Alert tweeter

Hate paying [insert provider here] the OUTRAGEOUS texting rates you need if you're sending Nagios alerts via SMS?

Yeah, so do I.

Here's a fairly simple way to send your nagios alerts to your mobile device via Twitter. The iOS twitter app will alert when you get direct messages (you may need to run it first, so that it's in "sleep mode"), so instead of paying $150/MB in SMS rates, you're piggybacking off your somewhat more generous data plan.

Unless you love your wireless carrier, or perhaps in the case of AT&T feel sorry for them, use alert tweeter.

Configuration

You will probably want to set up a dedicated twitter account that represnts your nagios.
You'll need to register an app.
People who need to receive tweets will likely need to follow the tweeter.
You'll need a YAML file like:

---
app_name: your-clever-app-name
notify_users:
- annoy
- all_of_these
- twitter_uesrs
auth:
  consumer_key: YOUR_CONSUMER_KEY
  consumer_secret: YOUR_CONSUMER_SECRET
  oauth_token: YOUR_OAUTH_TOKEN
  oauth_token_secret: YOUR_OAUTH_TOKEN_SECRET

then in your nagios config, you'll need something like:

define command {
  command_name service-notify-by-twitter
  command_line /usr/local/rvm/bin/rvm-exec 1.9.2 tweet-alert \
      --config=/path/to/the/config.yml \
      --notification_type=$NOTIFICATIONTYPE$ \
      --event_state=$SERVICESTATE$ \
      --event_state_type=$SERVICESTATETYPE$ \
      --host_name=$HOSTALIAS$ \
      --host_address=$HOSTADDRESS$ \
      --service_desc=$SERVICEDESC$ \
      --service_attempt=$SERVICEATTEMPT$ \
      --service_duration_sec=$SERVICEDURATIONSEC$ \
      --service_output="$SERVICEOUTPUT$" 
}

define command {
  command_name host-notify-by-twitter
  command_line /usr/local/rvm/bin/rvm-exec 1.9.2 tweet-alert \
      --config=/path/to/the/config.yml \
      --notification_type=$NOTIFICATIONTYPE$ \
      --event_state=$HOSTSTATE$  \
      --event_state_type=$HOSTSTATETYPE$ \
      --host_name=$HOSTALIAS$ \
      --host_address=$HOSTADDRESS$ \
      --host_attempt=$HOSTATTEMPT$ \
      --host_duration_sec=$HOSTDURATIONSEC$ \
      --host_output="$HOSTOUTPUT$"
}

define contact {
  name                            twitter-contact
  service_notification_period     24x7
  host_notification_period        24x7
  service_notification_options    w,u,c,r,f,s
  host_notification_options       d,u,r,f,s
  service_notification_commands   service-notify-by-twitter
  host_notification_commands      host-notify-by-twitter
  register                        0
}

define contactgroup {
  contactgroup_name admins-twitter
  alias             Sysamdin Twitter
  members           twitter-dummy
}

# as of alert_tweeter-0.0.2 the contacts are determined by the alert_tweeter.yml file
# managed by chef in the icinga recipe
define contact {
  use                           twitter-contact
  contact_name                  twitter-dummy
  service_notification_options  c,r,f
  host_notification_options     d,u,r,f
  #                             ^^^^^^^--- ha! twitter dummy! durf! get it!?
}

(GAH! I hate nagios! could they make it MORE verbose, error-prone, and annoying?!)

Obviously replace --config=/path/to/the/config.yml with the path to the actual config.

I use rvm. If you don't, or if you're weird and like rbenv, you'll need to adjust the above commands.

alert_tweeter

Runtime

Alert tweeter

Configuration