Difference between revisions of "Cacti"
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'''Cacti''' is an open-source, web-based graphing tool designed as a front-end application for the open-source, industry-standard data logging tool [[RRDtool]]. Cacti allows a user to poll services at predetermined intervals and graph the resulting data. It is generally used to graph time-series data of metrics such as CPU load and network bandwidth utilization.<ref name="AboutCacti">{{cite web |url=http://www.cacti.net/what_is_cacti.php |title=Cacti - What is Cacti? |publisher=The Cacti Group, Inc. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> A common usage is to monitor network traffic by polling a network switch or router interface via simple network management protocol (SNMP). | '''Cacti''' is an open-source, web-based graphing tool designed as a front-end application for the open-source, industry-standard data logging tool [[RRDtool]]. Cacti allows a user to poll services at predetermined intervals and graph the resulting data. It is generally used to graph time-series data of metrics such as CPU load and network bandwidth utilization.<ref name="AboutCacti">{{cite web |url=http://www.cacti.net/what_is_cacti.php |title=Cacti - What is Cacti? |publisher=The Cacti Group, Inc. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> A common usage is to monitor network traffic by polling a network switch or router interface via simple network management protocol (SNMP). | ||
The frontend can handle multiple users, each with their own graph sets<ref name="AboutCacti" />, so it is sometimes used by web hosting providers<ref>{{cite web |url=http://3dpixel.net/managed-hosting-features/cacti-bandwidth-graphs |title=Cacti Bandwidth Graphing |publisher=3DPixel Ltd. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> (especially dedicated server<ref>{{cite web |url=http://simonmorley.co.uk/2011/01/21/cacti-server-monitoring/ |title=Cacti Server Monitoring |author=Morley, Simon |publisher=Simon Morley |date=21 January 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref>, virtual private server, and collocation providers) to display bandwidth statistics for their customers. It can be used to configure the data collection itself, allowing certain setups to be monitored without any manual configuration of RRDtool. Cacti can be extended to monitor any source via shell scripts and executables.<ref>{{cite web |http://www.cacti.net/features.php |title=Features |publisher=The Cacti Group, Inc. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> | The frontend can handle multiple users, each with their own graph sets<ref name="AboutCacti" />, so it is sometimes used by web hosting providers<ref>{{cite web |url=http://3dpixel.net/managed-hosting-features/cacti-bandwidth-graphs |title=Cacti Bandwidth Graphing |publisher=3DPixel Ltd. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> (especially dedicated server<ref>{{cite web |url=http://simonmorley.co.uk/2011/01/21/cacti-server-monitoring/ |title=Cacti Server Monitoring |author=Morley, Simon |publisher=Simon Morley |date=21 January 2011 |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref>, virtual private server, and collocation providers) to display bandwidth statistics for their customers. It can be used to configure the data collection itself, allowing certain setups to be monitored without any manual configuration of RRDtool. Cacti can be extended to monitor any source via shell scripts and executables.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cacti.net/features.php |title=Cacti - Features |publisher=The Cacti Group, Inc. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> | ||
Cacti can use one of two backends: "cmd.php," a PHP script suitable for smaller installations, or "Spine" (formerly Cactid), a C-based poller which can scale to thousands of hosts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cacti.net/spine_info.php |title=Cacti - Spine Information |publisher=The Cacti Group, Inc. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> | Cacti can use one of two backends: "cmd.php," a PHP script suitable for smaller installations, or "Spine" (formerly Cactid), a C-based poller which can scale to thousands of hosts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cacti.net/spine_info.php |title=Cacti - Spine Information |publisher=The Cacti Group, Inc. |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> | ||
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==Product history== | ==Product history== | ||
The Cacti project was first started by Ian Berry on September 2, 2001.<ref name="CactiInt">{{cite web |url=http://isp-ceo.net/equipment/2007/cacti.html |title=The network graphing solution Cacti was designed to provide more ease of use than RRDtool and more flexibility than MRTG | publisher=ISP-Planet |date=17 January 2007 |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/ |title=Cacti |publisher=SourceForge.net |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> Berry was inspired to start the project while working for a small ISP while also still in high school, learning PHP and MySQL. His central aim in creating Cacti central aim in first developing "was to offer more ease of use than RRDtool and more flexibility than MRTG."<ref name="CactiInt" /> | The Cacti project was first started by Ian Berry on September 2, 2001.<ref name="CactiInt">{{cite web |url=http://isp-ceo.net/equipment/2007/cacti.html |title=The network graphing solution Cacti was designed to provide more ease of use than RRDtool and more flexibility than MRTG |author=Goldman, George |publisher=ISP-Planet |date=17 January 2007 |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/ |title=Cacti |publisher=SourceForge.net |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref> Berry was inspired to start the project while working for a small ISP while also still in high school, learning PHP and MySQL. His central aim in creating Cacti central aim in first developing "was to offer more ease of use than RRDtool and more flexibility than MRTG."<ref name="CactiInt" /> | ||
On September 13, 2004, version 0.8.6 was released<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/files/cacti/cacti-0.8.6/ |title=Cacti - Browse / cacti / cacti-0.8.6 |publisher=SourceForge.net |date=13 September 2004 |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref>, and with it came more developers and later greater program speed and scalability.<ref name="CactiInt" /> | On September 13, 2004, version 0.8.6 was released<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/files/cacti/cacti-0.8.6/ |title=Cacti - Browse / cacti / cacti-0.8.6 |publisher=SourceForge.net |date=13 September 2004 |accessdate=16 March 2012}}</ref>, and with it came more developers and later greater program speed and scalability.<ref name="CactiInt" /> | ||
Revision as of 23:50, 16 March 2012
 | |
| Developer(s) | The Cacti Group, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Initial release | September 23, 2001[1] |
| Stable release |
1.2.27 (May 12, 2024) [±] |
| Preview release | none [±] |
| Written in | PHP, PL/SQL |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Type | Network management software |
| License(s) | GNU General Public License |
| Website | Cacti.net |
Cacti is an open-source, web-based graphing tool designed as a front-end application for the open-source, industry-standard data logging tool RRDtool. Cacti allows a user to poll services at predetermined intervals and graph the resulting data. It is generally used to graph time-series data of metrics such as CPU load and network bandwidth utilization.[2] A common usage is to monitor network traffic by polling a network switch or router interface via simple network management protocol (SNMP).
The frontend can handle multiple users, each with their own graph sets[2], so it is sometimes used by web hosting providers[3] (especially dedicated server[4], virtual private server, and collocation providers) to display bandwidth statistics for their customers. It can be used to configure the data collection itself, allowing certain setups to be monitored without any manual configuration of RRDtool. Cacti can be extended to monitor any source via shell scripts and executables.[5]
Cacti can use one of two backends: "cmd.php," a PHP script suitable for smaller installations, or "Spine" (formerly Cactid), a C-based poller which can scale to thousands of hosts.[6]
Product history
The Cacti project was first started by Ian Berry on September 2, 2001.[7][8] Berry was inspired to start the project while working for a small ISP while also still in high school, learning PHP and MySQL. His central aim in creating Cacti central aim in first developing "was to offer more ease of use than RRDtool and more flexibility than MRTG."[7]
On September 13, 2004, version 0.8.6 was released[9], and with it came more developers and later greater program speed and scalability.[7]
Version 0.8.7 was released for use in October 2007.[10] As of March 2012, a roadmap on the website indicates that version 1.0.0 is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2012.[11]
Features
Primary features of Cacti include[12]:
- unlimited graph items
- auto-padding support for graphs
- graph data manipulation
- flexible data sources
- data gathering on a non-standard timespan
- custom data-gathering scripts
- built-in SNMP support
- graph templates
- data source templates
- host templates
- tree, list, and preview views of graph data
- user-based management and security
Hardware/software requirements
Installation requirements will vary slightly based upon operating system. See the download page for more information.
Videos, screenshots, and other media
Take a screenshot tour of Cacti on the Cacti website.
Further reading
- "Cacti - Documentation". The Cacti Group, Inc.. http://www.cacti.net/documentation.php.
- Urban, Thomas (2011). "Cacti 0.8 Beginner's Guide". Packt Publishing. https://www.packtpub.com/cacti-08-beginners-guide/book.
- "About RDRtool". OETIKER+PARTNER AG. http://oss.oetiker.ch/rrdtool/.
External links
- Cacti project page on SourceForge
- Cacti Wiki
- iCacti, an iPhone and iPad application
References
- ↑ "Cacti - Browse / cacti / cacti-0.5". SourceForge.net. 23 September 2001. http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/files/cacti/cacti-0.5/. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Cacti - What is Cacti?". The Cacti Group, Inc.. http://www.cacti.net/what_is_cacti.php. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti Bandwidth Graphing". 3DPixel Ltd.. http://3dpixel.net/managed-hosting-features/cacti-bandwidth-graphs. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ Morley, Simon (21 January 2011). "Cacti Server Monitoring". Simon Morley. http://simonmorley.co.uk/2011/01/21/cacti-server-monitoring/. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti - Features". The Cacti Group, Inc.. http://www.cacti.net/features.php. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti - Spine Information". The Cacti Group, Inc.. http://www.cacti.net/spine_info.php. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Goldman, George (17 January 2007). "The network graphing solution Cacti was designed to provide more ease of use than RRDtool and more flexibility than MRTG". ISP-Planet. http://isp-ceo.net/equipment/2007/cacti.html. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti". SourceForge.net. http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti - Browse / cacti / cacti-0.8.6". SourceForge.net. 13 September 2004. http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/files/cacti/cacti-0.8.6/. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti - Browse / cacti / cacti-0.8.7". SourceForge.net. 23 October 2007. http://sourceforge.net/projects/cacti/files/cacti/cacti-0.8.7/. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti - Development Road Map". The Cacti Group, Inc.. 11 September 2011. http://www.cacti.net/roadmap.php. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
- ↑ "Cacti - Features". The Cacti Group, Inc. http://www.cacti.net/features.php. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
