# GANDALF (Global Advanced Network Detection And Link Facilitator)
[](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/gandalf/actions?workflow=lint.yml)
[](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/gandalf/actions?workflow=test.yml)
[](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/gandalf/actions?workflow=security.yml)
> Because it shall not let problems pass.
Network monitoring dashboard for the LotusGuild Proxmox cluster.
Deployed on **LXC 157** (monitor-02 / 10.10.10.9), reachable at `gandalf.lotusguild.org`.
**Design System**: [web_template](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/web_template): shared CSS, JS, and layout patterns for all LotusGuild apps
## Why this exists
A Proxmox/Ceph cluster lives or dies by its network, and network problems are sneaky: a link that flaps, a fibre with weak receive power, a switch port that quietly negotiated 1 Gbps. GANDALF watches the cluster's links from three angles at once (host NIC state from Prometheus, switch ports and LLDP from the UniFi controller, and reachability pings), alerts only on **regressions** (a link that was up and went down; ports that were never connected are learned as baseline and ignored), and files one ticket per real problem. When something looks wrong, a click on the switch port runs a full on-host diagnostic through [PULSE](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/pulse) (`ethtool`, SFP optics, kernel log, LLDP) and explains what it found.
## Gallery
**Dashboard**: alert queue with linked tickets, a live topology, per-host interface status and the UniFi device inventory.
**Device pages**: search by hostname, IP, MAC, model or interface from the dashboard, then open one page per host, switch, router, PDU or modem. Each interface or port is one row with its state, speed, traffic and neighbour. Expanding a row shows duplex, carrier flaps, error and drop rates, PoE, LLDP, and **SFP optical readings** (temperature, TX/RX power) with colour-coded thresholds.
**Port inspector**: each switch and router page has a front-panel diagram. Click a port for its stats, LLDP neighbour and a side-by-side switch/server path check.
**One-click diagnostics**: GANDALF asks a PULSE worker to SSH to the host on the other end of the link and collect everything in one pass, then analyzes it: carrier, duplex and speed mismatches, SFP power levels, CRC errors, link flaps, recent kernel events and LLDP validation.
**Suppressions**: timed or manual maintenance windows per host, interface or UniFi device, with a full history.
**Light theme:**
Screenshots come from a throwaway local instance seeded with fictional data (documentation IP ranges), with PULSE replaced by a small mock. See `scripts/demo/`.
## Styling & Layout
GANDALF uses the **LotusGuild Terminal Design System**. For all styling, component, and layout documentation see:
- [`web_template/README.md`](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/web_template/src/branch/main/README.md): full component reference, CSS variables, JS API
- [`web_template/base.css`](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/web_template/src/branch/main/base.css): unified CSS (`.lt-*` classes)
- [`web_template/base.js`](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/web_template/src/branch/main/base.js): `window.lt` utilities (toast, modal, auto-refresh, fetch helpers)
- [`web_template/python/base.html`](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/web_template/src/branch/main/python/base.html): Jinja2 base template
- [`web_template/python/auth.py`](https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/web_template/src/branch/main/python/auth.py): `@require_auth` decorator pattern
---
## Architecture
Two processes share a MariaDB database:
| Process | Service | Role |
|---|---|---|
| `app.py` | `gandalf.service` | Flask web dashboard (gunicorn, port 8000) |
| `monitor.py` | `gandalf-monitor.service` | Background polling daemon |
```
[Prometheus :9090] ──▶
[UniFi Controller] ──▶ monitor.py ──▶ MariaDB ◀── app.py ──▶ nginx ──▶ Authelia ──▶ Browser
[Pulse Worker] ──▶
[SSH / ethtool] ──▶
[AT&T BGW320] ──▶
```
### Data Sources
| Source | What it provides |
|---|---|
| **Prometheus** (`10.10.10.48:9090`) | Physical NIC link state + traffic/error rates via `node_exporter` |
| **UniFi API** (`https://10.10.10.1`) | Switch port stats, device status, LLDP neighbor table, PoE data |
| **Pulse Worker** | SSH relay: runs `ethtool` + SFP DOM queries on each Proxmox host |
| **Ping** | Reachability for hosts without `node_exporter` (e.g. PBS) |
| **AT&T BGW320** (`http://192.168.1.254`) | Fiber light levels, PON and WAN state, WAN counters, scraped read-only from the gateway's status pages (no login) |
### Monitored Hosts (Prometheus / node_exporter)
| Host | Prometheus Instance |
|---|---|
| large1 | 10.10.10.2:9100 |
| compute-storage-01 | 10.10.10.4:9100 |
| micro1 | 10.10.10.8:9100 |
| monitor-02 | 10.10.10.9:9100 |
| compute-storage-gpu-01 | 10.10.10.10:9100 |
| storage-01 | 10.10.10.11:9100 |
Ping-only (no node_exporter): **pbs** (10.10.10.3)
---
## Pages
### Dashboard (`/`)
- Device search (see Device pages below)
- Active alerts first, then the WAN / Fiber panel, hosts, UniFi devices, topology, and recently resolved alerts
- Real-time host status grid with per-NIC link state (UP / DOWN / degraded)
- Network topology diagram (Internet → Modem → Gateway → Switches → Hosts)
- WAN / Fiber panel: WAN and PON state, Rx/Tx power, optics temperature, throughput, errors, gateway uptime and last restart, 7-day Rx trend, recent WAN outages
- UniFi device table (switches, APs, gateway)
- Active alerts table with severity, target, consecutive failures, ticket link
- Quick-suppress modal: apply timed or manual suppression from any alert row
- Auto-refreshes every 30 seconds via `/api/status` + `/api/network`
### Alert history (`/events`)
Every alert Gandalf raised in the last 24 hours to 90 days, including ones that cleared before anyone
saw them: when each started, how long it lasted, failed checks, and its ticket.
- Filter by device (name, port or interface), alert type, severity, and open or cleared. Filters are
kept in the URL, so `/events?target=large1&range=90d` is a shareable link; device pages and tickets
link to their own history this way.
- **Recurring** lists the same alert on the same target more than once in the range, worst first, since
a flapping cable or optic shows up here before anyone notices the tickets.
- API: `GET /api/events/history?range=24h|7d|30d|90d&type=&target=&severity=&status=all|active|resolved&offset=`
(100 per page).
### Rack (`/rack`)
The rack front, drawn from the rack units set on cutsheet items, top first.
- **Linking items to devices**: a cutsheet item can be named after the product ("UDM-Pro") and linked to
the live device with its **Gandalf device** field ("Dream Machine Pro"). Linked UniFi gear with a
faceplate is drawn with its real faceplate and live port state (the UPS 2U Pro shows its front only);
patch panels get a generic panel with each port's label; anything else is a labelled plate with its
live status. Cables may use either name: checks, suggestions, tickets and the device page treat an
item and its device as the same thing.
- **Drawn fronts**: gear without a live faceplate can pick a **Front drawing** on its cutsheet item:
UniFi NVR Pro (a full faceplate, `UNVRPRO` in `static/faceplates.js`, laid out from the CC0 NetBox
device library image), Sliger CX4712 4U (10 numbered bays), Rosewill RSV-L4500U 4U (perforated fan
door), the UniFi blank 24-port keystone patch panel (UACC-Rack-Panel-Patch-Blank-24: keystone jacks
appear where cables are documented), or a generic 1U/2U/4U server. The power light shows the linked device's live status. Case
drawings live in `static/fronts.js`.
- **Shelves**: an item can sit on a shelf item instead of having a rack unit. The shelf draws what is on
it side by side (mini PCs, desk switches), each with its status and a link to its page.
- **Posts, facing and views**: each item hangs on the front posts, the rear posts, or both (full
depth), and its ports face the front or the rear. On a 4-post rack a front-post and a rear-post item
can share a unit; a full-depth item takes it on both. The page has three views: **Front** (the front
posts), **Rear posts** (gear on the rear posts seen from the front, i.e. what sits behind the front
gear, such as a PDU or a shelf mounted from the rear but facing forward) and **Rear** (from behind).
An item seen from the side it doesn't face shows its back. Items on a shelf take the shelf's posts
and facing.
- **Shelves to scale**: a shelf draws its contents left to right by **Position on shelf**, at true scale
(a 19" panel is 482.6 mm). Gear with a drawing, such as the IceWhale ZimaBoard 832 (traced from
IceWhale's labelled photo of its port end), shows its real ports: the onboard RJ45 link lights follow
enp2s0 (left) and enp3s0 (right), and the status glow follows the host. The "ZimaBoard 832 +
ConnectX-3" drawing adds the single-port SFP+ card lying flat in the side PCIe slot, as in the rack,
with a DAC attached; its round dot is Gandalf's link mark for enp1s0 (the slot is PCI bus 1), not an
LED on the card. UniFi desk switches (Flex Mini, Flex) on a shelf are drawn with their live faceplate
at their real width. Anything else is a labelled box.
- **More drawn fronts**: the Sliger CX4712 with its red, white or blue perforated front fitted (as in
the rack photo, drive cages faint behind the mesh), and the UniFi brush panel
(UACC-Rack-Panel-Brush-1U, from Ubiquiti's product images).
- **Gear resting on other gear**: a shelf item with Front drawing "No shelf: gear resting on what is
below" draws no tray, so a switch lying on top of the NVR is a "shelf" in the unit above the NVR whose
contents sit directly on it.
- **Racks**: admins name a rack and set its height with **Rack settings** on the page, and add more with
**+ Rack** (a tab per rack). Renaming a rack moves its items; an empty rack can be deleted. Each item
has a rack (empty means the first). Until a rack is saved, racks come from config:
`racks: [{"name": "Main", "units": 42}, ...]`, or one rack `rack.name` (default "Rack 1") with
`rack.units` (default 42); saving the first one carries its items over.
- Every documented port shows its cutsheet state (green matches, red mismatch, grey unconfirmed).
Hovering a port lights up every port on the same cable run, through patch panels, and names the
cables; clicking opens the switch port or the cable.
- Runs of 3 or more empty units fold into one band; "Show empty units" draws them in full (remembered
per browser). Every device is drawn at the full 19" width.
- **Download SVG / PNG** saves the current rack on a white page for printing or planning.
- Items that would overlap another or run past the top of the rack are listed, not drawn over. Where two
claim the same top unit, the one recorded first is drawn. Items without a rack unit are listed below.
- The rack keeps its own dark "hardware" palette in both themes.
### Health check (`/health`)
No login needed. Returns 200 when the database answers and the monitor has completed a check recently,
otherwise 503 with the failing check: `{"status": "degraded", "checks": {"db": "ok", "monitor": "stale",
"monitor_age_s": 742}}`. The monitor counts as stalled after five missed polls (at least 10 minutes),
so point an uptime monitor at it to catch a hung `gandalf-monitor`, not just a dead web app.
### Device pages (`/device/`)
One page per host, switch, router, AP, PDU, or modem. Reach them from the search box on the
dashboard (`/` focuses it), or from any device name. Search matches hostname, IP, MAC, model, type,
interface and port names, and LLDP neighbors.
- **Overview**: status, IP, MAC, model, firmware, uptime, CPU, memory, clients, temperatures, power draw
- **Alerts**: active and past alerts for this device
- **WAN** (routers): connection state, speed, latency, availability
- **Connected to** (hosts): switch ports that see this host over LLDP
- **Outlets** (PDUs): per-outlet state, power, and auto power-cycle setting
- **Port inspector** (switches, routers): see below
- **Interfaces / Ports**: one row each with state, speed, RX/TX rate, and neighbor, filterable.
Expanding a host's row shows duplex, auto-negotiation, carrier changes, error and drop rates,
traffic bars, PoE, LLDP detail, and the **SFP / optical panel** (vendor/PN, temperature, voltage,
bias, TX/RX power, RX−TX delta)
- **WAN / Fiber** (modem): the same panel as the dashboard
These replaced the Link Debug page; `/links` now redirects to the dashboard. Hosts that Prometheus
sees but `config.json` doesn't list still get a page, with their state shown as unknown because
they aren't alerted on.
### Port inspector (on switch and router device pages)
A realistic front panel, drawn as SVG from the model's real geometry in `static/faceplates.js`
(`FACEPLATES`). `/inspector` now redirects to the dashboard. Link to a port with `/device/#port-`.
**SFP cages** show what UniFi reports is in them: empty, a fibre optic (two LC sockets), a DAC (cable
boot), or an unidentified module. A module raising a receive or transmit fault is outlined in red.
The port panel's **SFP Module** section lists type, part, serial and faults, plus the module's
optical readings (TX/RX power, temperature, voltage, bias) when it reports them. Copper DACs don't.
Both ends of a DAC report the same cable serial, so a DAC seen on two ports links to its other end.
**Cutsheet marks**: a port with a cable documented in the cutsheet gets a dot in its corner: green when
it matches what Gandalf sees, red for a mismatch (wrong neighbor, no link, missing port, port conflict),
grey when it is documented but can't be confirmed (planned, dark, through a panel, or the far end isn't
visible). Hovering the port names the cable. "Cutsheet marks" in the legend hides them; the choice is
remembered in the browser.
**Inventory link**: the device page's 📦 button opens the device's record in the inventory
(`inventory.base_url`). Admins set it with ✎ by pasting the record's URL; only URLs on the inventory
host are accepted. Until one is set, the button searches the inventory for the model. Tickets include
the link too.
**Port block colours:**
| Colour | State |
|---|---|
| Green | Up, no active PoE |
| Amber | Up with active PoE draw |
| Cyan | Uplink port (up) |
| Grey | Down |
| White outline | Currently selected |
**Clicking a port**, on the panel or in the port table, opens the detail panel showing:
- Link stats (status, speed, duplex, auto-neg, media type)
- PoE (class, max wattage, current draw, mode)
- Traffic (TX/RX rates)
- Errors/drops per second
- **LLDP Neighbor** section (system name, port ID, chassis ID, management IPs)
- **Path Debug** (auto-appears when LLDP `system_name` matches a known server):
two-column comparison of the switch port stats vs. the server NIC stats,
including SFP DOM data if the server side has an SFP module
**Port neighbors**: UniFi's LLDP data identifies a neighbor only by MAC, so Gandalf names it by matching that MAC
against host NICs (`node_network_info` from node_exporter) and UniFi devices, then falling back to management IPs.
Servers that don't send LLDP are found through UniFi's wired client table. Uplink ports are skipped there, and
neighbors that can't be matched show their MAC. Bonded NICs share a MAC, so only one member's port may be identified.
**Path check and diagnostics requirements:**
1. The server's node_exporter is scraped, so its NIC MACs are in Prometheus
2. The Pulse worker can SSH to the server
3. Optional: `lldpd` on the server lets diagnostics confirm the cabling from the server's side
**Supported models** (keys are UniFi model codes):
| Key | Model | Front panel |
|---|---|---|
| `UDMPRO` | Dream Machine Pro | 8×RJ45 LAN, RJ45 WAN, SFP+ WAN, SFP+ LAN, screen, drive bay |
| `US24PRO` | USW Pro 24 PoE | 24×RJ45 in two blocks of 12, 2×SFP+ |
| `USL8A` | USW Aggregation | 8×SFP+ in four stacked pairs |
| `USF5P` | USW Flex | 5×RJ45, PoE in on port 1, PoE out on 2-5 |
| `USMINI` | USW Flex Mini | 5×RJ45, PoE in on port 1 |
| `USPPDUP` | USP PDU Pro | 20 outlets (4 USB-C, 16 AC), management port 21, surge pass-through ports 22-23 |
| `USPDA2B` | UPS 2U Pro | Front with touchscreen outlet tiles; rear with 8 outlets, EPO, surge and MGMT ports |
Port LEDs use the colors from each model's quick start guide. Other models use plain blocks until they get an
entry in `FACEPLATES`.
### Cutsheet (`/cutsheet`)
Where every cable is meant to go, checked against what Gandalf actually sees. Anyone who can log in
can view it; only the `admin` group can edit, and every change is logged with who made it and when.
- **Inventory**: things discovery can't see: patch panels, wall jacks, shelves, and rack positions
for devices (use a device's exact Gandalf name). Panels and jacks are passive: a cable on a
port's front continues through the same port's rear.
- **Cables**: two endpoints each (device or item, port, and front/rear for panels and jacks), plus
ID, type, length, color, status (`planned`, `installed`, `dark`, `retired`) and notes. Leave the
far end blank for a run that ends nowhere yet, such as an unterminated fibre.
- **Paths**: each cable shows its full run through any panels and jacks, e.g. switch port 13 →
panel port 5 → bedroom jack.
- **Plan vs. actual**: each installed run ending on a switch or router port is compared with that
port's discovered neighbor (LLDP, the UniFi client table, or a DAC's serial reported at both
ends): *matches*, *wrong neighbor*, *no link*, *missing port*, or *port conflict* (two installed
cables in one port). Runs that end at a jack are *unverified* while linked and *idle* when not.
Planned, dark and retired cables aren't checked.
- **Undocumented links**: live switch ports no cable mentions, with an Add button that pre-fills
what Gandalf knows. Each switch port panel also shows its planned cable, or links to add one.
- **Labels to make**: cable IDs (one per cord end) and panel-port labels not yet stuck on, sized for
typing on a handheld label maker. Tick each off once it's applied; **Print list** prints just this.
- **CSV**: export, and import that adds or updates cables by ID. A file with any invalid row imports
nothing.
- Cables, panels and jacks are included in the dashboard search.
- **Trace a cord** (admins): pick a panel port and press Start, then unplug that cord at the panel.
Gandalf reads every switch port's state from UniFi every 3 seconds and shows the one that drops,
with a button to record the cable, then confirms when it's plugged back in. The device on that
port loses its link for those seconds. A cord whose far end has nothing linked can't be traced
this way.
- **Mismatch alerts**: the monitor runs the same check every poll. A mismatched run opens a
`cable_mismatch` event on the switch straight away and resolves it once fixed; it becomes a P4
ticket only after `cutsheet.mismatch_ticket_hours`.
### Suppressions (`/suppressions`)
- Create timed (30 min / 1 hr / 4 hr / 8 hr) or manual suppressions
- Target types: host, interface, UniFi device, or global
- Active suppressions table with one-click removal
- Suppression history (last 50)
- Available targets reference grid (all known hosts + interfaces)
**Maintenance**: admins get a **Maintenance** button in the header. It starts a global suppression for
30 min, 1, 2 or 4 hours with a reason (by default "Maintenance"). While it runs, every page shows a banner
saying when tickets resume, with **End now** for admins. Gandalf keeps checking and recording alerts, and
anything still failing when maintenance ends gets a ticket as usual. Use it before a UniFi update, a switch
swap or recabling.
---
## Alert Logic
### Ticket Triggers
| Condition | Priority |
|---|---|
| UniFi device offline (≥`unifi_failure_threshold` consecutive checks) | P2 High |
| Proxmox host NIC link-down regression (≥2 consecutive checks) | P2 High |
| Host unreachable via ping (≥`host_failure_threshold` consecutive checks) | P2 High |
| Configured host has no metrics in Prometheus (host or `node_exporter` down, ≥`host_failure_threshold` consecutive checks) | P2 High |
| Prometheus unavailable, so host and interface alerting is paused (≥2 consecutive checks) | P2 High |
| ≥3 hosts simultaneously reporting interface or metrics failures | P1 Critical |
| WAN down: broadband or optical status not Up, or PON not in O5 (≥`modem.failure_threshold`) | P1 Critical |
| Modem not responding (≥`modem.failure_threshold`) | P2 High |
| Fiber Rx/Tx power or optics temperature in the module's alarm range, or a supply voltage or Tx bias alarm flag (≥`modem.failure_threshold`) | P2 High |
| Fiber reading in the module's warning range (≥`modem.failure_threshold`) | P3 |
| Rx power `rx_drift_db` or more below its 7-day median (≥`modem.failure_threshold`) | P3 |
| Modem pages unreadable, e.g. after a firmware update (≥`modem.failure_threshold`) | P3 |
| UniFi logs that Smart Power auto power-cycled the modem | P3 |
| UniFi logs that the WAN failed multiple times in 24 hours (at most one ticket a day) | P2 |
| An installed cable doesn't match the cutsheet (wrong neighbor, no link, missing port, port conflict) for `cutsheet.mismatch_ticket_hours` | P4 |
A failed Pulse ping check counts as "unknown": it neither raises nor resolves `host_unreachable`.
### What a ticket contains
Tickets are Markdown. Besides the alert's own facts and a numbered "What to check" list, each one adds
whatever Gandalf knows around the problem:
- **Where it is connected**: the switch port(s) the host or device plugs into, with link state, speed,
PoE and SFP module, linked to that port on the switch's page. A host that has dropped off the network
has lost its LLDP entry, so Gandalf keeps the last port it saw each device on (`known_uplinks` in
`monitor_state`) and shows that, marked "last seen linked there".
- The **cutsheet** cables ending on the device or port, with their full path through patch panels
- **History**: how often the same alert fired in the last 7 and 30 days, and when it last cleared;
3 or more in a week is called out as recurring
- **Other active alerts** on the same device, with their ticket numbers
- **Links** to the device in Gandalf (from `gandalf.public_url`)
Titles keep the `[target][auto][production]...` tag format, which Tinker uses to spot duplicates.
### Unused interfaces
An admin can mark a host interface as unused on its device page (**Mark unused** on a down interface,
with an optional reason; **In use again** to undo). An unused interface:
- never raises a link-down alert, and can't count toward the cluster-wide alert;
- doesn't count toward the host's status, so a host whose only down ports are unused shows as up;
- shows as "unused" (greyed, dashed dot) on the dashboard, the device page and the rack drawings;
- has any open link-down alert closed quietly when it is marked (no recovery note: nothing recovered).
Marks are stored in `unused_interfaces` (host, interface, reason, who, when).
### Recovery notes
When an alert that opened a ticket clears, the monitor adds a comment to that ticket: when it cleared, how
long it lasted, how many checks failed, and a link back to Gandalf. **Gandalf never closes or changes the
status of a ticket**; that is left to a person. The one-shot WAN reports (modem power-cycled, WAN unstable)
get no note, since they describe something already over.
A note that fails to post is retried every cycle for 24 hours. Posting needs a Tinker API key with
`read_write` scope; if Tinker answers 401 or 403, the monitor logs one error and stops trying until it is
restarted.
### WAN modem notes
The alarm and warning limits are read from the gateway on every poll, so they are never hard-coded here.
Those limits are wide (warning at -27.9 dBm on a link that normally sits near -17), so `fiber_rx_drift`
compares each reading to the link's own 7-day median to catch a damaged connector earlier. It stays quiet
until `rx_drift_min_samples` readings exist (about a day at a 5 minute poll).
Outages can be over between polls: two real ones lasted about two minutes against a 5 minute poll.
So WAN outages and modem restarts also come from the UniFi system log, and a drop in the modem's uptime
records a restart even if nothing logged it. A single short outage only appears in the panel's history.
**One ticket per incident.** The modem and WAN reports from one check cycle open a single ticket, led by
the most urgent (a P2 "WAN modem unreachable" leads, and an RPDU power-cycle seen in the same cycle is listed
under "Also seen in this incident"). A report that comes while the modem has an open alert, or one that
ended under 30 minutes ago, becomes a comment on that alert's ticket instead of a new ticket. If the
comment can't be posted, the report gets its own ticket as before.
**UniFi updates.** UniFi logs `NETWORK_UPDATED` (Network app) and `FIRMWARE_UPDATED_V2` (device firmware)
once an update has finished. Updating the Network app can drop the UDM's WAN, and Smart Power may then
power-cycle a modem that was fine. When Gandalf reads one of these entries it:
- comments on modem and WAN tickets first seen from 20 minutes before the update to 15 minutes after,
naming the update (for example "UniFi Network 11.0.97 to 11.0.99") as the likely cause;
- opens no new modem or WAN tickets for 15 minutes after the update. A problem still there after that gets
its ticket as usual; a power-cycle report during the hold only goes into the event history.
To silence modem alerts during maintenance, create a `host` suppression with the modem's `name`, or use
**Maintenance** (below) to pause every ticket.
### Baseline Tracking
Interfaces that are **down on first observation** (unused ports, unplugged cables)
are recorded as `initial_down` and never alerted. Only **UP→DOWN regressions**
generate tickets. Baseline is stored in MariaDB and survives daemon restarts.
### Suppression Targets
| Type | Suppresses |
|---|---|
| `host` | All interface alerts for a named host |
| `interface` | A specific NIC on a specific host |
| `unifi_device` | A specific UniFi device |
| `all` | Everything (global maintenance mode) |
Suppressions can be manual (persist until removed) or timed (auto-expire).
Expired suppressions are checked at evaluation time: no background cleanup needed.
---
## Configuration (`config.json`)
Shared by both processes. Located in the working directory (`/var/www/html/prod/`).
```json
{
"database": {
"host": "10.10.10.50",
"port": 3306,
"user": "gandalf",
"password": "...",
"name": "gandalf"
},
"prometheus": {
"url": "http://10.10.10.48:9090"
},
"unifi": {
"controller": "https://10.10.10.1",
"api_key": "...",
"site_id": "default"
},
"ticket_api": {
"url": "https://t.lotusguild.org/create_ticket_api.php",
"api_key": "..."
},
"gandalf": {
"public_url": "https://gandalf.lotusguild.org"
},
"pulse": {
"url": "http://:",
"api_key": "...",
"worker_id": "...",
"timeout": 45
},
"auth": {
"allowed_groups": ["admin"],
"trusted_proxies": ["10.10.10.27"]
},
"hosts": [
{ "name": "large1", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.2:9100" },
{ "name": "compute-storage-01", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.4:9100" },
{ "name": "micro1", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.8:9100" },
{ "name": "monitor-02", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.9:9100" },
{ "name": "compute-storage-gpu-01", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.10:9100" },
{ "name": "storage-01", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.11:9100" }
],
"monitor": {
"poll_interval": 120,
"failure_threshold": 2,
"host_failure_threshold": 5,
"unifi_failure_threshold": 5,
"cluster_threshold": 3,
"ping_hosts": [
{ "name": "pbs", "ip": "10.10.10.3" }
]
},
"cutsheet": {
"mismatch_ticket_hours": 24
},
"modem": {
"url": "http://192.168.1.254",
"name": "att-modem"
}
}
```
### Key Config Fields
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
| `database.*` | MariaDB credentials (LXC 149 at 10.10.10.50) |
| `prometheus.url` | Prometheus base URL |
| `unifi.controller` | UniFi controller base URL (HTTPS, self-signed cert ignored) |
| `unifi.api_key` | UniFi API key from controller Settings → API |
| `unifi.site_id` | UniFi site ID (default: `default`) |
| `ticket_api.url` | Tinker Tickets `create_ticket_api.php` URL |
| `ticket_api.api_key` | Tinker Tickets bearer token. Needs `read_write` scope to add recovery notes |
| `ticket_api.comment_url` | Tinker comment endpoint (default: `api/ticket_comment_api.php` beside `ticket_api.url`) |
| `gandalf.public_url` | Gandalf's own address, for links in tickets (default: `https://gandalf.lotusguild.org`) |
| `rack.units`, `rack.name` | The single rack's height and name on `/rack` (defaults: 42, "Rack 1") |
| `racks` | Several racks: `[{"name": "...", "units": 42}, ...]`, in tab order; overrides `rack` |
| `inventory.base_url` | Asset inventory (HomeBox) address; device inventory links must be on this host (default: `https://inventory.lotusguild.org`) |
| `inventory.search_url` | Search link used before a device has a record linked, with `{base}` and `{q}` placeholders (default: `{base}/items?q={q}`) |
| `pulse.url` | Pulse worker API base URL (for SSH relay) |
| `pulse.worker_id` | Which Pulse worker runs ethtool collection |
| `pulse.timeout` | Max seconds to wait for SSH collection per host |
| `auth.allowed_groups` | Authelia groups that may access Gandalf |
| `auth.trusted_proxies` | Addresses or CIDR ranges of the proxy that runs Authelia forward auth (NPM). Gandalf only trusts the `Remote-*` identity headers on requests from these sources, since anyone else could set them. **Required**: with no entries, every request is unauthenticated. |
| `hosts` | Maps Prometheus instance labels → display hostnames |
| `monitor.poll_interval` | Seconds between full check cycles (default: 120) |
| `monitor.failure_threshold` | Consecutive failures before creating ticket (default: 2) |
| `monitor.host_failure_threshold` | Consecutive failures before ticketing a host that has disappeared, whether it has no metrics or doesn't answer ping (default: 5). A normal reboot takes about 3-5 minutes, so the default rides it out: the host still shows as down on the dashboard, but a ticket opens only after about 8 minutes at the default poll interval. For longer maintenance, suppress the host first. |
| `monitor.unifi_failure_threshold` | Consecutive failures before ticketing a UniFi device as offline (default: same as `failure_threshold`). Set higher than `failure_threshold`: UniFi switches/APs can take several minutes to rejoin after a firmware-update reboot, so a low threshold cuts tickets for momentary maintenance reboots instead of real failures. |
| `monitor.cluster_threshold` | Hosts with failures to trigger cluster-wide P1 (default: 3) |
| `monitor.ping_hosts` | Hosts checked only by ping (no node_exporter) |
| `cutsheet.mismatch_ticket_hours` | Hours a cutsheet mismatch must last before it opens a P4 ticket (default: 24; `0` never tickets). The mismatch shows on the dashboard and the switch's page straight away, so recabling never pages anyone. Suppressing the switch or its port also stops the ticket. |
| `modem.url` | AT&T gateway base URL. Omit the `modem` block to disable modem monitoring. Must be reachable from the monitor host. |
| `modem.name` | Name used for the modem's alerts, tickets, and suppressions (default: `att-modem`) |
| `modem.timeout` | Seconds to wait per status page (default: 10) |
| `modem.failure_threshold` | Consecutive failures before ticketing a modem alert (default: same as `failure_threshold`). Raise it if gateway reboots or automatic firmware updates cut tickets. |
| `modem.rx_drift_db` | Rx drop below the 7-day median that raises `fiber_rx_drift` (default: 3.0) |
| `modem.rx_drift_min_samples` | Readings required before drift alerts start (default: 288) |
---
## Deployment (LXC 157)
### 1. Database: MariaDB LXC 149 (`10.10.10.50`)
```sql
CREATE DATABASE gandalf CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'gandalf'@'10.10.10.61' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON gandalf.* TO 'gandalf'@'10.10.10.61';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
```
Import schema:
```bash
mysql -h 10.10.10.50 -u gandalf -p gandalf < schema.sql
```
### 2. LXC 157: Install dependencies
```bash
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
# Ensure sshpass is available (used by deploy scripts)
apt install sshpass
```
### 3. Deploy files
```bash
# From dev machine / root/code/gandalf:
for f in app.py db.py monitor.py config.json schema.sql \
static/style.css static/app.js \
templates/*.html; do
sshpass -p 'yourpass' scp -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no \
"$f" "root@10.10.10.61:/var/www/html/prod/$f"
done
systemctl restart gandalf gandalf-monitor
```
### 4. systemd services
**`gandalf.service`** (Flask/gunicorn web app):
```ini
[Unit]
Description=Gandalf Web Dashboard
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/var/www/html/prod
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 -m gunicorn --workers 1 --bind 127.0.0.1:8000 app:app
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
**`gandalf-monitor.service`** (background polling daemon):
```ini
[Unit]
Description=Gandalf Network Monitor Daemon
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/var/www/html/prod
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 monitor.py
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
### 5. Authelia rule (LXC 167)
```yaml
access_control:
rules:
- domain: gandalf.lotusguild.org
policy: one_factor
subject:
- group:admin
```
```bash
systemctl restart authelia
```
### 6. NPM reverse proxy
- **Domain:** `gandalf.lotusguild.org`
- **Forward to:** `http://10.10.10.61:80` (the local nginx, which forwards to gunicorn on `127.0.0.1:8000`)
- **Forward Auth:** Authelia at `http://10.10.10.167:9091`
- **WebSockets:** Not required
---
## Service Management
```bash
# Status
systemctl status gandalf gandalf-monitor
# Logs (live)
journalctl -u gandalf -f
journalctl -u gandalf-monitor -f
# Restart after code or config changes
systemctl restart gandalf gandalf-monitor
```
---
## Troubleshooting
### Avatar photo missing (`/api/avatar` returns 404)
`journalctl -u gandalf | grep -i avatar` gives the reason: `no ldap.host / ldap.bind_dn` (missing config),
`ldap3 not installed` (run `pip3 install -r requirements.txt`), `LDAP avatar lookup failed` (bind or network),
`LDAP has no photo` (or `Remote-User` doesn't match a uid), or a cached `no photo` marker, which expires
after `ldap.cache_ttl` seconds or can be removed from `ldap.cache_dir`.
### Monitor not creating tickets
- Verify `config.json → ticket_api.api_key` is set and valid
- Check `journalctl -u gandalf-monitor` for `Ticket creation failed` lines
- Confirm the Tinker Tickets API is reachable from LXC 157
### WAN / Fiber panel missing or showing "unavailable"
- The panel stays hidden until `config.json → modem.url` is set and the monitor has completed a cycle
- Test from the monitor host: `curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' http://192.168.1.254/cgi-bin/fiberstat.ha` should print `200`
- `modem_data_invalid` means the gateway answered but its pages couldn't be parsed. AT&T updates firmware automatically, so compare the page against the parsers in `modem.py` (markup confirmed on BGW320-505 firmware 6.35.8)
### Device pages show no interface data
- Check `gandalf-monitor.service` is running and has completed at least one cycle
- Check `journalctl -u gandalf-monitor` for Prometheus or UniFi errors
- Verify Prometheus is reachable: `curl http://10.10.10.48:9090/api/v1/query?query=up`
### Device page: SFP / optical panel missing
- SFP data requires Pulse worker + SSH access to hosts
- Verify `config.json → pulse.*` is configured and the Pulse worker is running
- Confirm `sshpass` + SSH access from the Pulse worker to each Proxmox host
- Only interfaces with physical SFP modules return DOM data (`ethtool -m`)
### Port inspector: path check or Run Diagnostics not appearing
- These need the port's neighbor to be a host with link stats. A port showing only a MAC couldn't be matched
- Check that the server's node_exporter is scraped and reports `node_network_info` for that NIC
- Hosts missing from `config.json` are named by IP, so their ports may not match what you expect
### Port inspector: front panel shows as a flat list (no layout)
- The switch's `model` field from UniFi doesn't match any key in `FACEPLATES` in `faceplates.js`
- The model is shown on the device page
- Add the model to `FACEPLATES` in `faceplates.js` (see Adding a New Device Faceplate)
### Baseline re-initializing on every restart
- `interface_baseline` is stored in the `monitor_state` DB table; survives restarts
- If it appears to reset: check DB connectivity from the monitor daemon
### Interface stuck at "initial_down" forever
- This means the interface was down when the monitor first saw it
- It will begin tracking once it comes up; or manually clear it:
```sql
-- In MariaDB on 10.10.10.50:
UPDATE monitor_state SET value='{}' WHERE key_name='interface_baseline';
```
Then restart the monitor: `systemctl restart gandalf-monitor`
### Prometheus data missing for a host
```bash
# On the affected host:
systemctl status prometheus-node-exporter
# Verify it's scraped:
curl http://10.10.10.48:9090/api/v1/query?query=up | jq '.data.result[] | select(.metric.job=="node")'
```
---
## Development Notes
### File Layout
```
gandalf/
├── app.py # Flask web app (routes, auth, API endpoints)
├── monitor.py # Background daemon (Prometheus, UniFi, Pulse, alert logic)
├── modem.py # Read-only AT&T gateway status page client and parser
├── devices.py # Device inventory for search and device pages
├── cutsheet.py # Cutsheet validation, path tracing, plan-vs-actual checks, CSV
├── ticket_text.py # Markdown for tickets and recovery notes
├── db.py # Database operations (MariaDB via pymysql, thread-local conn reuse)
├── schema.sql # Database schema (network_events, suppression_rules, monitor_state)
├── config.json # Runtime configuration (not committed with secrets)
├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
├── static/
│ ├── style.css # Terminal aesthetic CSS (CRT scanlines, green-on-black)
│ ├── app.js # Dashboard JS (auto-refresh, events, suppress modal, search, modem panel)
│ ├── device.js # Device page rendering
│ ├── cutsheet.js # Cutsheet page
│ ├── events.js # Alert history page
│ ├── rack.js # Rack drawing
│ ├── fronts.js # Drawn fronts for gear without a live faceplate (NVR, server cases)
│ └── port-inspector.js # Switch front panel, port panel, path check, diagnostics
└── templates/
├── base.html # Shared layout (header, nav, footer)
├── index.html # Dashboard page
├── device.html # Per-device page
├── cutsheet.html # Cutsheet page and its editors
├── events.html # Alert history page
├── rack.html # Rack drawing
├── _modem_panel.html # WAN / Fiber panel, shared by the dashboard and modem page
└── suppressions.html # Suppression management page
```
### Adding a New Monitored Host
1. Install `prometheus-node-exporter` on the host
2. Add a scrape target to Prometheus config
3. Add an entry to `config.json → hosts`:
```json
{ "name": "newhost", "prometheus_instance": "10.10.10.X:9100" }
```
4. Restart monitor: `systemctl restart gandalf-monitor`
5. For SFP DOM / ethtool: ensure the host is SSH-accessible from the Pulse worker
### Faceplates included
UniFi gear drawn with live ports: UDM Pro (`UDMPRO`), USW Pro 24 PoE (`US24PRO`), USW Aggregation
(`USL8A`), USW Flex (`USF5P`), USW Flex Mini (`USMINI`), USP PDU Pro (`USPPDUP`), UPS 2U Pro (`USPDA2B`),
USW Pro Max 24 PoE (`USPM24P`, also `USPM24`) and USW Pro Max 48 PoE (`USPM48P`, also `USPM48`), plus the
UniFi NVR Pro (`UNVRPRO`), which UniFi Network doesn't report and so is picked by Front drawing. The Pro
Max switches also have Front drawing options, so a new switch draws correctly on the rack before it is
adopted. If UniFi reports a Pro Max under a different model code, add it as another alias at the end of
`static/faceplates.js`.
### Adding a New Device Faceplate
Find the UniFi model code on the device page, then add an entry to `FACEPLATES` in `static/faceplates.js`.
Trace coordinates from a front-on image of the device, using the image's pixels as the `viewBox`:
```javascript
'MYNEWMODEL': {
width: 1100, height: 110, frameClass: 'fp-scroll', scrollX: 500,
label: 'My New Switch',
legend: [['off', 'no link'], ['amber', '10/100M'], ['green', '1G']],
roles: { 1: 'RJ45' },
ports: rj45Pairs([520, 557, 594], { top: 38, bottom: 69, topLabel: 15.5, bottomLabel: 98 }),
decor() { return fpVents([[90, 500]], 3) + fpQuadScreen(15, 23, 60); },
},
```
Take LED colors from the model's quick start guide. See the comment at the top of the file for every option.
### Database Schema Notes
- `cutsheet_items` gained `rack`, `shelf`, `device`, `mount`, `chassis`, `facing` and `slot` columns; they are added automatically on first use
- `cutsheet_racks`: racks saved on the rack page (name, height, notes)
- `unused_interfaces`: host interfaces marked unused (no alerts, not counted in host status)
- `device_links`: each device's inventory URL, by device name; created with the cutsheet tables
- `network_events`: one row per active event; `resolved_at` is set when recovered, and
`recovery_notified` once the recovery note is on its ticket (column added automatically at monitor startup)
- `suppression_rules`: `active=FALSE` when removed; `expires_at` checked at query time
- `monitor_state`: key/value store; `interface_baseline`, `link_stats`, and `modem_stats` are JSON blobs
- `monitor_state` also holds `wan_history` (WAN outages, modem restarts) and `unifi_log_cursor` (how far the UniFi log has been read)
- Database sessions run in UTC (`db.py`), whatever the server's time zone
- `modem_samples`: optical readings per poll, kept 90 days; created automatically at monitor startup
- `cutsheet_items`, `cutsheet_cables`, `cutsheet_port_labels`, `cutsheet_history`: cutsheet records and
their change log, created automatically on first use. Cables refer to devices and items by name; renaming
an item updates its cables, but a device renamed in UniFi needs its cables edited to match
### Security Notes
- **XSS prevention**: all user-controlled data in dynamically generated HTML uses
`escHtml()` (JS) or Jinja2 auto-escaping (Python). Suppress buttons use `data-*`
attributes + a single delegated click listener rather than inline `onclick` with
interpolated strings.
- **Interface name validation**: `monitor.py` validates SSH interface names against
`^[a-zA-Z0-9_.@-]+$` before use, and additionally wraps them with `shlex.quote()`
for defense-in-depth.
- **DB parameters**: all SQL uses parameterised queries via pymysql: no string
concatenation into SQL.
- **Auth**: Authelia enforces admin-only access at the NPM/LXC 167 layer; the Flask
app additionally checks the `Remote-User` and `Remote-Groups` headers via `@require_auth`.
Those headers are only real when NPM sent the request, because its forward auth
overwrites them, so a LAN host connecting to the container directly could otherwise
claim any identity. Two layers stop that. The container's nginx site (tracked in
pve-infra) blanks them unless the request came from NPM. The app also ignores them
unless the source address (nginx's `X-Real-IP`, or the peer address when gunicorn is
reached directly) is in `auth.trusted_proxies`, and it fails closed when that is unset.
### Known Limitations
- Single gunicorn worker (`--workers 1`): required because `db.py` uses thread-local
connection reuse (one connection per thread). Multiple workers would each have their
own connection, which is fine, but the thread-local optimisation only helps within
one worker.
- No CSRF tokens on API endpoints: mitigated by Authelia session cookies being
`SameSite=Strict` and the site being admin-only.
- SSH collection via Pulse is synchronous: if Pulse is slow, the entire monitor cycle
is delayed. The `pulse.timeout` config controls the max wait.
- UniFi LLDP data is only as fresh as the last monitor poll (120s default).
---
## CI / CD
| Workflow | Purpose | Triggers |
|---|---|---|
| `lint.yml` (python-lint) | flake8 on all `.py` files | Every push and PR |
| `lint.yml` (js-lint) | ESLint on `static/` | Every push and PR |
| `test.yml` | pytest: `diagnose.py`, `modem.py`, and `monitor.py` alert logic | Every push and PR |
| `security.yml` | bandit `-ll` (medium+ severity) | Every push, PR, and weekly Monday 6am |
| `deploy` job in `lint.yml` | Calls the `gandalf-deploy` webhook on CT157 (10.10.10.61) | Push to `main` only, after both lint jobs pass |
Branch protection is enabled on `main`: both lint jobs must pass before any PR can merge.
Tests live in `tests/`:
- `test_diagnose.py`: `DiagnosticsRunner` static methods (`build_ssh_command`, `parse_output`,
`parse_sysfs_stats`, `parse_ethtool`, and variants)
- `test_modem.py`: gateway page parsing, optical status, and WAN state
- `test_monitor.py`: alert logic for dead hosts, Prometheus and Pulse outages, and modem and WAN log events
- `test_devices.py`: device inventory behind search and device pages
- `test_app.py`: page and API routes