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Smokeping

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description Smokeping Overview

Smokeping is an open-source network monitoring tool that utilizes ICMP echo requests to measure the latency and response time of websites from multiple geographic locations, providing insights into global website performance.

help Smokeping FAQ

What database does Smokeping use to store latency data?

Smokeping relies on RRDtool (Round Robin Database) to store and graph the latency and response time data collected by its probes. RRDtool ensures that the database size remains constant over time by averaging older data points. This allows the system to maintain long-term historical charts without running out of storage space.

Can Smokeping monitor HTTP and DNS latency instead of just ICMP ping?

Yes, Smokeping supports a wide variety of probes beyond standard ICMP ping, including Curl for HTTP web monitoring and DNS lookups. Administrators can configure the tool to measure the response time of an Apache web server or a specific router interface. This versatility makes it a comprehensive solution for multi-layer network monitoring.

Is Smokeping a free and open-source tool?

Yes, Smokeping is completely free and distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It was originally developed by Tobias Oetiker, the same creator of MRTG and RRDtool. It is widely deployed by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and enterprise IT departments to monitor their network uptime.

How does Smokeping handle latency measurements to ensure accuracy?

Smokeping sends multiple ping packets per polling cycle and aggregates the results to measure latency variance, also known as jitter. Instead of just displaying an average, the graphs plot the standard deviation of the response times. This helps network engineers identify intermittent packet loss or routing instability that a single ping might miss.

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