Nagios Support Forum

I'm using Nagios core ver 4.2.2. I went to this link (https://assets.nagios.com/downloads/nag ... ml#service) to look at the documentation for service definitions to check something out and got a bit of a shock. The documentation reads as follows:

Definition Format:

Note: Directives in red are required, while those in black are optional.

define service{
host_name host_name
hostgroup_name hostgroup_name
service_description service_description
display_name display_name
parents service_descriptions
hourly_value #
servicegroups servicegroup_names
is_volatile [0/1]
check_command command_name
initial_state [o,w,u,c]
max_check_attempts #
check_interval #
retry_interval #
active_checks_enabled [0/1]
passive_checks_enabled [0/1]
check_period timeperiod_name
obsess_over_service|obsess [0/1]
check_freshness [0/1]
freshness_threshold #
event_handler command_name
event_handler_enabled [0/1]
low_flap_threshold #
high_flap_threshold #
flap_detection_enabled [0/1]
flap_detection_options [o,w,c,u]
process_perf_data [0/1]
retain_status_information [0/1]
retain_nonstatus_information [0/1]
notification_interval #
first_notification_delay #
notification_period timeperiod_name
notification_options [w,u,c,r,f,s]
notifications_enabled [0/1]
contacts contacts
contact_groups contact_groups
stalking_options [o,w,u,c]
notes note_string
notes_url url
action_url url
icon_image image_file
icon_image_alt alt_string
}

Does this documentation apply to ver 4.2.2 or only the latest ver 4.3.1? If 'NO' where can I see documentation for version 4.2.2 please?

The reason I ask is that my service definitions currently look like this:

define service{
use generic-service,nagiosgraph
host_name cam-posa-prod
service_description Prima
check_command check_nrpe!check_proc_prima
contact_groups primaadmins
_guide http://wiki.internal/Sysadmin/InfoEmerg ... Primatools
_priority 2
}

Based on the current documentation, I'm using 3 directives that no longer exist and I'm missing 7 directives that are supposedly required. Strangely my service definitions still work, although I don't understand how.

• What has happened to 'use', '_guide', and '_priority'?
  If they are still valid why aren't they in the documentation?
  If they are not valid, what has replaced them?
  Is there a table somewhere that shows what directives have been replaced and by what?

I can no longer do any work on my services until I understand what's going on here. Please advise someone?

Greetings,

6 of the 7 required directives(all but 'contacts') are inherited from the generic-service template. The 'contacts' directive is likely being inherited from nagiosgraph.

The 'use' directive is still valid and should probably be listed. Not sure about '_guide' and '_priority'. They may be still valid for backwards compatibility but being phased out with new directives. I'll look into this a bit more and get back to you.

'_guide' and '_priority' are custom variables. https://assets.nagios.com/downloads/nag ... tvars.html

Finally, the use directive is covered in https://assets.nagios.com/downloads/nag ... tance.html. There's a link to it at the top of https://assets.nagios.com/downloads/nag ... tions.html in the 'See Also' section.

I think that covers it. Let me know if you have any questions.

Many thanks. That covers all the bases beautifully.

I'm happy for this one to be closed now. Thanks.