How To Install Cacti on openSUSE

In today’s interconnected world, network monitoring has become an essential aspect of maintaining a robust and efficient IT infrastructure. Cacti, an open-source network monitoring and graphing tool, has emerged as a popular choice for system administrators and network engineers. This article will guide you through the process of installing Cacti on openSUSE, a powerful and flexible Linux distribution.

Cacti provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing graphs of network data, allowing you to visualize performance metrics and identify potential issues before they become critical. By leveraging the stability and security of openSUSE, you can create a reliable monitoring solution that scales with your network’s growth.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the installation process, let’s ensure you have everything needed to successfully set up Cacti on your openSUSE system:

• A clean installation of openSUSE Leap (15.2 or later) or Tumbleweed
• Root access or sudo privileges on your openSUSE system
• A stable internet connection for downloading packages
• At least 2GB of RAM and 20GB of free disk space
• Basic familiarity with Linux command-line operations

It’s important to note that while these requirements are minimal, your specific needs may vary depending on the size of your network and the number of devices you plan to monitor.

Preparing the System

To ensure a smooth installation process, we’ll start by updating your openSUSE system and installing necessary dependencies.

Updating openSUSE

Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update

This will update your package lists and upgrade all installed packages to their latest versions.

Installing Necessary Dependencies

Next, install the required packages for Cacti:

sudo zypper install wget net-snmp net-snmp-utils rrdtool

Configuring Firewall Settings

If you have the firewall enabled, you’ll need to open the necessary ports for Cacti to function properly. Run the following commands:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Installing LAMP Stack

Cacti requires a web server, database, and PHP to function. We’ll install the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack to meet these requirements.

Apache Web Server Installation

Install Apache with the following command:

sudo zypper install apache2

Start and enable Apache to run at boot:

sudo systemctl start apache2
sudo systemctl enable apache2

MySQL/MariaDB Database Setup

Install MariaDB, which is a drop-in replacement for MySQL:

sudo zypper install mariadb mariadb-tools

Start and secure the MariaDB installation:

sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to set a root password and secure your MariaDB installation.

PHP Installation and Configuration

Install PHP and necessary modules:

sudo zypper install php7 php7-mysql apache2-mod_php7 php7-gd php7-snmp php7-mbstring php7-curl php7-ldap php7-gmp php7-zip php7-zlib

Edit the PHP configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/php7/apache2/php.ini

Modify the following values:

memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 60
date.timezone = Your/Timezone

Save the file and restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Installing and Configuring Cacti

Now that we have our LAMP stack ready, let’s proceed with installing Cacti.

Downloading Cacti

Download the latest version of Cacti:

cd /tmp
wget https://www.cacti.net/downloads/cacti-latest.tar.gz
tar -zxvf cacti-latest.tar.gz
sudo mv cacti-* /var/www/html/cacti

Creating Cacti Database

Create a database and user for Cacti:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Once logged in to MySQL, run the following commands:

CREATE DATABASE cacti;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON cacti.* TO 'cactiuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Import the Cacti database schema:

mysql -u root -p cacti < /var/www/html/cacti/cacti.sql

Configuring Cacti Files

Copy the Cacti configuration file:

sudo cp /var/www/html/cacti/include/config.php.dist /var/www/html/cacti/include/config.php

Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /var/www/html/cacti/include/config.php

Update the database settings:

$database_type = 'mysql';
$database_default = 'cacti';
$database_hostname = 'localhost';
$database_username = 'cactiuser';
$database_password = 'your_password';
$database_port = '3306';
$database_ssl = false;

Setting up Cacti Web Interface

Create an Apache configuration file for Cacti:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/conf.d/cacti.conf

Add the following content:

Alias /cacti /var/www/html/cacti
<Directory /var/www/html/cacti>
    Options +FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
    <IfModule mod_authz_core.c>
        Require all granted
    </IfModule>
</Directory>

Restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Setting Up RRDtool and SNMP

Installing RRDtool

RRDtool should already be installed from our earlier steps. Verify its installation:

rrdtool --version

Configuring SNMP

Edit the SNMP configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf

Add or modify the following lines:

rocommunity public
syslocation "Your Location"
syscontact admin@yourdomain.com

Restart the SNMP service:

sudo systemctl restart snmpd

Configuring Cron Jobs for Cacti

Creating Cron Job for Poller

Create a new cron job file:

sudo nano /etc/cron.d/cacti

Add the following line:

*/5 * * * * www-data php /var/www/html/cacti/poller.php >/dev/null 2>&1

Verifying Cron Job Execution

Check the Cacti log file to ensure the poller is running:

tail -f /var/www/html/cacti/log/cacti.log

Securing Cacti Installation

Implementing SSL/TLS

For enhanced security, configure Apache to use HTTPS:

sudo zypper install apache2-mod_ssl
sudo a2enmod ssl
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Generate a self-signed certificate or use Let’s Encrypt for a valid SSL certificate.

Configuring User Authentication

During the initial Cacti setup, you’ll be prompted to create an admin user. Use a strong, unique password for this account.

Setting up Access Controls

Cacti provides built-in user management. After installation, navigate to Console > Users to create additional users and assign appropriate permissions.

Basic Cacti Configuration

Adding Devices

To add a new device to Cacti:

1. Log in to the Cacti web interface
2. Navigate to Console > Devices
3. Click “Add”
4. Enter the device details (hostname, SNMP community, etc.)
5. Click “Create”

Creating Graphs

To create a graph for a device:

1. Go to Console > Graphs
2. Click “Add”
3. Select the device and graph template
4. Configure graph settings
5. Click “Create”

Customizing Templates

Cacti allows you to create custom graph templates:

1. Navigate to Console > Templates
2. Choose the type of template you want to create (Graph, Data Source, or Host)
3. Click “Add”
4. Configure the template settings
5. Save the template

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Database Connection Problems

If you encounter database connection issues:

• Verify the database credentials in config.php
• Ensure the MySQL/MariaDB service is running
• Check MySQL logs for any errors

SNMP Configuration Errors

If SNMP data collection fails:

• Confirm SNMP is properly configured on both Cacti and the monitored devices
• Verify firewall settings allow SNMP traffic
• Use snmpwalk to test SNMP connectivity

Graph Generation Issues

If graphs are not generating:

• Check Cacti logs for RRDtool errors
• Ensure the web server has write permissions to the RRA directory
• Verify that the poller is running correctly

Optimizing Cacti Performance

Tuning MySQL/MariaDB

Optimize your database performance:

• Increase innodb_buffer_pool_size for better caching
• Adjust max_connections based on your Cacti usage
• Enable query caching for frequently accessed data

Adjusting PHP Settings

Fine-tune PHP for Cacti:

• Increase memory_limit if dealing with large networks
• Optimize max_execution_time for long-running scripts
• Enable opcache for improved PHP performance

Optimizing Polling Frequency

Balance data collection and system load:

• Adjust polling intervals based on device importance
• Use Spine poller for improved performance on large installations
• Consider distributed polling for very large networks

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Cacti. Thanks for using this tutorial to install the latest version of the Cacti web-based system monitoring on the openSUSE system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Cacti website.