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Werk #10601: Auto migration of check plugins to new section definitions

Component Checks & agents
Title Auto migration of check plugins to new section definitions
Date Mar 20, 2020
Level Prominent Change
Class New Feature
Compatibility Incompatible - Manual interaction might be required
Checkmk versions & editions
2.0.0i1
Not yet released 		Checkmk Raw (CRE), Checkmk Enterprise (CEE), Checkmk MSP (CME)
2.0.0i1
Not yet released 		Checkmk Raw (CRE), Checkmk Enterprise (CEE), Checkmk MSP (CME)
2.0.0i1
Not yet released 		Checkmk Raw (CRE), Checkmk Enterprise (CEE), Checkmk MSP (CME)
2.0.0i1
Not yet released 		Checkmk Raw (CRE), Checkmk Enterprise (CEE), Checkmk MSP (CME)
2.0.0i1 Checkmk Raw (CRE), Checkmk Enterprise (CEE), Checkmk MSP (CME)

We are now converting all plugins to the format expected by the new API for check and inventory plugins.

This 'auto-migration' is done in memory upon loading the plugins, all files will remain unchanged on disk.

Migrated are plugins from

  • share/check_mk/checks
  • local/share/check_mk/checks
  • share/check_mk/inventory
  • local/share/check_mk/inventory

Although we are trying to migrate as many check and inventory plugins as possible on the fly, for some plugins this may fail. You can check for failing auto-migrations running the command cmk -R. You will be informed of any auto-migration failures.

If that is the case, you have to migrate your plugin manually.

These are the anticipated reasons why auto-migration may fail:

A cluster aware checkplugin

Checkmk refuses to auto-migrate cluster aware check plugins (those with node_info set to True). Auto converting the data layout is too error prone.

Checkplugins using 'extra_sections'

Checkmk refuses to auto-migrate check plugins that make use of the 'extra_sections' feature. In the new API the destiction between the regular section and additional 'extra_sections' is not made, and all section content will be passed in its 'parsed' version. Please refer to the Sphinx documentation of register.check_plugin for details on the usage of the sections keyword.

A missing SNMP scan function

Every Checkplugin that specifies an 'snmp_info' key must specify 'snmp_scan_function' as well.

A complex SNMP scan function

If Checkmk fails to auto-migrate a legacy SNMP plugin to a section definition, this is most likely due to an elaborate scan function. For the auto-migration to work, the scan function must be fairly simple. Make sure your scan function has the following properties:

  • it only consists of one single return statement
  • it does not in turn call other functions (not even 'all' or 'any')
  • it does not negate compound expressions

If in doubt, take a look at scan functions that succeed to be migrated to see what options are available.

Known limitations

  • HostLabels are only supported via the new API (see werk #11117)

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