Werk #5612: Monitoring SNMP hosts with SNMP management boards is possible. New services for SNMP management boards are available.

Component Checks & agents
Title Monitoring SNMP hosts with SNMP management boards is possible. New services for SNMP management boards are available.
Date Jan 11, 2018
Checkmk Edition Checkmk Raw (CRE)
Checkmk Version 1.5.0i3
Level Trivial Change
Class New Feature
Compatibility Compatible - no manual interaction needed

For a single SNMP agent running on a device, each OID has a unique meaning defined in the relevant MIBs. Devices with SNMP management boards which can be configured in Check_MK, however, can have multiple SNMP agents relevant to the device. A Check_MK check plugin therefore needs to be able to distinguish between data sent by the management board and data sent by the host itself to avoid picking random data.

Example: snmp_uptime. Both data sources provide data for this check plugin and it's not clear which one should be used.

We address this problem as follows: In the case of multiple data sources which would use the same check plugin we implement new ones with the same functionality. Moreover a new check_info attribute 'management_board' is introduced which can have one of the following four values:

  • MGMT_PRECEDENCE Use management board address/credentials eg. when it's a SNMP host. Otherwise host's address/credentials are used.

  • MGMT_ONLY Check is only executed for management boards.

  • HOST_PRECEDENCE Use host address/credentials eg. when it's a SNMP HOST

  • HOST_ONLY Check is only executed for real SNMP hosts.

Furthermore these management board specific services have the prefix 'Management Interface: ' in their service description.

Example: snmp_uptime and mgmt_snmp_uptime. snmp_uptime is used for SNMP host and mgmt_snmp_uptime is used for the related SNMP management board. Second one has the service description 'Management Interface: Uptime'.

Notes for check plugin development: - Management board specific check types have the check_info attribute 'management_board' set to 'MGMT_ONLY'. The service descriptions of these plugins must start with 'Management Interface: '.

  • Convention: Prefix 'Management board'-ONLY check plugin names with 'mgmt_'.

  • At the moment the check_info attribute 'management_board' is only used for SNMP check types.

  • The default value of check_info attribute 'management_board' is 'HOST_PRECEDENCE'.

  • MGMT_PRECEDENCE Use this key if a host may have a management board. If yes this check type uses the management board as data source, otherwise the host's one.

  • MGMT_ONLY: Use this key if a host and its SNMP management board provide data for the same check plugin. In order to avoid overlapping discoverable services, create two check plugin types with same functionality. Make use of include files. One is used for the host itself, the other one has the additional service description prefix 'Management Interface: ' and uses the check_info attribute 'management_board' which is set to MGMT_ONLY.

Example: Have a look at the snmp_uptime and mgmt_snmp_uptime checks which are a good example for this feature.

  • HOST_PRECEDENCE Always use the SNMP host's credentials regardless whether this host has a management board or not.

  • HOST_ONLY This check plugin will be used if you want to contact a real host and not a management board.

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