How to Install Nagios XI on CentOS 7

Nagios XI configuration options

I used Nagios many years ago, for monitoring servers and services. Now, it’s not just Nagios Core, the community version of the software, but also some products for the enterprise, as Nagios Log Server, Nagios Fusion, Nagios Network Analyzer and of course, Nagios XI. This last software component is the solution for IT infrastructure monitoring and IT monitoring software alerting system, oriented to the enterprise.

If you want to see the four main differences between Nagios Core and Nagios XI, you can see the following official documentation: https://www.nagios.com/news/2019/10/nagios-core-vs-nagios-xi/

So, as it has changed a lot in the years, I wanted to try Nagios XI and see how it is.

There are two main ways to install it, the quick one, which is an automatic form, and the the second one is manual. I decided to try the latest in order to see what’s going on. So, based in the official documentation, I choose CentOS 7 to install it on, as in:

Step 1: Get and uncompress Nagios XI

Get and uncompress Nagios XI

Step 2: Install Nagios XI

Start the Nagios XI installation

So, answer “Y” and hit enter, and the installation will start :)

What the script will do? The installation script will do many things, including the setup of the EPEL repository. Then it will install some prerequisites, as mariadb-server, ansible, rrdtool, nagios-xi and a bunch of Perl libraries as well others. Some binaries will be compiled, as in the old ways to install a package.

Once you start the installation, it may take several minutes and will appear like it’s a really big pain in the <wherever you find it worst>. At the end of the mortifying output line -and if everything went well- you will see a summary of warnings and errors. Hopefully both of them will be zero. You also will be given the URL to finish the setup.

Nagios XI Installation Complete

Step 3: Settings

Then you will need to open the URL in a browser and do some few settings.

Be sure to select “Use HTTPS” if that’s you want to do -recommended.

General System Settings — Nagios XI

Then you need to enter the username and password.

Admin Account Settings — Nagios XI

And just finish the installation.

Finish Install! — Nagios XI

Once that the installation is complete, click on “Login to Nagios XI”.

Login to Nagios XI

Note: you may have a certificate message issue, as it’s self-signed. Just go ahead and accept it.

Step 4: Login to the portal

Next thing is to login, so enter your credentials.

Login to your Nagios XI system

Then accept the license agreement.

License Agreement screen — Nagios XI

And it’s done! You will be in the Nagios XI Dashboard, and you can start exploring it.

Nagios XI Home Dashboard, finally!