---
name: "Smokeping::probes::RemoteFPing"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "smokeping"
version: "2.3.6-5+squeeze1"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Smokeping::probes::RemoteFPing"
---

# Smokeping::probes::RemoteFPing(3)

Remote FPing Probe for SmokePing

## NAME

Smokeping::probes::RemoteFPing - Remote FPing Probe for SmokePing

## SYNOPSIS

```
 *** Probes ***
 +RemoteFPing
 binary = /usr/bin/ssh # mandatory
 hostinterval = 1.5
 mininterval = 0.001
 offset = 50%
 packetsize = 5000
 pings = 20
 rbinary = /usr/bin/fping # mandatory
 rhost = my.pinger.host # mandatory
 ruser = foo
 sourceaddress = 192.168.0.1
 step = 300
 timeout = 1.5
 # [...]
 *** Targets ***
 probe = RemoteFPing # if this should be the default probe
 # [...]
 + mytarget
 # probe = RemoteFPing # if the default probe is something else
 host = my.host
```

## DESCRIPTION

Integrates the remote execution of FPing via ssh/rsh into smokeping. The variable **binary** must point to your copy of the ssh/rsh program. The variable **rbinary** must point to your copy of the fping program  at the remote end.

## VARIABLES

Supported probe-specific variables:

- binary

  This variable specifies the path of the remote shell program (usually ssh, rsh or remsh). Any other script or binary that can be called as

  binary \[ -l ruser \] rhost rbinary

  may be used.

  Example value: /usr/bin/ssh

  This setting is mandatory.

- hostinterval

  The fping "-p" parameter, but in (possibly fractional) seconds rather than milliseconds, for consistency with other Smokeping probes. From *fping*(1):

  This parameter sets the time that fping  waits between successive packets to an individual target.

  Example value: 1.5

- mininterval

  The fping "-i" parameter, but in (probably fractional) seconds rather than milliseconds, for consistency with other Smokeping probes. From *fping*(1):

  The minimum amount of time between sending a ping packet to any target.

  Example value: 0.001

  Default value: 0.01

- offset

  If you run many probes concurrently you may want to prevent them from hitting your network all at the same time. Using the probe-specific offset parameter you can change the point in time when each probe will be run. Offset is specified in % of total interval, or alternatively as 'random', and the offset from the 'General' section is used if nothing is specified here. Note that this does NOT influence the rrds itself, it is just a matter of when data acqusition is initiated. (This variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)

  Example value: 50%

- packetsize

  The ping packet size (in the range of 12-64000 bytes).

  Example value: 5000

- pings

  How many pings should be sent to each target, if different from the global value specified in the Database section. Note that the number of pings in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally generated, and if you change this parameter afterwards, you'll have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them.

  Example value: 20

- rbinary

  The location of your fping binary.

  Example value: /usr/bin/fping

  This setting is mandatory.

- rhost

  The **rhost** option specifies the remote device from where fping will be launched.

  Example value: my.pinger.host

  This setting is mandatory.

- ruser

  The (optional) **ruser** option allows you to specify the remote user, if different from the one running the smokeping daemon.

  Example value: foo

- sourceaddress

  The fping "-S" parameter . From *fping*(1):

  Set source address.

  Example value: 192.168.0.1

- step

  Duration of the base interval that this probe should use, if different from the one specified in the 'Database' section. Note that the step in the RRD files is fixed when they are originally generated, and if you change the step parameter afterwards, you'll have to delete the old RRD files or somehow convert them. (This variable is only applicable if the variable 'concurrentprobes' is set in the 'General' section.)

  Example value: 300

- timeout

  The fping "-t" parameter, but in (possibly fractional) seconds rather than milliseconds, for consistency with other Smokeping probes. Note that as Smokeping uses the fping 'counting' mode (-C), this apparently only affects the last ping.

  Example value: 1.5

## AUTHORS

```
 Luis F Balbinot <hades@inf.ufrgs.br>
 Niko Tyni <ntyni@iki.fi>
 derived from Smokeping::probes::FPing by
 Tobias Oetiker <tobi@oetiker.ch>
```

## NOTES

It is important to make sure that you can access the remote machine without a password prompt, otherwise this probe will not work properly. To test just try something like this:

```
    $ ssh foo@HostA.foobar.com fping HostB.barfoo.com
```

The next thing you see must be fping's output.

The **rhost**, **ruser** and **rbinary** variables used to be configured in the Targets section of the first target or its parents They were moved to the Probes section, because the variables aren't really target-specific (all the targets are measured with the same parameters). The Targets sections aren't recognized anymore.

## BUGS

This functionality should be in a generic 'remote execution' module so that it could be used for the other probes too.