Monitoring Proxmox with Checkmk RAW

• Proxmox, Checkmk, monitoring, storage

This is for Proxmox VE version 8.4.14, Proxmox Backup Server version 4.0.11, and Checkmk RAW version 2.4.0p15.

Proxmox VE and Proxmox Backup Server are both based on Debian Linux, so we can use the Debian-packaged Checkmk RAW Linux agent to monitor them. This procedure also installs the smart plugin to monitor disk health via S.M.A.R.T., which is especially important for Proxmox nodes with NVMe storage.

  1. Create a Checkmk host folder to hold Proxmox VE nodes and Proxmox Backup Servers that will be in your cluster.

  2. Inside that folder, create host for each Proxmox VE node and Proxmox Backup Server.

Expect to see “Problems with 1 data source, Errno 111 Connection refused” until we add smart plugin.

Carefully note hostnames as they will be needed later.

  1. Download Checkmk agent Debian package to ProxMox node or PBS and install:
  • Browse to Setup->Agents->Linux->Packaged Agents.
  • Right-click on check-mk-agent_VERSION_all.deb and copy link address.
cd /tmp
wget http://your.checkmk.server/monitoring/check_mk/agents/check-mk-agent_VERSION_all.deb # Paste URL from above here
dpkg -i check-mk-agent_VERSION_all.deb
rm check-mk-agent_VERSION_all.deb
  1. Register agent with Checkmk RAW
cmk-agent-ctl register --server your.checkmk.server:8000 --site monitoring --user agent_registration --hostname HOSTNAME_BEING_REGISTERED --password 'AGENT_REGISTRATION_USER_PASSWORD' --trust-cert

Expect to see Registration complete.

The --hostname on cmk-agent-ctl above must match hostname given in Checkmk RAW host creation.

  1. Get URL of smart plugin for Checkmk agent:
  • Browse to Setup->Agents->Linux->Plug-ins.
  • Right-click on smart and copy link address.
  1. Download smart plugin to Proxmox node:
wget -O /usr/lib/check_mk_agent/plugins/smart http://your.checkmk.server/monitoring/check_mk/agents/plugins/smart # Paste URL from above here
chmod +x /usr/lib/check_mk_agent/plugins/smart
  1. Disable smartd because it blocks access by Checkmk:
systemctl disable --now smartd
  1. Verify Checkmk agent is working and smart plugin is loaded:
check_mk_agent | grep '<<<smart>>>'

You should see output like:

<<<smart>>>
  1. Configure Checkmk RAW to monitor new services from smart plugin:
  • Browse to Setup->Hosts->Your Proxmox Node->Host->Run service discovery.
  • Review services, and click Accept All.
  • Commit and activate Checkmk changes.

← Proxmox Mail Notification Keeping Time with Proxmox and Ntpsec →