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186 lines
7.6 KiB
Markdown
186 lines
7.6 KiB
Markdown
# Spine
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Spine is Cacti's C-based, multithreaded data collector. It replaces `cmd.php`
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as the collection engine; `poller.php` remains the scheduling entry point.
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Actual throughput depends on device latency, scripts, concurrency, database
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capacity, and the collection interval. Measure your installation before tuning.
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## Spine Architecture and Operating Principles
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Spine reads polling definitions from the Cacti database, collects measurements
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using SNMP and scripts, and writes results to poller output tables. Cacti's
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poller or Boost processing updates the RRD files. Spine does not directly
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write historical RRD files or render graphs.
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Spine can run several processes and multiple threads per process. It also
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maintains PHP script-server processes for methods configured to use
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`script_server.php`, avoiding a separate PHP startup for each such call.
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## Installing Spine
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Use the Spine release corresponding to your Cacti release. For development
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checkouts, use compatible branches; do not mix a development poller with a
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maintenance installation without verifying compatibility.
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Install a C compiler, make, Autoconf, Automake, Libtool, and the development
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headers and libraries required by that Spine version, including Net-SNMP and
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MySQL or MariaDB client libraries. Git checkouts also need the bootstrap tools.
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Use the package names and build repository appropriate to your distribution.
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Download source from [Cacti Spine
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releases](https://github.com/Cacti/spine/releases)
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or use your distribution's compatible package. From the extracted source:
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```console
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./bootstrap
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./configure --prefix=/usr/local/spine
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make
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sudo make install
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```
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Inspect `./configure --help` for library locations and optional build features.
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Package installations can use different paths and permission policies.
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### ICMP permissions
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Run the poller as its dedicated service account. ICMP availability checks need
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socket permissions appropriate to the operating system and Spine version.
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Possible mechanisms include permitted ping sockets, a narrowly scoped raw
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socket capability, or the release's documented setuid installation.
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The development branch can use unprivileged ICMP where the operating system
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permits it. When started setuid root, it opens the required sockets and drops
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root permanently before reading configuration. Older release behavior differs.
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Do not assume Spine ships setuid or repeatedly regains root while polling.
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Follow the installed release's instructions and local security policy. Keep
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the executable owned by an administrative account and unwritable by the poller
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account. Test the chosen availability method as the actual poller user.
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SNMP collection does not itself require running the entire poller as root.
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## Configuring `spine.conf`
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Create the configuration file from the installed template if one is not already
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provided by the package:
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```console
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sudo cp /usr/local/spine/etc/spine.conf.dist /usr/local/spine/etc/spine.conf
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```
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Set the database host, database name, user, password, and port to match the
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collector's database. Use that release's `spine.conf.dist` as the reference.
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For example:
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```ini
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DB_Host localhost
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DB_Database cacti
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DB_User cactiuser
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DB_Pass REPLACE_WITH_DATABASE_PASSWORD
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DB_Port 3306
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```
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Use the `DB_UseSSL` and `DB_SSL_*` options when configuring the local database
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connection for TLS. Remote collectors also have `RDB_*` settings for the main
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database. Do not confuse local `DB_*` with remote `RDB_*` settings.
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Restrict the configuration file to the accounts that need to read it, because
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it contains database credentials. One Linux example, with a poller in the
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`www-data` group, is:
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```console
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sudo chown root:www-data /usr/local/spine/etc/spine.conf
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sudo chmod 0640 /usr/local/spine/etc/spine.conf
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```
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Substitute the actual poller group. Do not change application code ownership to
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make a credential file readable.
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## Testing Spine from the Command Line
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Use the poller account to run a database read-only test. The `-R` option
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suppresses database writes, but still polls devices and executes configured
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scripts. It is not a guarantee that those scripts have no side effects.
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```console
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/usr/local/spine/bin/spine -R -V 3 -S
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```
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To restrict the test to one device, substitute its actual ID for `DEVICE_ID`:
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```console
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/usr/local/spine/bin/spine -R -f DEVICE_ID -l DEVICE_ID -V 5
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```
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Confirm the configuration path, database connection, device availability, and
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returned values. Verbose output can expose sensitive operational information;
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redact it before sharing. Use the installed binary's `--help` for its options.
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## Activating Spine in Cacti
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1. Open **Console > Configuration > Settings > Paths** and set
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**Spine Binary File Location** to the installed executable.
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2. Set **Spine Config File Path** when using a non-default configuration path.
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3. Open **Settings > Poller**, choose **spine** as the **Poller Type**, and
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save.
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4. Leave the existing `poller.php` scheduler in place. Check the next scheduled
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cycle for errors and confirm that graph timestamps advance.
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## Tuning Spine for Optimal Performance
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Change one setting at a time and compare elapsed polling time, missed samples,
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CPU use, database connections, and errors. More concurrency can overload a
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collector, database, or device.
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- **Settings > Poller** contains global script-server counts and script
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timeout settings. Allow expected script execution time within the overall
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polling budget.
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- **Data Collection > Data Collectors** sets processes and threads for each
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collector. Size them for that collector's workload and database capacity.
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- **Management > Devices** provides device threads and maximum OIDs per
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request. Larger SNMP requests can reduce round trips, but can also exceed
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agent limits or fragment across the network.
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There is no universal process-per-core ratio, maximum useful thread count, or
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OIDs-per-request value. Start with the release defaults and measured results.
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## Database Connection Sizing
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Budget database connections across all collectors, poller processes, threads,
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script servers, web requests, and maintenance jobs. Remote collection can
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require connections to both local and main databases. Use Cacti's technical
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support information and observed peak connections to size `max_connections`.
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A connection failure can indicate credentials, DNS, routing, TLS, account-host
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restrictions, or exhausted capacity. Check the database error before increasing
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limits, and account for the memory cost of additional connections.
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## Security Policies
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SELinux or AppArmor can restrict execution, network connections, or
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configuration
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file access. Inspect policy denials and apply rules appropriate to the poller
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account and executable. Do not disable enforcement to diagnose a path or
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credential error. See [Hardening](Hardening-Cacti-Installation.md).
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## Troubleshooting Spine
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- **Configuration unreadable**: verify the configured path and read access as
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the poller user.
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- **ICMP failure**: check the selected ping method, socket permissions,
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operating-system policy, and firewall. Do not assume SNMP must also fail.
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- **Database failure**: verify the correct local or remote connection settings
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and inspect the database's error and connection count.
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- **Missing samples**: inspect script output, timeouts, SNMP responses, and the
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configured collection interval.
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A `SYSTEM STATS` log line containing `Method:spine` confirms the selected
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engine, not successful collection of every item. Check errors and actual RRD
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updates as well. See [Data Source Debugging](Data-Debug.md) and
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[The Cacti Log](Cacti-Log.md).
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---
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Copyright (c) 2004-2026 The Cacti Group
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