NAmpel is a network visualization tool that uses Nagios and status LEDs connected to a parallel port to display network status. It runs as a background process on a computer.
NAmpel is a noteworthy software tool that allows users to visualize the state of a network using Nagios and a set of status LED lights attached to a parallel port. This software, titled the 'Nagios Ampel Project', was created to keep a closer eye on a user's network status. It leverages Nagios, an open-source monitoring program for host, service, and network metrics.
The Ampel in NAmpel is actually the German word for "traffic lights", which is the intended hardware component of this project. NAmpel is designed to resemble traffic lights, providing users with an instantly recognizable and easy-to-understand reference for the state of their network. Three different lights provide valuable information: green indicates everything is working as expected, orange signifies that there is at least one warning, and red implies that one or more services are in "critical" condition.
Inspired by an idea published on the Nagios website, NAmpel's software component is a Perl script that monitors the 'Tactical Overview' of Nagios at specific intervals, writing the results to the parallel port. The script uses four bits, with bit 0 representing green, bit 1 for the yellow light, and bit 2 for the red light. Additionally, the software includes a fourth light (blue), which serves as a 'heartbeat' signal, flashing once per second to confirm the daemon is still running.
Detailed instructions for building the hardware component will be available on the developer's website shortly. It is derived from a project that can be found on easy-mod (in German). One notable improvement in the latest release is that there is no longer a need to modify the script, as there is now an adequate configuration file with handling of default values. Additionally, debugging is significantly easier with this new release, thanks to the debug configuration directive.
Overall, NAmpel is an excellent and well-designed software tool, ideal for visualizing a network's health status quickly and effectively. Its traffic-light approach is simple and efficient, making it a valuable monitoring tool for any network administrator.
The Ampel in NAmpel is actually the German word for "traffic lights", which is the intended hardware component of this project. NAmpel is designed to resemble traffic lights, providing users with an instantly recognizable and easy-to-understand reference for the state of their network. Three different lights provide valuable information: green indicates everything is working as expected, orange signifies that there is at least one warning, and red implies that one or more services are in "critical" condition.
Inspired by an idea published on the Nagios website, NAmpel's software component is a Perl script that monitors the 'Tactical Overview' of Nagios at specific intervals, writing the results to the parallel port. The script uses four bits, with bit 0 representing green, bit 1 for the yellow light, and bit 2 for the red light. Additionally, the software includes a fourth light (blue), which serves as a 'heartbeat' signal, flashing once per second to confirm the daemon is still running.
Detailed instructions for building the hardware component will be available on the developer's website shortly. It is derived from a project that can be found on easy-mod (in German). One notable improvement in the latest release is that there is no longer a need to modify the script, as there is now an adequate configuration file with handling of default values. Additionally, debugging is significantly easier with this new release, thanks to the debug configuration directive.
Overall, NAmpel is an excellent and well-designed software tool, ideal for visualizing a network's health status quickly and effectively. Its traffic-light approach is simple and efficient, making it a valuable monitoring tool for any network administrator.
What's New
Version 0.4: N/A