Globalping update: Mass deploying and adopting your probes

Sarah Mischinger -

In a recent update of the Globalping Dashboard, we made some improvements to the software probe adoption flow. In the past, users had to follow a manual process with several steps. With our new approach, we've streamlined this process to require no manual steps, making it easy to automate.

In this blog post, we'll explore the new adoption process: We'll talk about improvements, guide you on running new probes, and how to upgrade your already adopted probes to this new process.

Benefits of the new adoption process 

We invite anybody who runs one or more probes to sign up for the Globalping Dashboard. Doing so comes with features and benefits like:

  • Tagging probes to group and target them in measurements
  • Updating the location details of your probes
  • Earning credits to increase API rate limits
  • ... and more features are on the way

Previously, when adopting a probe, you needed to provide its IP address so the dashboard could send an adoption token to the probe. You would then copy and paste this token back into the dashboard, completing the adoption process.  

As you can imagine, this could become tedious, especially if you were running multiple probes.

The process now no longer requires you to provide the IP address of your probe. Instead, the dashboard provides a unique adoption token to every user. You can use this token to adopt all your probes by including it in the command you use to run the probe (for example, with Docker). This new method is much more convenient and has some advantages over the old one:

  • Using a single adoption token for all your probes instead of following the previous process saves a ton of time, as the number of manual steps needed for adoption is minimized.
  • Probes that run on networks with dynamic IPs will no longer lose their adoption status. The new process relies on the adoption token rather than the IP address, making sure your probes stay adopted.
  • If you're running multiple probes, you can now automate the adoption process, as you only need to run the same command for all your probes.

Using the old adoption process

The old process is still available, and if you're running probes using it, they will still work as before. However, we encourage you to update them as outlined below. If you're uncomfortable with the new process, you can continue using the old one.

To use the old adoption process, start the adoption process in the dashboard and wait for a timeout in the UI, which will prompt you to switch to the manual method. Alternatively, you can select the hardware adoption process and follow it, even if you're running a software probe with Docker or a similar platform.

Getting started: Using the new adoption token

Let's briefly look at how to adopt a probe using the new process.

Adopting with Docker command

  1. Go to the Globalping Dashboard and sign in
  2. Navigate to "Probes" and click the "Adopt a probe" button
  3. Select "Software probe"
  4. Choose "I'm not running a probe yet"
  5. Below, you'll find the required Docker command, which already includes your adoption token as an environment variable GP_ADOPTION_TOKEN
  6. Run the Docker command to start your probe and complete the adoption of your probe

Adopting with Docker compose file

You can create and use a Docker Compose file to simplify adopting multiple probes. Here's how:

  1. Get your Docker run command as described in the steps above
  2. Use this command to create your Docker Compose file. You can do this manually or by using a generator.
    1. The file will look like this (don't forget to add your adoption token)
version: '3'
services:
  globalping-probe:
    environment:
      - GP_ADOPTION_TOKEN=MY_TOKEN
    logging:
      driver: local
    network_mode: host
    restart: always
    container_name: globalping-probe
    image: 'globalping/globalping-probe:latest'
  1. Deploy the Docker Compose file on each server where you want to run a probe

With this approach, you only need to prepare the Docker Compose file once, enabling you to quickly run a probe and add it to your dashboard without needing to copy-paste the command over and over again.

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While this guide focuses on Docker, you can use any other containerization platform, such as Podman, to run and adopt probes.

Upgrading your existing probes to the new process

While your already adopted probes should continue to work as always, we recommend upgrading them to the new process to enjoy the benefits mentioned earlier.

Upgrading is as simple as starting a new probe. You only need to stop your probe and rerun it using the adoption token:

  1. Go to the Globalping Dashboard and sign in
  2. Navigate to "Probes", then click the "Adopt a probe" button
  3. Select "Software probe"
  4. Choose "I'm already running a probe"
  5. You'll see the required Docker commands, which already includes your adoption token as an environment variable: GP_ADOPTION_TOKEN
  6. Run the Docker commands to complete the adoption of your probe

Automating mass probe adoption

If you run multiple probes, manually deploying and adopting each one can still be time-consuming. For example, if you manage 50 servers and want to run a probe on each one, you'd have to repeat the steps 50 times. The solution to this problem is, of course, automation. We strongly recommend making use of automation tools and/or container orchestration platforms if they are available to you.

Set your GP_ADOPTION_TOKEN as an environment variable in your container definitions. If you're using container orchestration platforms like Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, or Portainer, make sure to include this variable in your container specification for your Globalping probe during deployment.

To upgrade already adopted probes, add the token as an environment variable to their container definition and restart the containers using your platform.

Conclusion

With the new adoption process, we want to make it easier for everyone to adopt probes and enjoy the benefits that come with it. While the new token-based method simplifies the experience for anyone managing one or two probes, it's especially great for users managing multiple probes.

If you've already adopted probes to the dashboard, we encourage you to upgrade to the new token-based process. This will make sure you're taking advantage of the latest features and keep your probes adopted, even if your network IP isn't fixed!

Go to the Globalping Dashboard now and explore the new, time-saving probe adoption process.