July 1, 2008

Recently I created two templates for [Cacti](http://www.Cacti.net/index.php), the open source server resource graphing application. I have been using Cacti for years, but there were a few things that I was not able to find graphing solutions for. [Qmail](http://cr.yp.to/qmail.html) is an open source, light-weight and secure email server written by [Dan Bernstein](http://cr.yp.to/djb.html). I have also been using qmail for years, but until recently I had no way of graphing its traffic. I found this [helpful bit of code](http://wotsit.thingy.com/haj/Cacti/Cacti-qmail.html) on Howie's Stuff which helped me get the raw data I needed from [qmailmrtg](http://www.inter7.com/?page=qmailmrtg7). After I got that working [I started out with this template](http://forums.Cacti.net/viewtopic.php?t=9859), which mostly worked. I then created a complex graph and exported the template for it [which I posted here](http://forums.Cacti.net/viewtopic.php?t=9859&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15). The results can be seen in the graph below. [](https://eecue.com/p/30679/Cacti-Qmail-Graph.html) *A Cacti/rrdtool graph showing various information about a qmail server that I run.* The next service that I was unable to find a Cacti graphing solution for was [djbdns](http://cr.yp.to/djbdns.html). Djbdns is a lightweight and secure DNS daemon, also written by Dan Bernstein. [Jeremey Kister](http://jeremy.kister.net/code/djbdns-stats/) wrote a [great script called djbdns-stats](http://jeremy.kister.net/code/djbdns-stats/) for parsing the djbdns logs and presenting data in the perfect format for Cacti to undertand. I took the djbdns-stats output and created an input and graph (below) template for Cacti, which I then [shared on the Cacti site](http://forums.Cacti.net/about10993.html). [](https://eecue.com/p/30678/Cacti-Tinydns-Graph.html) *A Cacti/rrdtool graph showing dns usage on my djbdns server.* I have found Cacti to be an extremely useful application over the years. I am greatly looking forward to the [next release](http://www.Cacti.net/roadmap.php) which will incorporate the helpful [Cactiusers plugin framework](http://Cactiusers.org/index.php).

* [Encounters At the End of the World](http://www.apple.com/trailers/thinkfilm/encountersattheendoftheworld/trailer/) This looks like it's going to be a great documentary. Set in Antarctica and directed by the fellow who made Grizzly Man. (tags: [antarctica](http://del.icio.us/eecue/antarctica) [documentary](http://del.icio.us/eecue/documentary) [movie](http://del.icio.us/eecue/movie))