Systemd for voipmonitor service management: Difference between revisions

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.

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?

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 [[Category:Installation]]
-'''This guide provides the recommended method for managing the VoIPmonitor sensor service using systemd on modern Linux distributions.'''
+'''This guide covers managing the VoIPmonitor sensor service using systemd on modern Linux distributions.'''
-== Overview ==
+{{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.}}
-Modern Linux distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, RHEL, AlmaLinux) use systemd as the primary service manager. The recommended approach is to create a systemd unit file that wraps the reliable <code>/etc/init.d/voipmonitor</code> script, ensuring compatibility across various distributions.
-{{Warning|1='''Always use <code>systemctl</code> commands to manage the service.''' Do not use the legacy <code>service</code> command (e.g., <code>service voipmonitor start</code>) as systemd may lose track of the process state.}}
 == Unit File Configuration ==
-Create file <code>/etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service</code>:
+Create <code>/etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service</code>:
 <syntaxhighlight lang="ini">
 [Unit]
 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]
 Type=forking
-Restart=no
+RemainAfterExit=yes
 TimeoutSec=5min
-IgnoreSIGPIPE=no
 KillMode=process
 GuessMainPID=no
-RemainAfterExit=yes
+IgnoreSIGPIPE=no
 SuccessExitStatus=5 6
 ExecStart=/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
@@ Line 39: / Line 33: @@
 </syntaxhighlight>
-== Dependency Customization ==
+=== Dependencies ===
-<kroki lang="mermaid">
+{| class="wikitable"
-%%{init: {'flowchart': {'nodeSpacing': 15, 'rankSpacing': 40}}}%%
+|-
-flowchart LR
+! Scenario !! Add to [Unit] section
-    subgraph "Dependencies"
+|-
-        A[syslog.target]
+| '''Local MySQL/MariaDB''' || <code>After=mysql.service</code>
-        B[network.target]
+|-
-        C[mysql.service]
+| '''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>
-        D[ntservice.service]
+|}
-    end
-    E[voipmonitor.service]
+== Basic Commands ==
-    A --> E
+<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
-    B --> E
+# After any unit file changes
-    C -.->|"Local DB only"| E
+systemctl daemon-reload
-    D -.->|"Napatech only"| E
-</kroki>
-=== MySQL/MariaDB ===
+# Enable auto-start on boot
+systemctl enable voipmonitor
-The line <code>After=mysql.service</code> is only required if the database is installed locally on the same server. If your database runs on a remote server, you can remove this line.
+# Start/Stop/Restart
+systemctl start voipmonitor
+systemctl stop voipmonitor
+systemctl restart voipmonitor
-=== Napatech Cards ===
+# Check status
+systemctl status voipmonitor
+</syntaxhighlight>
-If you use Napatech hardware acceleration cards, add the following lines to the <code>[Unit]</code> section to ensure drivers load before VoIPmonitor starts:
+== 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 <code>/etc/voipmonitor.conf</code>:
 <syntaxhighlight lang="ini">
-Before=network-pre.target
+watchdog = yes
-Wants=network-pre.target
+watchdog_run_command = systemctl restart voipmonitor
-After=ntservice.service
-Requires=ntservice.service
 </syntaxhighlight>
-== Activation and Management ==
+== Controlling Verbose Output ==
-=== Reload systemd after changes ===
+By default, VoIPmonitor outputs statistics to syslog every 10 seconds (controlled by <code>-v 1</code> in the init.d script).
-<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
+=== Option 1: Redirect to Dedicated Log (Recommended) ===
-systemctl daemon-reload
-</syntaxhighlight>
-=== Enable start on boot ===
+Add to <code>/etc/rsyslog.conf</code>:
-<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
+<syntaxhighlight lang="rsyslog">
-systemctl enable voipmonitor
+if $programname == 'voipmonitor' then /var/log/voipmonitor.log
+& ~
 </syntaxhighlight>
-=== Standard management commands ===
+Then: <code>systemctl restart rsyslog</code>
-<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
+=== Option 2: Disable Statistics Entirely ===
-# Start the service
-systemctl start voipmonitor
+{{Warning|This removes valuable diagnostic metrics. Only use if necessary.}}
-# Stop the service
+Edit <code>/etc/init.d/voipmonitor</code>, find the <code>ARGS=</code> line, and remove <code>-v 1</code> (or <code>v 1</code>):
-systemctl stop voipmonitor
-# Restart the service
+<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
-systemctl restart voipmonitor
+# Before:
+ARGS="-v 1 --config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf"
-# Check status and view recent logs
+# After:
-systemctl status voipmonitor
+ARGS="--config-file /etc/voipmonitor.conf"
 </syntaxhighlight>
+Then: <code>systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl restart voipmonitor</code>
 == Troubleshooting ==
-=== Service Not Starting vs Connection Failures ===
+=== Unit File Syntax Errors ===
-Before troubleshooting systemd issues, identify whether the problem is with the systemd service OR with network connectivity:
+'''Symptom:''' "Assignment outside of section" or "control process exited with error code"
-{| class="wikitable"
+'''Fix:''' Check unit file for:
-|-
+* Missing section headers (<code>[Unit]</code>, <code>[Service]</code>, <code>[Install]</code>)
-! Problem Type !! Symptoms !! Solution
+* Typos in directive names
-|-
+* Missing <code>=</code> signs
-| '''Service fails to start''' || <code>systemctl start voipmonitor</code> returns error, service shows <code>failed</code> status || Continue with this guide
-|-
+'''Emergency bypass:'''
-| '''Service starts but cannot connect''' || Service shows <code>active (running)</code> but logs show "cannot connect to server" || See [[Sniffer_distributed_architecture#Troubleshooting_Connection_Failures|Distributed Architecture Troubleshooting]]
+<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
-|}
+killall -9 voipmonitor
+/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
+# Fix unit file, then:
+systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl start voipmonitor
+</syntaxhighlight>
-=== Unit File Syntax Errors ===
+=== Multiple Instances Running (Duplicate Packets, Corrupted RRD) ===
-If you encounter errors like:
+'''Symptom:''' Duplicate SIP packets in GUI, broken RRD graphs, multiple voipmonitor processes
-<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
+'''Cause:''' Both systemd unit and init.d wrapper trying to start VoIPmonitor
-Error: Assignment outside of section. Ignoring.
-Job for voipmonitor.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
-</syntaxhighlight>
-This indicates syntax errors in the unit file. To bypass and fix:
+'''Fix:'''
 <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
-# 1. Identify existing processes
+# 1. Kill all instances
-ps aux | grep voipmonitor
+sudo killall -9 voipmonitor
-# 2. Kill the watchdog process first (find its PID from ps output)
+# 2. Disable init.d wrapper (keeps script but prevents auto-start)
-kill <PID_WATCHDOG>
+sudo chmod -x /etc/init.d/voipmonitor
-# 3. Kill the main voipmonitor process
+# 3. Delete corrupted RRD files
-kill -9 <PID_VOIPMONITOR>
+sudo rm -f /var/spool/voipmonitor/rrd/*
-# 4. Stop using init.d script
+# 4. Start via systemd
-/etc/init.d/voipmonitor stop
+sudo systemctl enable voipmonitor
+sudo systemctl start voipmonitor
-# 5. Start using init.d script (bypasses broken systemd unit)
+# 5. Verify single instance
-/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start
+ps aux | grep "[v]oipmonitor"
 </syntaxhighlight>
-=== Common Unit File Errors ===
+{{Note|1=The <code>chmod -x</code> disables the SysV compatibility service that systemd auto-generates from init.d scripts.}}
-* Missing <code>[Unit]</code>, <code>[Service]</code>, or <code>[Install]</code> section headers
+=== Connection Failures (Service Running but Not Connecting) ===
-* Assignments placed outside of their proper sections
-* Typos in directive names (e.g., <code>ExecStar</code> instead of <code>ExecStart</code>)
-* Missing equals (<code>=</code>) signs between directive and value
-After fixing the unit file:
+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]].
-<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
+== See Also ==
-systemctl daemon-reload
-systemctl start voipmonitor
+* [[Sniffer_configuration]] - Full configuration reference
-</syntaxhighlight>
+* [[Sniffer_installation]] - Installation guide
+* [[Multiple_sniffer_instancies]] - Running multiple sensors on one host
 == AI Summary for RAG ==
-'''Summary:''' This guide provides the stable method for managing the VoIPmonitor sensor using systemd by wrapping the legacy init.d script in a unit file. This approach ensures compatibility across various distributions including AlmaLinux 9.5. The unit file configuration uses <code>Type=forking</code> with <code>RemainAfterExit=yes</code> and calls <code>/etc/init.d/voipmonitor start/stop</code> directly. Key dependencies include <code>After=mysql.service</code> for local databases and <code>After=ntservice.service</code> with <code>Requires=ntservice.service</code> for Napatech hardware. The guide emphasizes using <code>systemctl</code> commands exclusively (never the legacy <code>service</code> command) for reliable process tracking. Troubleshooting covers distinguishing between systemd failures and network connectivity issues, and provides steps to bypass a faulty unit file using the init.d script directly.
+'''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.
-'''Keywords:''' systemd, systemctl, voipmonitor.service, init.d wrapper, unit file, Type=forking, RemainAfterExit, dependency, After=mysql.service, Napatech, AlmaLinux, service management, daemon-reload, enable on boot
+'''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 configuration for VoIPmonitor?
+* What is the recommended systemd unit file for VoIPmonitor?
-* Why should I avoid the <code>service</code> command and use <code>systemctl</code>?
+* How do I configure systemd dependencies for MySQL and Napatech?
-* How do I configure systemd to wait for MySQL before starting VoIPmonitor?
-* How do I ensure Napatech drivers are loaded before the sniffer starts?
-* What is the correct content of /etc/systemd/system/voipmonitor.service?
 * How do I make VoIPmonitor start automatically on boot?
-* How do I bypass a broken systemd unit file and start VoIPmonitor manually?
+* Why does systemd show service as failed after watchdog restart?
-* What causes "Assignment outside of section" error in systemd?
+* How do I fix multiple voipmonitor processes running (duplicate packets, corrupted RRD)?
-* How do I troubleshoot VoIPmonitor service startup failures?
+* How do I stop init.d and systemd from conflicting?
+* How do I disable or redirect the verbose statistics output to syslog?