Restart process - check_multi as event handler

This is a short example for a very simple event handler. In Nagios this is a little bit more complicated ;).
The example makes use of the check_multi feature to execute child checks sequently.

1. First check if a specific process is running
2. Evaluate the result of check 1 and restart process if its not running
3. Second check for the process, it checks the result of step 2. (If step 2 was not necessary, it's redundant )

Simple, isn't it?

check_multi -f start_process.cmd -s PROC=<process> -s ARGS=<args>

• Parameters:
  • PROC - name of the process to monitor and restart
  • ARGS - arguments to start the process (and to distinguish it from others)

The start_proc.cmd file is available in the check_multi package or here.

• OK
  • if process is running
• UNKNOWN:
  • none
• WARNING
  • if process was NOT running and was successfully started by start_process.cmd
• CRITICAL
  • if process was NOT running and start_process.cmd was not able to restart it.

#
# start_process.cmd
#
# (c) Matthias Flacke, 5.4.2008
# 
# starts process if not already started and checks result
#
# check_multi -f start_proc.cmd -s PROC=<process> -s ARGS=<args>
#
# 1. check for process
command [ proc_before ] = check_procs -c 1: -C "$PROC$" -a "$ARGS$"
#
# 2. start process in background
eeval [ start_proc ] = \
        ( $STATE_proc_before$ != 0 ) \
                ? ( system("$PROC$ $ARGS$ &") != 0 ) \
                        ? "- failed: $?" \
                        : "- done" \
                :  "- not necessary, already running"
#
# 3. check process again (ok, maybe redundant ;-))
command [ proc_after ] = check_procs -c 1: -C "$PROC$" -a "$ARGS$"
#
# 4. state evaluation
state [ OK       ] = proc_before == OK     && proc_after == OK
state [ WARNING  ] = proc_before != OK     && proc_after == OK
state [ CRITICAL ] = start_proc =~/failed/ || proc_after == CRITICAL

• nsca is not running - note the WARNING overall state:

nagios@thinkpad:~> check_multi -f etc/start_process.cmd -s PROC=nsca -s ARGS="-c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nsca.cfg"
WARNING - 3 plugins checked, 1 critical (proc_before), 2 ok
[ 1] proc_before PROCS CRITICAL: 0 processes with command name 'nsca', args '-c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nsca.cfg'
[ 2] start_proc - done
[ 3] proc_after PROCS OK: 1 process with command name 'nsca', args '-c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nsca.cfg'

• nsca is already running:

nagios@thinkpad:~> check_multi -f etc/start_process.cmd -s PROC=nsca -s ARGS="-c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nsca.cfg"
OK - 3 plugins checked, 3 ok
[ 1] proc_before PROCS OK: 1 process with command name 'nsca', args '-c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nsca.cfg'
[ 2] start_proc - not necessary, already running
[ 3] proc_after PROCS OK: 1 process with command name 'nsca', args '-c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nsca.cfg'