ntpq and Sensu Integration

Input and output integration overview

The ntpq plugin collects standard metrics related to the Network Time Protocol (NTP) by executing the ntpq command. It gathers essential information about the synchronization state of the local machine with remote NTP servers, providing valuable insights into timekeeping accuracy and network performance.

This plugin writes metrics events to Sensu via its HTTP events API, enabling seamless integration with the Sensu monitoring platform.

Integration details

ntpq

The ntpq Telegraf plugin provides a way to gather metrics from the Network Time Protocol (NTP) by querying the NTP server using the ntpq executable. This plugin collects a variety of metrics related to the synchronization status with remote NTP servers, including delay, jitter, offset, polling frequency, and reachability. These metrics are crucial for understanding the performance and reliability of time synchronization efforts in systems that rely on accurate timekeeping. NTP plays a vital role in networked environments, enabling synchronized clocks across devices which is essential for logging, coordination of activities, and security protocols. Through this plugin, users can monitor the effectiveness of their time synchronization processes, making it easier to identify issues related to network delays or misconfigurations, thus ensuring that systems remain in sync and operate efficiently.

Sensu

This plugin writes metrics events to Sensu via its HTTP events API. Sensu is a monitoring system that enables users to collect, analyze, and manage metrics from various components in their infrastructure. The plugin facilitates the integration of Telegraf, a server agent for collecting and reporting metrics, with the Sensu monitoring platform. Users can configure settings such as backend and agent API URLs, API keys for authentication, and optional TLS settings. The plugin’s core functionality is centered around sending metric events, including check and entity specifications, to Sensu, allowing for comprehensive monitoring and alerting. The API reference provides extensive details about the events and metrics structure, ensuring users can efficiently leverage Sensu’s capabilities for observability and incident response.

Configuration

ntpq

[[inputs.ntpq]]
  ## Servers to query with ntpq.
  ## If no server is given, the local machine is queried.
  # servers = []

  ## If false, set the -n ntpq flag. Can reduce metric gather time.
  ## DEPRECATED since 1.24.0: add '-n' to 'options' instead to skip DNS lookup
  # dns_lookup = true

  ## Options to pass to the ntpq command.
  # options = "-p"

  ## Output format for the 'reach' field.
  ## Available values are
  ##   octal   --  output as is in octal representation e.g. 377 (default)
  ##   decimal --  convert value to decimal representation e.g. 371 -> 249
  ##   count   --  count the number of bits in the value. This represents
  ##               the number of successful reaches, e.g. 37 -> 5
  ##   ratio   --  output the ratio of successful attempts e.g. 37 -> 5/8 = 0.625
  # reach_format = "octal"

Sensu

[[outputs.sensu]]
  ## BACKEND API URL is the Sensu Backend API root URL to send metrics to
  ## (protocol, host, and port only). The output plugin will automatically
  ## append the corresponding backend API path
  ## /api/core/v2/namespaces/:entity_namespace/events/:entity_name/:check_name).
  ##
  ## Backend Events API reference:
  ## https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/api/events/
  ##
  ## AGENT API URL is the Sensu Agent API root URL to send metrics to
  ## (protocol, host, and port only). The output plugin will automatically
  ## append the correspeonding agent API path (/events).
  ##
  ## Agent API Events API reference:
  ## https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/api/events/
  ##
  ## NOTE: if backend_api_url and agent_api_url and api_key are set, the output
  ## plugin will use backend_api_url. If backend_api_url and agent_api_url are
  ## not provided, the output plugin will default to use an agent_api_url of
  ## http://127.0.0.1:3031
  ##
  # backend_api_url = "http://127.0.0.1:8080"
  # agent_api_url = "http://127.0.0.1:3031"

  ## API KEY is the Sensu Backend API token
  ## Generate a new API token via:
  ##
  ## $ sensuctl cluster-role create telegraf --verb create --resource events,entities
  ## $ sensuctl cluster-role-binding create telegraf --cluster-role telegraf --group telegraf
  ## $ sensuctl user create telegraf --group telegraf --password REDACTED
  ## $ sensuctl api-key grant telegraf
  ##
  ## For more information on Sensu RBAC profiles & API tokens, please visit:
  ## - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/rbac/
  ## - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/apikeys/
  ##
  # api_key = "${SENSU_API_KEY}"

  ## Optional TLS Config
  # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
  # tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
  # tls_key = "/etc/telegraf/key.pem"
  ## Use TLS but skip chain & host verification
  # insecure_skip_verify = false

  ## Timeout for HTTP message
  # timeout = "5s"

  ## HTTP Content-Encoding for write request body, can be set to "gzip" to
  ## compress body or "identity" to apply no encoding.
  # content_encoding = "identity"

  ## NOTE: Due to the way TOML is parsed, tables must be at the END of the
  ## plugin definition, otherwise additional config options are read as part of
  ## the table

  ## Sensu Event details
  ##
  ## Below are the event details to be sent to Sensu.  The main portions of the
  ## event are the check, entity, and metrics specifications. For more information
  ## on Sensu events and its components, please visit:
  ## - Events - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/events
  ## - Checks -  https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/checks
  ## - Entities - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/entities
  ## - Metrics - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/events#metrics
  ##
  ## Check specification
  ## The check name is the name to give the Sensu check associated with the event
  ## created. This maps to check.metadata.name in the event.
  [outputs.sensu.check]
    name = "telegraf"

  ## Entity specification
  ## Configure the entity name and namespace, if necessary. This will be part of
  ## the entity.metadata in the event.
  ##
  ## NOTE: if the output plugin is configured to send events to a
  ## backend_api_url and entity_name is not set, the value returned by
  ## os.Hostname() will be used; if the output plugin is configured to send
  ## events to an agent_api_url, entity_name and entity_namespace are not used.
  # [outputs.sensu.entity]
  #   name = "server-01"
  #   namespace = "default"

  ## Metrics specification
  ## Configure the tags for the metrics that are sent as part of the Sensu event
  # [outputs.sensu.tags]
  #   source = "telegraf"

  ## Configure the handler(s) for processing the provided metrics
  # [outputs.sensu.metrics]
  #   handlers = ["influxdb","elasticsearch"]

Input and output integration examples

ntpq

1. Network Time Monitoring Dashboard: Utilize the ntpq plugin to create a centralized monitoring dashboard for tracking the reliability and performance of network time synchronization across multiple servers. By visualizing metrics such as delay and jitter, system administrators can quickly identify which servers are providing accurate time versus those with significant latency issues, ensuring that all systems remain synchronized effectively.

2. Automated Alert System for Time Drift: Implement an automated alert system that leverages ntpq metrics to notify operations teams when time drift exceeds acceptable thresholds. By analyzing the offset and jitter values, the system can trigger alerts if any remote NTP server is out of sync, allowing for swift remediation actions to maintain time accuracy across critical infrastructure.

3. Comparative Analysis of Time Sources: Use the ntpq plugin to perform a comparative analysis of different NTP servers over time. By querying multiple NTP sources and monitoring their metrics, organizations can evaluate the performance and reliability of their time sources, making informed decisions about which NTP servers to configure as primary or secondary in their environments.

4. Historical Performance Tracking for NTP: Gather historical performance data on various NTP servers using the ntpq plugin, enabling long-term trend analysis for timekeeping accuracy. This can help organizations identify patterns or recurring issues related to specific servers, informing future decisions about infrastructure changes or adjustments related to time synchronization strategies.

Sensu

1. Real-Time Infrastructure Monitoring: Utilize the Sensu plugin to send performance metrics from various servers and services directly to Sensu. This real-time data flow enables teams to visualize infrastructure health, track resource usage, and receive immediate alerts for any anomalies detected. By centralizing monitoring through Sensu, organizations can create a holistic view of their systems and respond swiftly to issues.

2. Automated Incident Response Workflows: Leverage the plugin to automatically trigger incident response workflows based on the metrics events sent to Sensu. For example, if CPU usage exceeds a defined threshold, the Sensu system can be configured to alert the operations team, which can then initiate automated remediation processes, reducing downtime and maintaining system reliability. This integration allows for proactive management of system resources.

3. Dynamic Scaling of Resources: Use the Sensu plugin to feed metrics into an auto-scaling system that adjusts resources based on demand. By tracking metrics like request load and resource utilization, organizations can automatically scale their infrastructure up or down, ensuring optimal performance and cost efficiency without manual intervention.

4. Centralized Logging and Monitoring: Combine the Sensu with logging tools to send logs and performance metrics to a centralized monitoring system. This comprehensive approach allows teams to correlate logs with metric events, providing deeper insights into system behavior and performance, which aids in troubleshooting and performance optimization over time.

Feedback

Thank you for being part of our community! If you have any general feedback or found any bugs on these pages, we welcome and encourage your input. Please submit your feedback in the InfluxDB community Slack.