Multiple Services with the same Template

Nagios Nagios Configuration support
1

I have a template called generic-service that MOST of my services use. When defining my services I’m using the “use generic-service” definition on the majority of services.

I would like to abstract my configurations as much as possible, is there a way to group my services so that I don’t need to put in “use generic-service” in almost every single service definition. I assumed it was what service groups were for, but they just seem to be for better grouping in the GUI.

Here is an example of what I would like to accomplish (DISCLAIMER, I know this won’t work):

;template definition
service{
name generic-service
…
max_check_attempts 4
normal_check_interval 5
retry_check_interval 1
…
register 0
}

;service definitions, not that the two services are not using the “use” definition, they should inherit it by being in the service group.
service{
name serviceA
host_name myhost
check_command check_ping
}

service{
name serviceB
host_name myhost
check_command check_email
}

; my two services should inherit definitions in the generic-service template.
servicegroup
{
name myservicegroup
use generic-service
service-name serviceA,serviceB
}

Then if I want to change the name of generic-service, I don’t have to change a gazillion service definition, I just need to change it in the service group.

Any way to accomplish this?

2

I don’t know of any way to do what you’re asking, but unless you have a lot of differences in your services, there shouldn’t be all that many service stanzas. What I do is apply a service to a hostgroup instead of individual hosts. So, you can create some hostgroup like “basic-services” and then apply all your basic services to that hostgroup.

3

I think you have to have the use generic-service in there because you need to define where nagios is to start. Generic-service is just a name it could be my-default, because nagios doesn’t know what it means. For the smallest config I found that stacking them is the easiest.

Here is a template that I use. Then I just add more hosts and individual checks for specific servers and at the bottom default checks that apply to all the servers.

Note that generic-host and generic-service contain most of the settings not shown here.

define hostgroup{
hostgroup_name _misc_servers
alias misc_servers
}
#host template for this group
define host {
use generic-host
name misc_group
parents someswitch
check_command check-host-alive
hostgroups misc_servers, other_servers
contact_groups admin-email
register 0
}
#service template for this group
define service {
use generic-service
name misc_svc
hostgroup_name misc_servers
contact_groups admin-email
register 0
}
#actual hosts
define host {
use misc_group
host_name misc_1
address 10.0.0.1
}
#specific check for this host
define service {
use generic-service
service_description serv
check_command check_serv
host_name misc_1
contact_groups admin-email
}

#default checks for all hosts in group, definitions are really small now.
define service {
use misc_svc
service_description ping
check_command check_ping!100.0,20%!500.0,60%
}

define service {
use misc_svc
service_description disk_c
check_command check_nrpe!check_disk_c
}

Hope this helps you make a smaller config and easier to implement one.

4

Another way to do it if you don’t want to use the host groups is is just by specifying multiple hosts on the same line as follows…

define service {
use generic-service
service_description service1
check_command check_service1
host_name host1,host2,host3,host4,…
contact_groups admin-email
}