if it is UNIX time then it won't be a problem. If local time is stored then used to calculate, it'd be a problem. If it is only for display or history, it'd probably be ok. Possible problem scenarios

• duration for alerts could be wrong, if the event timestamp was recorded in local time.
• ignore for a given number of hours when acknowledging an event, if the acknowledgment timestamp was stored in local time.

On 3/6/07, Henrik Stoerner <henrik at hswn.dk> wrote:

On Tue, Mar 06, 2007 at 11:29:35AM -0500, Jerry Yu wrote:

...

I didn't find any question asked about 2007 DST readiness for Hobbit on the list. Should it be assumed it won't be problem at all? For one thing, the scheduled downtime and such would be specific to local time. Assume the underlying operating system has been patched and is ready to accommodate 2007 DST changes in North America.

All time recorded in Hobbit uses either the Unix timestamp - which is unaffected by DST changes - or the local time of some event which has occurred (for history logging).

So I cannot see that there should be any problems, assuming your OS has been updated to handle the new DST changes (usually, an update to your timezone definition files).

Regards, Henrik

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Thanks for double-checking, Henrik. Yeah, UNIX time is much easier to do math with. wonder if we'd have to come out of retirement in 2037 or 2038 to fix the 32-bit problem... Good point on existing DST on other continents. Assurance is good. Verification is even better.

On 3/6/07, Henrik Stoerner <henrik at hswn.dk> wrote:

On Tue, Mar 06, 2007 at 04:17:36PM -0500, Jerry Yu wrote:

...

if it is UNIX time then it won't be a problem. If local time is stored then used to calculate, it'd be a problem.

Local time is never used for calculations. It is just much easier to do all time work using Unix Epoch time, and leave the "show local time" stuff to the C library (which uses your zoneinfo files).

I've done a search of the Hobbit sourcefiles, and the only usage of local time are

1. the routine which calculate whether a time is within e.g. a DOWNTIME specification;
2. the routine which checks SSL certificate expiry time;
3. routines which display timestamps in log files or on web pages.

All of these use the standard C library routine "localtime()" to do the conversion between Unix Epoch time and local time. This uses the system's zoneinfo definitions, so it will work without problems - provided your OS has been updated with new zoneinfo files.

Besides, DST changes in the US have *always* been different from what is used in Europe (and still are, even with the new DST start date in the US). So if there had been any hardcoded "this is when DST starts" code in Hobbit, it would have been spotted several years ago.

Regards, Henrik

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I switched from using BB to Hobbit.

The functionality of the 2 "look" the same but that is where it ends. Search for and old post that Henrik put out as to how Hobbit actually works. Basically Hobbit is mostly all done server(hobbit) side and is mostly all compiled code( runs fast) and BB in mostly client based where most of the test run as scripts on the clients.

Trent

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-----Original Message----- From: Michael A. Price [mailto:mprice at hst.nasa.gov] Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 3:53 PM To: hobbit at hswn.dk Subject: [hobbit] Hobbit -vs- BB4

I currently use hobbit and devmon and love them both...

But the management I work for doesnt like the idea of opensource monitoring everything, they dont understand. So they are pushing me towards BB4 instead... I have never used BB4 and dont want to...

I heard they are both the same...

So I figured I would ask my fellow users, why is hobbit better??? I need to make a god argument for this...

thanks, michael

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Has anyone used the professional version of Big Brother? I switched from the Open Source version of BB to Hobbit and haven't looked back.

Jeff

On 3/6/07, Hubbard, Greg L <greg.hubbard at eds.com> wrote:

When I switched from BB to Hobbit to monitor a few tool servers, the CPU usage on the monitoring server dropped significantly for the same workload. But for my money, one of the biggest wins in Hobbit is the integration of RRD graphics throughout, and the ease of which you can add your own tests with their own trend graphs. Unless BB has played a thorough game of catch-up, your management is planning to pay more to get less, just so they can hold some vendor "accountable".

Just my own opinion, of course -- I speak for no one else.

GLH

-----Original Message----- From: Michael A. Price [mailto:mprice at hst.nasa.gov] Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 3:53 PM To: hobbit at hswn.dk Subject: [hobbit] Hobbit -vs- BB4

I currently use hobbit and devmon and love them both...

But the management I work for doesnt like the idea of opensource monitoring everything, they dont understand. So they are pushing me towards BB4 instead... I have never used BB4 and dont want to...

I heard they are both the same...

So I figured I would ask my fellow users, why is hobbit better??? I need to make a god argument for this...

thanks, michael

To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk

To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk

Also, check the archives for a relatively recent thread titled "*Hobbit versus Unicenter/TNG*".

It could basically be retitled "Arguments for management why Hobbit is a good monitoring tool", or something to that effect.

-----Original Message----- From: Michael A. Price [mailto:mprice at hst.nasa.gov] Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 3:53 PM To: hobbit at hswn.dk Subject: [hobbit] Hobbit -vs- BB4

I currently use hobbit and devmon and love them both...

But the management I work for doesnt like the idea of opensource monitoring everything, they dont understand. So they are pushing me towards BB4 instead... I have never used BB4 and dont want to...

I heard they are both the same...

So I figured I would ask my fellow users, why is hobbit better??? I need to make a god argument for this...

thanks, michael

To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk

To unsubscribe from the hobbit list, send an e-mail to hobbit-unsubscribe at hswn.dk

On Wed, Mar 07, 2007 at 01:52:18PM -0000, Jones, Jason (Altrincham) wrote:

Henrik have you had your meeting with the phbs about this yet?

I have, but nothing has been decided yet.

However, I am now certain that some deity has been busy working in my favour. 5 minutes before the meeting ended, cell phones started beeping around the meeting room - and this turned out to be the beginning of the biggest disruption of service our datacenter has ever had. Several events conspired against us, but the result was a near 100% loss of all network connectivity on our core backbone network, and to our Internet connectivity.

So I had lots of time to demonstrate - also to the PHB's - that monitoring with a simple webpage works, even when you access it over a 56 kbit dialup connection through a cell phone. I had quite an audience throughout the afternoon, evening and night.

So I think the odds are in my favour right now.

Regards, Henrik

I wonder how long Unicenter or whatever it's called would have taken to even load the status page over a 56k. But ye very good time for it to happen, as far as a complete network failure can be called a good time.

Have they told you when they plan to make their decision on this issue? Jason.

-----Original Message----- From: Rich Smrcina [mailto:rsmrcina at wi.rr.com] Sent: 07 March 2007 21:15 To: hobbit at hswn.dk Subject: Re: [hobbit] Hobbit -vs- BB4

One might call that serendipity.

Henrik Stoerner wrote:

On Wed, Mar 07, 2007 at 01:52:18PM -0000, Jones, Jason (Altrincham) wrote:

...

Henrik have you had your meeting with the phbs about this yet?

I have, but nothing has been decided yet.

However, I am now certain that some deity has been busy working in my favour. 5 minutes before the meeting ended, cell phones started beeping around the meeting room - and this turned out to be the beginning of the biggest disruption of service our datacenter has ever had. Several events conspired against us, but the result was a near 100% loss of all network connectivity on our core backbone network, and to our Internet connectivity.

So I had lots of time to demonstrate - also to the PHB's - that monitoring with a simple webpage works, even when you access it over a 56 kbit dialup connection through a cell phone. I had quite an audience throughout the afternoon, evening and night.

So I think the odds are in my favour right now.

Regards, Henrik

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