How to Easily Monitor an Azure Cloud VM with Nagios XI Using NCPA

Monitoring cloud-based virtual machines is essential for ensuring performance, availability, and security. This guide walks you through integrating a Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine (VM) with Nagios XI using Nagios Cross-Platform Agent (NCPA) and the Azure Cloud Configuration Wizard.

By following this guide, you will:

• Install and configure NCPA on an Azure VM.
• Set up Nagios XI to monitor system performance.
• Use the Azure Cloud Configuration Wizard for seamless integration.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following:

• A registered Microsoft Azure account.
• A deployed Azure Virtual Machine (VM) (Linux or Windows).
• Nagios XI installed and configured.

Step 1: Deploy an Azure Virtual Machine

1. Log in to the Azure Portal.
2. Navigate to Virtual Machines → Create a New VM.
3. Choose an Operating System (Windows or Linux) and configure network settings.
4. Ensure that port 5693 (TCP) is open for NCPA communication.
5. Complete the setup and deploy the VM.

Step 2: Install and Configure NCPA on the Azure VM

NCPA is required to collect system metrics such as CPU, memory, and disk usage. Instead of listing installation commands here, follow the official Nagios NCPA documentation for installation instructions: Nagios NCPA Installation Guide

After installing NCPA:

• Start and enable the NCPA Listener service.
• Configure the API token for secure communication.
• Verify installation by accessing https://<azure-vm-ip>:5693/api.

Step 3: Add the Azure VM to Nagios XI Using the Azure Cloud Wizard

Click Finish, apply configuration changes, and restart Nagios XI.

Log in to Nagios XI.

Navigate to Configuration → Configuration Wizards → Microsoft Azure

Click Run the Wizard and enter your Azure VMs IP address and the Token that you created.

Click Next.

Configure Monitoring Options (CPU, memory, disk, network traffic, etc.).

When you are finished, click Next and Finish with defaults.

Step 4: Verify Monitoring in Nagios XI

1. In Nagios XI, go to Host Status and find your Azure VM.
2. Confirm that CPU, memory, disk, and network metrics are being monitored.
3. If necessary, fine-tune alert thresholds and notifications.

By following these steps, you have successfully integrated an Azure Virtual Machine with Nagios XI using NCPA and the Azure Cloud Configuration Wizard. This setup ensures that your cloud-based infrastructure remains monitored and optimized.