Nagios Configuration

Nagios Configuration
Following steps will take place when Nagios (installed on Nagios server) monitors a service (eg: server load) on the remote host

1) Nagios will execute check_nrpe command on nagios-server and will request it to monitor disk usage on remote host using check_load command.
2) The check_nrpe on the nagios-server will contact the NRPE daemon on remote host and will request it to execute the check_load on remote host.
3) The results of the check_load command will be returned back by NRPE daemon to the check_nrpe on nagios-server.

Nagios Server (check_nrpe) ~~> Remote host (NRPE deamon) ~~> check_load

Nagios Server (check_nrpe) <~~ Remote host (NRPE deamon) <~~ check_load (returns the server load)

Before we begin, we need to install some packages on the remote host for Nagios to work fine.

# yum install elinks gcc make gcc-c++
# yum -y install openssl-devel
# useradd nagios
# passwd nagios
# cd /usr/src/

Then install Nagios plugin and NRPE on remote host.

Install Plug-in
# wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/nagiosplug/files/nagiosplug/1.4.15/nagios-plugins-1.4.15.tar.gz/download
# tar -zxvf nagios-plugins-1.4.15.tar.gz && cd nagios-plugins-1.4.15
# ./configure --with-nagios-user=nagios --with-nagios-group=nagios
# make
# make install
# chown nagios:nagios /usr/local/nagios
# chown -R nagios:nagios /usr/local/nagios/libexec
# cd ..

Install NRPE
#wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/nagios/files/nrpe-2.x/nrpe-2.12/nrpe-2.12.tar.gz/download
# tar -zxvf nrpe-2.12.tar.gz && cd nrpe-2.12
# ./configure
# make all
# make install-plugin
# make install-daemon
# make install-daemon-config
# make install-xinetd
Edit Xinetd NRPE entry
# vi /etc/xinetd.d/nrpe
only_from = 127.0.0.1 Server-IP (nagios monitoring server ip-address is: )
:wq (save and exit)

Edit services file entry
# vi /etc/services
nrpe 5666/tcp # Entry for NRPE daemon
:wq (save and exit)

Restart xinetd
# service xinetd restart

Verify whether NRPE is listening
# netstat -at |grep nrpe # output -: tcp 0 0 *:nrpe *.* LISTEN
Verify to make sure the NRPE is functioning properly
# /usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_nrpe -H localhost
NRPE v2.12

Configuring Nagios monitoring server to monitor the remote host

# cd /usr/src
# wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/nagios/files/nrpe-2.x/nrpe-2.12/nrpe-2.12.tar.gz/download
# tar -zxvf nrpe-2.12.tar.gz && cd nrpe-2.12
# yum -y install openssl-devel
# yum install perl
# ./configure
# make all
# make install-plugin

Create a command definition
# vi /home/nagios/public_html/etc/objects/commands.cfg
Add the following:

# NRPE CHECK COMMAND
# Command to use NRPE to check remote host systems
define command{
command_name check_nrpe
command_line $USER1$/check_nrpe -H $HOSTADDRESS$ -c $ARG1$
}

Create configuration file for remote host
# cp –prf /home/nagios/www/etc/objects/ localhost.cfg /home/nagios/www/etc/objects/remotehost.cfg
# vi /home/nagios/www/etc/objects/remotehost.cfg
Replace the values “host_name” “alias” “address” with the values that match your setup:

** The “host_name” you set for the “define_host” section must match the “host_name” in the “define_service” section **

# Define a host for the remote machine
define host{
use linux-server ; Name of host template to use
; This host definition will inherit all variables that are defined
; in (or inherited by) the linux-server host template definition.
host_name alpha235
alias alpha235
address 62.75.215.12
}
# SERVICE DEFINITIONS
# Define a service to "ping" the local machine

define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description PING
check_command check_ping!100.0,20%!500.0,60%
}

# Define a service to check the disk space of the root partition.

define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description Root Partition
check_command check_nrpe!check_disk
}

# Define a service to check the number of currently logged in users on the remotehost.

define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description Current Users
check_command check_nrpe!check_users
}

# Define a service to check the number of currently running processes on the remote host.

define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description Total Processes
check_command check_nrpe!check_total_procs
}
# Define a service to check the load on the remote host.

define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description Current Load
check_command check_nrpe!check_load
}

# Define a service to check SSH on the remote host.
# Disable notifications for this service by default, as not all users may have SSH enabled.

define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description SSH
check_command check_nrpe!check_ssh
notifications_enabled 0
}
# Define a service to check HTTP on the remote host.
# Disable notifications for this service by default, as not all users may have HTTP enabled.
define service{
use generic-service ; Name of service template to use
host_name alpha235
service_description HTTP
check_command check_nrpe!check_http
notifications_enabled 0
}

Activate the remotehost.cfg template
# vi /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg
Definitions for monitoring remote Linux machine
cfg_file=/home/nagios/www/etc/objects/remotehost.cfg
Verify Nagios Configuration Files
# /usr/local/nagios/bin/nagios -v /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg
# /home/nagios/public_html/bin/nagios -v /home/nagios/public_html/etc/nagios.cfg (In our server)
Output : ...
...
Things look okay - No serious problems were detected during the pre-flight check

Verify whether nagios monitoring server can talk to the remote host
# /usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_nrpe -H 62.75.215.12
NRPE v2.12

Start nagios
# /home/nagios/www/bin/nagios -d /home/nagios/www/etc/nagios.cfg

Restart nagios (if already running)
# kill -HUP <nagios_pid>

# /usr/local/nagios/libexec/check_nrpe -H 62.75.215.12 -c check_load (To check the load of the remote server)
OK - load average: 0.35, 0.30, 0.23|load1=0.350;15.000;30.000;0; load5=0.300;10.000;25.000;0; load15=0.230;5.000;20.000;0;

(Usage: check_nrpe -H <host> [-n] [-u] [-p <port>] [-t <timeout>] [-c <command>] [-a <arglist...>])