Check needs-restarting

Overview

Checks for processes that started running before they or some component that they use were updated. Returns WARN if a full reboot is required or if services might need a restart, and in any other case OK. May take more than 10 seconds on Red Hat to execute.

Hints:

  • Linux only

  • needs-restarting3 runs on Red Hat- and Debian-based OS’s

  • needs-restarting2 runs on Red Hat-based OS’s only

Fact Sheet

Fact

Value

Check Plugin Download

https://github.com/Linuxfabrik/monitoring-plugins/tree/main/check-plugins/needs-restarting

Check Interval Recommendation

Once a day (or after a system update only)

Can be called without parameters

Yes

Compiled for Windows

No

Requirements

RHEL: needs-restarting, Debian: None, optional needrestart

Help

usage: needs-restarting [-h] [-V]

Checks for processes that started running before they or some component that
they use were updated. Returns WARN if a full reboot is required or if
services might need a restart, and in any other case OK. Should be called once
a day or after applying updates only.

options:
  -h, --help     show this help message and exit
  -V, --version  show program's version number and exit

Usage Examples

./needs-restarting

Output on Red Hat:

Found 17 running processes that have been updated and may need a restart:
1595 : /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-udevd
1483 : sshd: root@pts/1
1223 : qmgr -l -t unix -u
1222 : pickup -l -t unix -u
...

Output on Debian:

A system reboot may be required. Running Kernel 4.19.0-20-amd64 != Installed Kernel 5.10.0-13-amd64 (version upgrade pending). Found 3 running processes that have been updated and may need a restart:
* dbus.service
* getty@tty1.service
* systemd-logind.service

States

  • WARN on needed service or system restarts.

  • Does not alert on other problems like Modular dependency problem (yum/dnf) etc.

Perfdata / Metrics

There is no perfdata.

Credits, License