[ale] Bash Scripts for System Automation and Monitoring

[James Sumners]

Bash scripting, or the preferred shell of the location, is definitely
a must. But that also means being familiar with the tool set available
to you when you are actively interacting with Bash. Tools that I use
frequently (in no particular order):

* `nc` (netcat): a must if you're working with network services
* `awk`
* `sed`
* `grep`
* `cut`
* `sort`
* `screen`: e.g. https://bitbucket.org/jsumners/scripts/src/tip/screen_daemon.sh
* `ps`

That's a shorter list than I thought it would be. But it is off the
top of my head. Still, you can do a lot with just those.

I'd also recommend getting familiar with a scripting language that is
a bit more robust than Bash. There are situations that I find are more
easily handled with Python. I'm no Python guru (I code by manual with
Python), but it certainly makes some things easier.


On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 11:06, Jim Butler <jimbutler1234567890 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi..
> I have many years of experience with Linux, but I'm finding out lately
> that apparently there is a good deal of mainstream knowledge that I've
> missed somewhere. Most Linux System Admin positions require that you
> know how to script so you can automate processes, and set up monitoring,
> etc..
> Usually when I wanted to monitor a system, I set up Nagios for host
> monitoring, and then if I found a problem, I logged in manually to the
> host in questionn and used tools like top, vmstat, iftop, iostat, etc.
> for finding the cause of bottlenecks. But apparently when working on
> large deployments like where you have large clusters or other types of
> large setups, there need to be tools and/or scripts in place for
> monitoring. I need to learn this stuff! I'm teaching myself BASH
> scripting now, and so I have that under way. Also I know about using
> MRTG and CACTI and the like, for monitoring network traffic on switches.
> So let me ask everything this:
> What "monitoring tools" or "automation tools" should a guy like me be
> learning to use, in order to be a good and marketable System
> Administrator? Where would you send a guy like me to learn the pieces he
> is missing? If you were in my shoes, what would you do to get up to
> speed most quickly? I'm looking for wisdom and guidance from Linux
> System Admins who are, well, better than me and more experienced than me.
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Jim Butler
>
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-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59