Re: [gentoo-user] Re: {OT} tried Nimsoft Monitoring?

[Grant <emailgrant@gmail.com>]

> Munin and jffnms bear no real relation to each other. Yes they are
> similar in that both can draw graphs but that's about where the
> similarity ends.
>
> Munin's job is to periodically poll a device using whatever means is
> available and gather data from the device. The data is always in the
> form of a number - it measures something. The data can be anything you
> can generate a number for - logged in users, traffic through an
> interface, load, number of database queries. The list is endless. Point
> being, the device/computer/hosts reports it's own numbers to munin, and
> munin draws graphs. Munin does not record state, it has no idea what the
> state of something is.
>
> Nagios is a problem child, it does not do what people assume it does (I
> have constant fights about this at work). Nagios is a state monitoring
> and reporting engine (simply because this is what it does well and
> everything else it does it does poorly). Nagios will track if things are
> up or down, if you acknowledged the condition and when, who to notify
> when state changes (sms, mail, dashboard etc etc).
>
> What Nagios does poorly (despite this being it's advertised purpose) is
> getting state events into the system. It really really sucks at this and
> is coded from an extremely narrow point of view. Which explains the
> numerous forks around (they all implement vital real world features that
> Ethan refuses to commit).
>
> jffnms is something I don't use myself, but it looks like the same class
> of app as Nagios. Don't be fooled into choosing between munin and
> nagios/jffnms - they are not the same thing, not even close. Use both.

Understood.  Thank you James and Alan.

- Grant