Email') are intended only for the confidential use of
> the recipient(s) named above. If the reader of this message
> is not the intended recipient named above or an agent
> responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient
> named above, you have received this Email in error.
> Please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete
> this Email and any copies thereof.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> smokeping-users mailing list
> smokeping-users at lists.oetiker.ch
> https://lists.oetiker.ch/cgi-bin/listinfo/smokeping-users
>    

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.oetiker.ch/pipermail/smokeping-users/attachments/20100709/d083de0c/attachment.htm