How Nagios XI Works

Nagios XI provides comprehensive IT infrastructure monitoring of all mission-critical components including servers, networks, operating systems, applications, network protocols, services, and systems metrics. Hundreds of third-party add-ons enable monitoring of virtually all in-house applications, services, and systems.

Our Nagios expert, Aaron, made this series to teach users the essentials of Nagios XI so you can get monitoring straight away. Learn how Nagios XI works and how you can easily monitor anything in your environment.

Who this video is for:

You have just Nagios XI installed somewhere, somehow on your network – either on a virtual machine or on physical hardware.
You want to learn how to monitor things in your environment and actually learn how to get some things monitored.
So whether this is your first time deploying Nagios XI in your organization or it’s already running and you need to learn it – this series if for you my friend! Hit play above and learn how Nagios has your back!

Already know how XI works and are ready to start monitoring? Click here to jump into Configuration Wizards.

How Nagios XI Works

As you see in the diagram, a Nagios XI Server actively monitors things in the network and it does it through either of two methods:

agent
native protocol
Agent

An agent lives on a network element like a Linux server. Nagios reaches out to the agent to check various stats (e.g. drive space, RAM, CPU usage, etc.). The agent collects the requested information and responds back to Nagios XI. Nagios first stores the information for later reports, historical charts, and graphing and then the other action it can take is to generate an alert. With the alert, the stats the agent returns may be representing a drive that’s too full or some other state and the generated alert is how you will know about the potential issue. (That’s a very generalized overview of an incredibly powerful and customizable piece of software.)

Native Protocol

Another way to monitor devices is through a native protocol. There are two native protocols that Nagios uses, one is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and the other is Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) which is specific to Windows environments. For example, if you have a network switch with SNMP enabled and configured, Nagios XI can reach out to see how the switch is doing. The switch will then respond with its state (e.g. all good, a port down, or anything else that may be going on).

The above are examples of active monitoring where Nagios asks a question and receives an answer back.

There is yet another way to monitor which is through passive monitoring. An example of passive monitoring is where the Nagios box never reaches out to devices; agents instead send a notification to Nagios – either regularly or just when a triggering event occurs.

And that’s how Nagios XI works friends!

UP NEXT: Click learn Configuration Wizards to quickly get monitoring.

Other topics in the video series include:

Configuration Wizard Templates
Bulk Host Cloning and Import Wizard
Managing Plugins

#Nagios #NetworkMonitoring #WhatIsNagios #ITprofessional

[PaulEllisBIGDATA]

GREAT VIDEO thank you. I am studying for my first Nagio cert.

[danniiffxi]

Great videos, great channel, you've got my sub!! I started a new job as 3rd Line Infrastructure Support, my lead role will be network monitoring and we use Nagios XI. These videos are perfect, thank you :)

[NuwanWaidyanatha]

why an active and passive mode because the agent is sending the same information either way? Can't you program the passive agent to behave the same way as in active mode? Hope it's clear? Basically, what are the - cost benefits - advantages and disadvantages of active vs passive?

[djmanfly]

Hi, thanks for a great Video. Do you know how to do a filter on all hosts, with a specific name? LOike we having 600+ server with somehow different names. so i woul like to filter all servers out with EU in the hostname. ?

[Aqueelap]

Can nagios monitor Lane Control Signs, SLS, HCS and electronic signage devices

[trsquid]

does the XI stand for the roman numeral eleven, or is it merely a coincidence? I notice Aaron refers to Nagios XI as Nagios ex~eye

[lars]

Where do I find the "5 Get Monitoring Series" this video refers to...?

[hsplaylistid]

hi aaron, can u help me .?
im already install nagiosxi for trial, and i have issue host and service when i was deleted but notification still send alert. before that device is not active and i want delete this service and host. and what can i do this.? if i check in the list host not found but in list down there still right there.