I am confused about how to set up MRTG to monitor my web server traffic. I do not have a router of my own. I use my own 3com switch. How do I go about monitoring my web servers with MRTG? Do I install it on every web server I have and have it monitor just that server, or do I set up some sort of SNMP program on each server and have MRTG loaded on a central server for monitoring?

You install this on your server
http://www.mrtg.org

Follow the instruction at
http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~oetiker/webtools/mrtg/unix-guide.html
to install MRTG


Q: Do I install it on every web server I have and have it monitor just that server?
A: No, you install it on 1 server to monitor the ports on the switch.

Q:Do I set up some sort of SNMP program on each server?
A: You just need to enable SNMP on the switch.

or do I set up some sort of SNMP program on each server and have MRTG loaded on a central server for monitoring?
You may need to go this route if your switch is not manageable.

Originally posted by Eric_Echter

You may need to go this route if your switch is not manageable.

I have a 3Com SuperStack Switch 3300 12-Port. Does this have snmp functions?

If I install the MRTG on every server I have could I still disable SNMP on my servers since I won't be needing it no more?

I have a 3Com SuperStack Switch 3300 12-Port. Does this have snmp functions?

If I install the MRTG on every server I have could I still disable SNMP on my servers since I won't be needing it no more?
Yes, it appears that switch does support SNMP. Therefore, you can simply enable SNMP on the switch and run MRTG from one of the servers. Then, set up MRTG to poll the switch.

Actually the switch is:

SuperStack II Switch 3300 12 Port 10/100

Not the SuperStack III.

I'm trying to look it up at 3com's site but all they have is the FX model which probably isn't mine.

Does mine have snmp management capabilities too? I can't seem to locate my manual. :(

http://www.redcorp.com/products/00103876.asp

According to the link above, your switch is SNMP manageable. Look at the bottom of the page under "specifications". Hope this helps.

So how does one set up MRTG to monitor the switch if it has SNMP on it? This is where I am stuck :P

James

1) Enable SNMP on your switch
2) Assign your switch an IP address
3) Use cfgmaker.pl to make your default MRTG config file
4) Modify the config file with any customizations you may have
5) Setup MRTG to run as a cron job / or as a service in daemon mode

That should do it. It might help to include the documentation / howto guides on the MRTG site. They are pretty detailed, if I recalll correctly, and should provide you with all of the info you need.

So are you saying that MRTG can be run on the switch itself and I can configure it using Telnet remotely on the switch? Or does MRTG need to be installed on my local pc. (total newbie here)

James

SNMP must be enabled on the switch. MRTG is a PERL script that must be run locally on your machine, or on your server.

-Jay

You'll need to connect to the switch physically with whatever console method the switch supports (try and find the tech manual PDF for your switch with a google search for help with this). While you're in there, you'll need to give the switch a valid IP, enable SNMP, and log into the switch via Telnet over the network to ensure that everthing's working correctly. Once that's done, follow the instructions and FAQs on the websites mentioned to install MRTG on the server of your choosing, and configure it to poll the switch in question, on the ports in question.