Systemd for voipmonitor service management: Difference between revisions

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== systemd ==
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Managing the Sniffer Service with systemd}}
This is valid only for system that use systemd as manager for services.
[[Category:Configuration]]
[[Category:Installation]]


===beware of use the service command===
'''This guide covers managing the VoIPmonitor sensor service using systemd on modern Linux distributions.'''
'''We don't recommend to use the service command in systemd environment for manage the sniffer service state!!
The systemd can lose track of the sensor daemon.'''


==systemd's service file for voipmonitor==
{{Warning|1='''Always use <code>systemctl</code> commands.''' Do not use the legacy <code>service</code> command as systemd may lose track of the process state.}}
Create file /etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service
 
== Unit File Configuration ==
 
Create <code>/etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service</code>:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="ini">
[Unit]
[Unit]
Description=VoIPmonitor sniffer
Description=VoIPmonitor sniffer
After=syslog.target
After=syslog.target network.target
After=network.target
# Add mysql.service only if DB is local (see Dependencies below)
After=mysql.service


[Service]
[Service]
Type=forking
Type=forking
Restart=no
RemainAfterExit=yes
TimeoutSec=5min
TimeoutSec=5min
IgnoreSIGPIPE=no
KillMode=process
KillMode=process
GuessMainPID=no
GuessMainPID=no
RemainAfterExit=yes
IgnoreSIGPIPE=no
SuccessExitStatus=5 6
SuccessExitStatus=5 6
ExecStart=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
ExecStart=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
ExecStop=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor stop
ExecStop=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor stop
#Place temp files in a secure directory, not /tmp?
PrivateTmp=false
PrivateTmp=false
[Install]
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
WantedBy=multi-user.target
</syntaxhighlight>


===service file and db host===
=== Dependencies ===
NOTICE: line 'After=mysql.service' gives a sense only if your mysql is installed locally.
===service file and napatech drivers===
Add into service file follwing lines to make sure napatech drivers are initialized before start of the sniffer service.
Before=network-pre.target
Wants=network-pre.target
After=ntservice.service
Requires=ntservice.service
 
==reload systemd==
Don't forget systemd reload after change.
systemctl daemon-reload
 
toto je puvodni wikimedia stranka
 
a toto je nova wikimedia stranka
 
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Managing the Sniffer Service with systemd}}
 
'''This guide provides the modern, recommended method for managing the VoIPmonitor sensor service using systemd. A properly configured systemd unit file ensures that the sensor starts correctly on boot and can be managed reliably with standard system commands.'''
 
== Important: Service Not Starting vs Connection Failures ==
 
Before troubleshooting systemd issues, identify whether the problem is with the systemd service OR with network connectivity to the central server.


{| class="wikitable" style="background:#fff3cd; border:1px solid #ffc107;"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#ffc107;" | Identify the Problem Type
! Scenario !! Add to [Unit] section
|-
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Service fails to start (systemctl fails):'''
| '''Local MySQL/MariaDB''' || <code>After=mysql.service</code>
| System reports the service cannot start. Symptoms: <code>systemctl start voipmonitor</code> returns error, service shows <code>failed</code> status, or service exits immediately. Continue with this guide.
|-
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" | '''Service starts but cannot connect to central server:'''
| '''Napatech SmartNIC''' || <code>After=ntservice.service</code><br/><code>Requires=ntservice.service</code><br/><code>Wants=network-pre.target</code><br/><code>Before=network-pre.target</code>
| Service shows as <code>active (running)</code> but logs show "cannot connect to server", "connection refused", or "timeout". THIS IS NOT A SYSTEMD ISSUE. Go to [[Sniffer_distributed_architecture#Troubleshooting_Connection_Failures|Distributed Architecture: Troubleshooting Connection Failures]].
|}
|}


For sensors that cannot connect to a central server (error messages about connection failures, time synchronization, or packet buffering), see [[Sniffer_distributed_architecture#Troubleshooting_Connection_Failures|this troubleshooting section]] for network connectivity diagnostics including:
== Basic Commands ==
* Testing connectivity with <code>nc -zv &lt;server_ip&gt; &lt;port&gt;</code>
* Firewall configuration
* Port verification (server_bind_port matches server_destination_port)
* MySQL database connectivity


== Overview ==
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
Modern Linux distributions (including recent versions of Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL, and AlmaLinux) use systemd as the primary service manager. While the legacy /etc/init.d/voipmonitor script may still work, creating a dedicated systemd unit file is a more robust and reliable approach. It provides better dependency management, process tracking, and integration with system logging.
# After any unit file changes
systemctl daemon-reload


'''Warning:''' It is strongly recommended to use the systemctl command exclusively to manage the service. Using the older service command (e.g., service voipmonitor start) can cause systemd to lose track of the process's state.
# Enable auto-start on boot
systemctl enable voipmonitor


== Step 1: Create the systemd Unit File ==
# Start/Stop/Restart
Create a new service file for VoIPmonitor using a text editor:
systemctl start voipmonitor
systemctl stop voipmonitor
systemctl restart voipmonitor


<pre>
# Check status
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service
systemctl status voipmonitor
</pre>
</syntaxhighlight>


== Watchdog Integration ==


Copy and paste the following content into the file. This template is a modern replacement for the old init.d script and calls the binary directly.
When using the internal watchdog with systemd, configure it to restart via systemctl. Otherwise, systemd will incorrectly report the service as "failed" after a watchdog-triggered restart.


<pre>
Add to <code>/etc/voipmonitor.conf</code>:
[Unit]
 
Description=VoIPmonitor Sniffer Service
<syntaxhighlight lang="ini">
Wants=network-online.target
watchdog = yes
After=network-online.target syslog.target
watchdog_run_command = systemctl restart voipmonitor
</syntaxhighlight>


# --- Optional: Add dependencies below if needed ---
== Controlling Verbose Output ==
# After=mysql.service mariadb.service      # If the database is on the same server
# After=ntservice.service                  # If you use Napatech cards


[Service]
By default, VoIPmonitor outputs statistics to syslog every 10 seconds (controlled by <code>-v 1</code> in the init.d script).
Type=forking
User=root
Group=root


# The command to start the sniffer.
=== Option 1: Redirect to Dedicated Log (Recommended) ===
# The -f flag is important to keep the process in the foreground for systemd.
ExecStart=/usr/local/sbin/voipmonitor --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf -v1


# Restart the service automatically if it fails
Add to <code>/etc/rsyslog.conf</code>:
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5s


# It's good practice to define a clean stop command
<syntaxhighlight lang="rsyslog">
ExecStop=/bin/kill -s TERM $MAINPID
if $programname == 'voipmonitor' then /var/log/voipmonitor.log
& ~
</syntaxhighlight>


[Install]
Then: <code>systemctl restart rsyslog</code>
WantedBy=multi-user.target
</pre>


== Step 2: Optional Customizations ==
=== Option 2: Disable Statistics Entirely ===
The provided template should work for most installations. However, if you have a special setup, you may need to uncomment or add dependency lines in the [Unit] section.


;If the database runs on the same server:
{{Warning|This removes valuable diagnostic metrics. Only use if necessary.}}
:Uncommenting After=mysql.service mariadb.service ensures that VoIPmonitor will only start after the database service is fully up and running.


;If you use Napatech hardware acceleration cards:
Edit <code>/etc/init.d/voipmonitor</code>, find the <code>ARGS=</code> line, and remove <code>-v 1</code> (or <code>v 1</code>):
:Uncommenting After=ntservice.service ensures the Napatech driver service is started before VoIPmonitor attempts to use the card.


== Step 3: Reload systemd and Enable the Service ==
<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
After creating or modifying the unit file, you must tell systemd to reload its configuration.
# Before:
ARGS="-v 1 --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf"


<pre>
# After:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
ARGS="--config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf"
</pre>
</syntaxhighlight>


Then: <code>systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl restart voipmonitor</code>


Next, enable the service to ensure it starts automatically every time the server boots.
== Troubleshooting ==


<pre>
=== Unit File Syntax Errors ===
sudo systemctl enable voipmonitor.service
</pre>


'''Symptom:''' "Assignment outside of section" or "control process exited with error code"


== Step 4: Managing the Service ==
'''Fix:''' Check unit file for:
You can now manage the VoIPmonitor sensor using the standard systemctl commands.
* Missing section headers (<code>[Unit]</code>, <code>[Service]</code>, <code>[Install]</code>)
* Typos in directive names
* Missing <code>=</code> signs


;To start the service:
'''Emergency bypass:'''
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
killall -9 voipmonitor
/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
# Fix unit file, then:
systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl start voipmonitor
</syntaxhighlight>


<pre>sudo systemctl start voipmonitor</pre>
=== Multiple Instances Running (Duplicate Packets, Corrupted RRD) ===


'''Symptom:''' Duplicate SIP packets in GUI, broken RRD graphs, multiple voipmonitor processes


;To stop the service:
'''Cause:''' Both systemd unit and init.d wrapper trying to start VoIPmonitor


<pre>sudo systemctl stop voipmonitor</pre>
'''Fix:'''


<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
# 1. Kill all instances
sudo killall -9 voipmonitor


;To restart the service after a configuration change:
# 2. Disable init.d wrapper (keeps script but prevents auto-start)
sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/voipmonitor


<pre>sudo systemctl restart voipmonitor</pre>
# 3. Delete corrupted RRD files
sudo rm -f /var/spool/voipmonitor/rrd/*


# 4. Start via systemd
sudo systemctl enable voipmonitor
sudo systemctl start voipmonitor


;To check the current status and view recent logs:
# 5. Verify single instance
ps aux | grep "[v]oipmonitor"
</syntaxhighlight>


<pre>sudo systemctl status voipmonitor</pre>
{{Note|1=The <code>chmod -x</code> disables the SysV compatibility service that systemd auto-generates from init.d scripts.}}


=== Connection Failures (Service Running but Not Connecting) ===


;To disable the service from starting on boot:
If <code>systemctl status voipmonitor</code> shows "active (running)" but logs show connection errors, the problem is not systemd-related. See [[Sniffer_distributed_architecture#Troubleshooting|Distributed Architecture Troubleshooting]].


<pre>sudo systemctl disable voipmonitor</pre>
== See Also ==


* [[Sniffer_configuration]] - Full configuration reference
* [[Sniffer_installation]] - Installation guide
* [[Multiple_sniffer_instancies]] - Running multiple sensors on one host


== AI Summary for RAG ==
== AI Summary for RAG ==
'''Summary:''' This guide provides a best-practice tutorial for managing the VoIPmonitor sensor service using systemd on modern Linux distributions. It explains why using systemctl is superior to the legacy service command and init.d scripts. The core of the article is a modern, recommended voipmonitor.service unit file template that calls the sniffer binary directly with the -f flag to run it in the foreground. The guide is structured as a step-by-step process: 1) Creating the /etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service file. 2) Explaining optional customizations, such as adding dependencies for a local MySQL/MariaDB database or Napatech drivers. 3) Reloading the systemd daemon and enabling the service to start on boot with systemctl daemon-reload and systemctl enable. 4) Listing and explaining the standard systemctl commands (start, stop, restart, status) for day-to-day service management.
'''Keywords:''' systemd, systemctl, service, daemon, init.d, unit file, voipmonitor.service, start on boot, enable, restart, status, dependency, After=, Wants=, ExecStart, Type=simple
'''Key Questions:'''


How do I manage the VoIPmonitor sniffer service on a modern Linux system?
'''Summary:''' Guide for managing VoIPmonitor sensor with systemd. Create unit file at <code>/etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service</code> with <code>Type=forking</code> and <code>RemainAfterExit=yes</code>. Key dependencies: add <code>After=mysql.service</code> for local DB only, add <code>After=ntservice.service</code> with <code>Requires=ntservice.service</code> for Napatech cards. Always use <code>systemctl</code> commands (not legacy <code>service</code>). For watchdog integration, set <code>watchdog_run_command = systemctl restart voipmonitor</code> to prevent systemd from showing failed status after watchdog restarts. For multiple instance conflicts (duplicate packets, corrupted RRD), run <code>chmod -x /etc/init.d/voipmonitor</code> to disable the init.d wrapper, delete RRD files, and restart via systemd. For verbose log spam (every 10 seconds), either redirect via rsyslog or remove <code>-v 1</code> from the init.d ARGS line.


What is the correct systemd unit file for VoIPmonitor?
'''Keywords:''' systemd, systemctl, voipmonitor.service, unit file, Type=forking, RemainAfterExit, After=mysql.service, Napatech, ntservice, daemon-reload, watchdog, watchdog_run_command, multiple instances, duplicate packets, corrupted RRD, chmod -x, verbose output, syslog spam, -v 1, rsyslog


How do I make the VoIPmonitor sensor start automatically on boot?
'''Key Questions:'''
 
* What is the recommended systemd unit file for VoIPmonitor?
Why shouldn't I use the service voipmonitor start command?
* How do I configure systemd dependencies for MySQL and Napatech?
 
* How do I make VoIPmonitor start automatically on boot?
How can I make the VoIPmonitor service wait for the MySQL database to be ready before starting?
* Why does systemd show service as failed after watchdog restart?
 
* How do I fix multiple voipmonitor processes running (duplicate packets, corrupted RRD)?
What is the difference between an init.d script and a systemd service file?
* How do I stop init.d and systemd from conflicting?
 
* How do I disable or redirect the verbose statistics output to syslog?
How do I check the status and logs of the sniffer service with systemctl?
 
a pise mi kolega:
 
Ahoj, tenhle service file mi funguje na almaliux 9.5
ten novy (upraveny) nespusti sluzbu: (overil jsem a svem almalinux 9.5)
 
potrebuju, abys mi tu wikimedia stranku opravil tak, aby se to drzelo toho puvodniho, ktery fungoval - dej mi to opet ve wikimedia formatu

Latest revision as of 16:48, 8 January 2026


This guide covers managing the VoIPmonitor sensor service using systemd on modern Linux distributions.

⚠️ Warning: Always use systemctl commands. Do not use the legacy service command as systemd may lose track of the process state.

Unit File Configuration

Create /etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service: 

[Unit]
Description=VoIPmonitor sniffer
After=syslog.target network.target
# Add mysql.service only if DB is local (see Dependencies below)

[Service]
Type=forking
RemainAfterExit=yes
TimeoutSec=5min
KillMode=process
GuessMainPID=no
IgnoreSIGPIPE=no
SuccessExitStatus=5 6
ExecStart=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
ExecStop=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor stop
PrivateTmp=false

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Dependencies

Scenario Add to [Unit] section
Local MySQL/MariaDB After=mysql.service
Napatech SmartNIC After=ntservice.service
Requires=ntservice.service
Wants=network-pre.target
Before=network-pre.target

Basic Commands

# After any unit file changes
systemctl daemon-reload

# Enable auto-start on boot
systemctl enable voipmonitor

# Start/Stop/Restart
systemctl start voipmonitor
systemctl stop voipmonitor
systemctl restart voipmonitor

# Check status
systemctl status voipmonitor

Watchdog Integration

When using the internal watchdog with systemd, configure it to restart via systemctl. Otherwise, systemd will incorrectly report the service as "failed" after a watchdog-triggered restart.

Add to /etc/voipmonitor.conf: 

watchdog = yes
watchdog_run_command = systemctl restart voipmonitor

Controlling Verbose Output

By default, VoIPmonitor outputs statistics to syslog every 10 seconds (controlled by -v 1 in the init.d script).

Option 1: Redirect to Dedicated Log (Recommended)

Add to /etc/rsyslog.conf: 

if $programname == 'voipmonitor' then /var/log/voipmonitor.log
& ~

Then: systemctl restart rsyslog

Option 2: Disable Statistics Entirely

⚠️ Warning: This removes valuable diagnostic metrics. Only use if necessary.

Edit /etc/init.d/voipmonitor, find the ARGS= line, and remove -v 1 (or v 1): 

# Before:
ARGS="-v 1 --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf"

# After:
ARGS="--config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf"

Then: systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl restart voipmonitor

Troubleshooting

Unit File Syntax Errors

Symptom: "Assignment outside of section" or "control process exited with error code"

Fix: Check unit file for:

  • Missing section headers ([Unit], [Service], [Install])
  • Typos in directive names
  • Missing = signs

Emergency bypass: 

killall -9 voipmonitor
/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
# Fix unit file, then:
systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl start voipmonitor

Multiple Instances Running (Duplicate Packets, Corrupted RRD)

Symptom: Duplicate SIP packets in GUI, broken RRD graphs, multiple voipmonitor processes

Cause: Both systemd unit and init.d wrapper trying to start VoIPmonitor

Fix: 

# 1. Kill all instances
sudo killall -9 voipmonitor

# 2. Disable init.d wrapper (keeps script but prevents auto-start)
sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/voipmonitor

# 3. Delete corrupted RRD files
sudo rm -f /var/spool/voipmonitor/rrd/*

# 4. Start via systemd
sudo systemctl enable voipmonitor
sudo systemctl start voipmonitor

# 5. Verify single instance
ps aux | grep "[v]oipmonitor"

ℹ️ Note: The chmod -x disables the SysV compatibility service that systemd auto-generates from init.d scripts.

Connection Failures (Service Running but Not Connecting)

If systemctl status voipmonitor shows "active (running)" but logs show connection errors, the problem is not systemd-related. See Distributed Architecture Troubleshooting.

See Also

AI Summary for RAG

Summary: Guide for managing VoIPmonitor sensor with systemd. Create unit file at /etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service with Type=forking and RemainAfterExit=yes. Key dependencies: add After=mysql.service for local DB only, add After=ntservice.service with Requires=ntservice.service for Napatech cards. Always use systemctl commands (not legacy service). For watchdog integration, set watchdog_run_command = systemctl restart voipmonitor to prevent systemd from showing failed status after watchdog restarts. For multiple instance conflicts (duplicate packets, corrupted RRD), run chmod -x /etc/init.d/voipmonitor to disable the init.d wrapper, delete RRD files, and restart via systemd. For verbose log spam (every 10 seconds), either redirect via rsyslog or remove -v 1 from the init.d ARGS line.

Keywords: systemd, systemctl, voipmonitor.service, unit file, Type=forking, RemainAfterExit, After=mysql.service, Napatech, ntservice, daemon-reload, watchdog, watchdog_run_command, multiple instances, duplicate packets, corrupted RRD, chmod -x, verbose output, syslog spam, -v 1, rsyslog

Key Questions:

  • What is the recommended systemd unit file for VoIPmonitor?
  • How do I configure systemd dependencies for MySQL and Napatech?
  • How do I make VoIPmonitor start automatically on boot?
  • Why does systemd show service as failed after watchdog restart?
  • How do I fix multiple voipmonitor processes running (duplicate packets, corrupted RRD)?
  • How do I stop init.d and systemd from conflicting?
  • How do I disable or redirect the verbose statistics output to syslog?
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