Installation

• Configure watcher.cscf to listen on cacti.cscf's IP:
• Edit /etc/network/interfaces and add the following lines to the end:

        # cacti.cscf
        auto eth0:1
        iface eth0:1 inet static
            address 129.97.15.231
            netmask 255.255.255.0
            network 129.97.15.0
        

  • The eth0:1 interface represents an alias for eth0. You should make sure that eth0:1 is unique; you can use eth0:2, eth0:3, etc... if you need multiple aliases.
  • ifup eth0:1

• Install Apache and add the cacti vhost:
  • sudo apt-get install apache2 libapache2-mod-php5
  • Edit (as root) /etc/apache2/sites-available/cacti and add the following lines:

            <VirtualHost cacti.cscf>
                ServerName cacti.cscf.uwaterloo.ca
                ServerAlias cacti cacti.cscf
                DocumentRoot /usr/share/cacti/site
                # redirect to fqdn
                RewriteEngine On
                RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^cacti$|^cacti\.cscf$ [NC]
                RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://cacti.cscf.uwaterloo.ca$1 [R=301,L]
            </VirtualHost>
            

  • Enable mod_rewrite: sudo a2enmod rewrite
  • Enable the cacti vhost: sudo a2ensite cacti

• Install cacti (and dependencies)
  • sudo apt-get install mysql-server cacti
  • Restart apache: sudo invoke-rc.d apache2 restart
  • Go to http://cacti.cscf/ and configure cacti (defaults should be fine)
  • We need cacti 0.8.7 but Gutsy Gibbon only includes 0.8.6. To install 0.8.7:
    • Download cacti 0.8.7 from http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/web/cacti
    • sudo dpkg -i cacti_0.8.7-1_all.deb
    • Go to http://cacti.cscf/ and perform the upgrade

Performance Tuning

• First you'll want to add some additional indexes by executing the following mysql statements (after selecting the cacti db) (e.g. in phpmyadmin):
  • ALTER TABLE `data_input_data` ADD INDEX ( value(8) )
  • ALTER TABLE `data_input_data` ADD INDEX ( t_value )
  • ALTER TABLE `graph_templates_item` ADD INDEX ( task_item_id )
  • ALTER TABLE `data_template_data` ADD INDEX ( data_input_id )
  • ALTER TABLE `data_local` ADD INDEX ( data_template_id )
  • ALTER TABLE `data_local` ADD INDEX ( host_id )

• I also compiled and installed spine, the cacti c-based poller, as the php-based one was very slow:
  • Download cacti-spine-0.8.7.tar.gz from http://cacti.net/spine_download.php
  • tar -xf cacti-spine-0.8.7.tar.gz; cd cacti-spine-0.8.7
  • aclocal; libtoolize --force; autoconf; autoheader; automake; ./configure
  • make
  • sudo make install
  • sudo cp spine.conf /etc/
  • sudo chmod o-r /etc/spine.conf
  • sudo nano /etc/spine.conf
    • Edit the login details, which you can find in /etc/cacti/debian.php
  • Goto Cacti Settings -> Paths and change the spine path to /usr/local/sbin/spine
  • Goto Cacti Settings -> Poller and change the poller type to spine

Usage

You must run add_device_and_graphs.php as root (e.g. 'sudo add_device_and_graphs.php ...') on watcher.cscf.

add_device_and_graphs.php

NAME
    add_device_and_graphs.php

SYNOPSIS
    add_device_and_graphs.php [options] template hostname [tree]

DESCRIPTION
    Adds hostname to cacti and creates all relevant graphs indicated by
    template. Note that template may a partial string, as long as the string
    matches unambiguously to a single host template. If tree is specified,
    then the host is inserted into the graph tree. Header may be a path of
    partial strings, separated by forward-slashes (e.g. linux/cpu).

    -n=name
        name of device; defaults to hostname

    -c=community
        the public/read community; default UofW

    -v=version
        the snmp version; default 2

    -p=port
        the snmp port; default 161

    -i=ethX[,ethY...]
        list of interfaces to graph; prompt for interfaces by default

    -i  
        graph all interfaces

    -i32
        use 32-bit counters (defaults to 64-bit counters); this is needed for
        Solaris hosts, NetApps, and UPSes

    -dio=disk[,disk...]
        list of disks to graph disk i/o for; prompt for disks by default

    [The following are planned features; they are currently incomplete]

    -ts=sensor[,sensor...]
        list of temperature sensors to graph; prompt for sensors by default

    -fs=sensor[,sensor...]
        list of fan sensors to graph; prompt for sensors by default

    -dt=disk[,disk...]
        list of disks to graph temperatures for; prompt for disks by default

AUTHOR
    Written by David Bartley (dtbartle).

delete_device_and_graphs.php

NAME
    delete_device_and_graphs.php

SYNOPSIS
    delete_device_and_graphs.php hostname

DESCRIPTION
    Deletes hostname and associated graphs from cacti.

AUTHOR
    Written by David Bartley (dtbartle).

add_combined_graph.php

NAME
    add_combined_graph.php

SYNOPSIS
    add_combined_graphs.php [options] title
    data-template[*snmp-field*snmp-value][^data-source-name] tree
    [source-trees ...]

DESCRIPTION
    Adds a combined graph. The data-template argument indicates the type of
    data to graph (e.g. Logged in Users) and may be a partial string. The
    graph will be created at the specified tree. The source-tree arguments
    indicate which trees or hosts to include in the graph. If source-tree is
    a tree all children hosts will be added.

    -f=functions
        a comma-separated list of functions to include; possible functions
        are max, min, avg, and cur

    -w=width
        graph width

    -h=height
        graph height

    -r=yes|y|no|n|p|prompt
        whether to replace graphs with the same title; the default is to
        prompt when a graph with the same title is found

AUTHOR
    Written by David Bartley (dtbartle).

-- DavidBartley