Step-by-Step Guide: Installing and Monitoring Windows 10 with Nagios Cross-Platform Agent (NCPA)

This guide walks you through installing the Nagios Cross-Platform Agent (NCPA) on Windows 10. NCPA is designed to streamline and standardize agent-based monitoring across multiple operating systems, making it easier to monitor your infrastructure.

Active vs. Passive

NCPA can be used for both Active and Passive monitoring:

• Active Monitoring: Nagios initiates and schedules checks at regular interval.
• Passive Monitoring: NCPA submits check results to Nagios without requiring direct polling.

The NCPA installer may prompt you for settings for active and passive. Active is the most common method
used. If you are not using passive monitoring, then you do not need to configure those settings.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the installation, ensure the following requirements are met:

• A system running Windows 10
• Administrator privileges
• A stable internet connection
• A working Nagios XI instance to receive and process monitoring data

Step 1: Download the Nagios Cross-Platform Agent (NCPA) Package

To download the latest NCPA package for Windows, visit the NCPA page.

Step 2: Install the NCPA Package

There are two methods for installing the NCPA package:

• Graphical Installation: A user-friendly, step-by-step installation wizard.
• Silent Installation: An unattended installation using command-line options, ideal for automation and scripting.

Graphical Installation

1. Navigate to the folder where the NCPA installer was downloaded.
2. Double-click the installer file to start the installation process.
3. When the welcome screen appears, click Next.

4. Read and accept the license agreement by clicking I Agree.

5. The configuration screen for API configuration will appear.
   • Token: The only required setting to configure; used by your Nagios server to authenticate with NCPA.
   • Bind IP: 0.0.0.0 (default) – Listens on all IPv4 addresses on the Windows machine.
   • Port: 5693 (default) – Used for communication with the NCPA agent.

6. Click Next and proceed to the configuration screen for Passive checks.
   • To enable passive checks, check the Send passive checks over NRDP box.
   • Provide the following NRDP settings:
     • URL: This is the URL on your Nagios Host that accepts passive check results to be submitted.
     • NRDP Token: This is the token you will be using when passing NCPA passive checks to Nagios for NRDP to accept the check. This is separate from the token that was provided for active checks.
     • Hostname: The name of the host that the passive checks will be associated with in Nagios.

• In Nagios XI, the URL and NRDP Token are configured under: Admin > Check Transfers > Inbound Transfers.

7. Click Next and continue with passive checks.
   • The Passive Checks Configuration screen will appear, displaying the default checks that will be executed and sent to your Nagios server.
   • You can modify these checks if needed.

8. Click Next and you will be presented with the install location. Click the Install button to install NCPA.
   • Change the destination folder if required.

9. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.

Silent Installation

The installer also supports a silent install, which allows system administrators to easily manage their network
workstations without disrupting the workflow of the office. The following arguments currently supported.

• /S: Initiates a silent installation.
• /D: (Optional) Installation directory; must be the last argument and an absolute path (no quotes).
• /TOKEN: The token that will be used to access the agent’s API and web interface
• /IP: IP address to bind to (0.0.0.0 for all IPv4, :: for IPv6).
• /PORT: Port to bind to (default: 5693).
• /NRDPURL: Nagios server URL for submitting passive check results.
• /NRDPTOKEN: Authentication token for NRDP (separate from active check token).
• /NRDPHOSTNAME: Hostname associated with passive checks in Nagios.

Here is an example command:

ncpa-2.1.6.exe /S /TOKEN='Str0ngT0k3n' /NRDPURL='http://10.25.5.12/nrdp/'
/NRDPTOKEN='NRDP_T0k3n' /NRDPHOSTNAME='S1601'

Step 3: Configure Firewall (if enabled)

A firewall rule needs to be created on your Windows machine to allow incoming traffic to NCPA on TCP Port
5693.

1. To change the firewall settings, select Start and type firewall in the search dialog box. Open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.

2. Click Inbound Rules in the left-hand panel.

3. In the right-hand Actions panel, click New Rule.

4. Select Port and click Next.

5. Select TCP and select Specified local ports and type 5693 in the field. Click Next.

6. Select Allow the connection and click Next.

7. Make any changes to where the rule should apply and click Next.

8. Give the rule a Name and click Finish to create the rule.

Step 4: Test NCPA

To ensure that the installation was successful and NCPA is now listening, try accessing the web interface of
the agent. In order to do this you will need to know:

• The IP Address of the machine you installed NCPA on
• The token / community_string you configured NCPA to use

1. Open a web browser and go to: https://<NCPA_IP_Address>:5693/

2. You’ll see a security warning—this is normal. NCPA uses self-signed certificates to encrypt communication. Your browser flags it because it doesn’t recognize the certificate. Click Advanced and Proceed to continue to the NCPA page.

More information on certificates is explained in the Understanding Certificate Warnings article.

3. On the NCPA login page, enter the community string API token and click Log In.

4. Once you log in you will be placed on the Dashboard page with a summary of the NCPA version and machine it is running on.

Step 5: Configuring Nagios XI

To monitor your Windows system with Nagios XI and NCPA:

1. Go to the Nagios XI dashboard.
2. Open the NCPA Wizard by navigating to Configure > Run a Monitoring Wizard > NCPA.
3. Enter the Windows server’s IP address and API token.
4. Complete the wizard and apply the configuration changes.

Step 6: Verify Monitoring Setup

After completing the wizard, Nagios XI should display the monitored host and its services.

Navigate to Service Status > Host Status Detail page to confirm that the system is being monitored, and Nagios XI is receiving data.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Issue: NCPA agent not starting.
  • Solution: Verify that the token and port configurations are correct.
• Issue: Passive checks not received by Nagios.
  • Solution: Ensure the NRDP URL and token match the Nagios server settings.
• Issue: Firewall blocking NCPA communication.
  • Solution: Allow traffic on port 5693.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and configured the Nagios Cross-Platform Agent on Windows. For further assistance, visit the Nagios Support Forum or the Nagios Documentation Hub.