We want to make launching a new IT infrastructure monitoring solution as seamless as possible for system administrators and their teams. We created many resources on how to launch Nagios XI to help users start monitoring quickly and effectively. In this article, we outline the top resources to use when installing and launching Nagios XI for the first time.
1. Attend a Demo
A Nagios demo is a free product walk-through session between you and a Nagios sales tech. You get the information needed to effectively launch Nagios XI with a demo customized to your unique requirements. During the demo, a Nagios sales tech will give you an in-depth look at the features most relevant to what you’re trying to accomplish. Use the demo to get most of your technical, architectural, and licensing questions answered.
3. Access Resources in the Knowledge Base
Another resource on how to launch Nagios XI quickly is the Nagios Support Knowledge Base. It contains helpful resources not only for launching but also for managing Nagios XI. Nagios organizes the topics by product, with numerous sub-categories falling within each product offering. The Nagios Support Knowledge Base article and Getting Started Tips guide provide a good starting point for helpful XI resources, including server considerations, how to set up parent-child relationships, and how to turn on text and email notifications for off-site alerting. When users follow the best practices outlined in the Knowledge Base, they’re more likely to set themselves up for future success.
4. Search the Collection of Training Videos
In addition to the written materials found in the Nagios Support Knowledge Base, we also have a library of video content. Much of this content can be used as a resource when launching Nagios XI. If you’re a visual learner, we recommend referring to our training videos, including the Get Monitoring series, Using Configuration Wizards in Nagios XI, and Monitor anything or everything (how to manage plugins).
5. Use the Support Forum
The Nagios Support Forum is another valuable resource to turn to on how to launch Nagios XI. The forum has posts about thousands of topics, all stemming from questions posed by our broad base of Nagios users. Search past topics or post a question of your own. An XI license includes access to the customer-only Support Forum, which contains additional posts.
6. Take Advantage of the Monitoring Wizards
Nagios XI has a collection of monitoring wizards, which are configuration templates for the most commonly monitored devices. These monitoring wizards make setting up new devices on XI quick and intuitive. There are wizards for everything from computers to servers to databases and network devices. Included with each wizard is tutorial documentation on how to install an agent (if needed) and configuration requirements.
7. Use a Virtual Machine to Launch Quickly
If you have a virtualization platform, use Nagios’ pre-packaged virtual machine to install Nagios XI in roughly three minutes. This virtualization method reduces the amount of time required to find and install the latest version of Nagios XI, and it enables even non-technical users to get Nagios XI up and running within minutes.
We’ve found that Nagios XI users save themselves a considerable amount of time when they invest time doing the upfront work to follow best practices. Use the resources listed above when launching Nagios XI for a quick launch that will set your team down the path for a successful future.
