topic Re: Monitor IP ports utility in Operating System - OpenVMS

Monitor IP ports utility

Nicolau Roca — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 05:35:54 GMT

Hello

Does anyone use (or know about) an utility able to monitor IP ports on OpenVMS? I would use such utility to periodically verify that the SMTP, POP3 and IMAP services are responding on ports 25, 110 and 143 respectively.

Thank you

Nicolau

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

Steven Schweda — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 09:35:12 GMT

It really depends on what you mean by
"monitor". You can see some useful info
using commands like:

tcpip show device
tcpip netstat -a

(and similar), but if you really need to know
if the service is working, then you really
need to use it. I use Wget to check my Web
server periodically and send me e-mail if it
doesn't respond properly.

You could probably write a Kermit script or
use TELNET /CREATE_SESSION to let you talk
to any port you wish. What you have to say
when you talk to it depends on the protocol.
I believe that this sort of thing has been
discussed here recently, so searching for
Kermit and/or CREATE_SESSION might find
something.

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

labadie_1 — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 09:46:10 GMT

Have a look at
http://dcl.openvms.org/stories.php?story=03/09/23/7962305

replace 8044 by 25,110 and 143, and the associated text. That's it !

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

Wim Van den Wyngaert — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 10:04:59 GMT

Or very simple :

$ def/us sys$output xxx
$ ucx sho dev/port=0

This will create a file with all ports that have a listener.

Then if diff returns a difference, something is gone/changed/added. Check and take action.

Wim

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

Steven Schweda — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 10:40:15 GMT

> [...] That's it !

That's it, _if_ you don't care whether the
server actually responds to a request.
Getting connected is nice, but it's not the
same as proving that the server at the other
end is working properly. For that, you need
to have a little conversation with the server
after you've gotten connected.

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

labadie_1 — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:00:44 GMT

Steven

You can check that the process owning the device showed by $ tcpip sh dev/port=25/110/143 is still here, but you will not know if is is working or it is hang.

I think Nicolau wants some basic check.

How to check Smtp works fine ?
- there is a process tcpip$smtp_'node'_xx
- tcpip sh service smtp -> shows enabled
- sh que tcpip$smtp_'node'* -> queue is not stopped or any other "bad" state
- other things to check ?

We have all met situations where the process was here, but not responding.

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

Steven Schweda — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 13:37:28 GMT

> You can check that the process owning the
> device showed by $ tcpip sh
> dev/port=25/110/143 is still here, but you
> will not know if is is working or it is
> hang.

That's exactly my point.

> I think Nicolau wants some basic check.

I don't know what kind of check he wants,
which is why I suggested more than one
method, including a serious test. As I said,
'It really depends on what you mean by
"monitor".'

> We have all met situations where the
> process was here, but not responding.

_I_ certainly have, which is why I suggested
actually talking to the server (and listening
for a response), instead of simply seeing if
the port is registered, or if a connection to
the server can be made.

In other words, if you wish to test a POP
server, then ask the POP server to do
something (and see if it does it). Simpler
tests may be useful, but they will not tell
you as much as a real test.

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

labadie_1 — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 06:17:40 GMT

Steven

Many monitoring tools search for a process name, even with the ugly $ show system/proc=*abcd*.

So this means that if a process, started with a privileged UIC like system, disappears for any reason, and a user, with another Uic, has a process name similar or identical (as long as it is a different uic, it is OK), the monitoring tool, often looping with a delay, will not notice it. And it could last for long, if the user does not disconnect

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

Nicolau Roca — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 05:00:31 GMT

Hello

By "monitor" I meant to check if there was a process in a given port and if it responds properly.

The DCL script in htttp://dcl.openvms.org/stories.php?story=03/09/23/7962305 almost suites my needs Iabadie, but I have modified it just to implement a very simple talk with the server across the TNA pseudo-terminal device, as Steven suggested. I also have used as an example a DCL script offered up by Robert Brooks on thread with Subject: Non interactive telnet service, june 19, 2006

This script checks port 25 to see if the SMTP server responds properly

Thank you

$!
$ set noon
$ host = "myhost"
$ port = 25
$!
$! Find an unused TNA (Pseudo-terminal device) unit number
$!
$ unit = 1
$ findtna:
$ if f$getdvi( "tna''unit':", "EXISTS" ) .eqs. "FALSE" then goto tnafound
$ unit = unit + 1
$ goto findtna
$!
$ tnafound:
$ telnet/create 'host 'port 'unit /protocol=telnet
$ if $severity.ne.1
$ then
$ write sys$output "Port ''port' unavailable at ''f$time()' on ''host'"
$!
$! mail or any ...
$ else
$! checking
$ open/read/write myport tna'unit':
$ write myport "help"
$ read myport line
$ close myport
$ show sym line
$ if line.eqs." ..... my text ... "
$ then
$ write sys$output "Port 'port check on 'host successful..."
$ else
$ write sys$output "Port 'port check on 'host unsuccessful !!"
$ endif
$ telnet/delete 'unit
$ endif
$ exit

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

labadie_1 — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:14:46 GMT

Nicolau

May be you could submit your script to dcl.openvms.org, as it may help others ?

Regards

Gerard

Re: Monitor IP ports utility

Nicolau Roca — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 03:01:53 GMT

Script submitted to dcl.openvms.org