Migrating Nagios XI to a New Server on Centos6.6

Migrating an old Nagios backup to a new nagiosxi server. Migration is simple in Nagios XI, you a backup and restore it.
Once that is done we need to update/add the clients with IP of the new server, so that both Nagios get alerts. After a while once we are comfortable with the new server we can decommission the old one.

For example we will use two servers.

• old_nagios (nagiosximon)
• new_nagios (nagioserver)

Backup from Old Server.

Lets first take a backup from the old_nagios server.

[root@nagiosximon ~]# /usr/local/nagiosxi/scripts/backup_xi.sh 
Running configuration check...
Stopping nagios: done.
Starting nagios: done.
Backing up Core Config Manager (NagiosQL)...
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
Backing up Nagios Core...
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
tar: /usr/local/nagios/var/rw/nagios.qh: socket ignored
tar: /usr/local/nagios/var/ndo.sock: socket ignored
Backing up Nagios XI...
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
Backing up MRTG...
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
Backing up NRDP...
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
Backing up Nagvis...
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
Backing up MySQL databases...
Backing up logrotate config files...
Backing up Apache config files...
Compressing backup...

===============
BACKUP COMPLETE
===============
Backup stored in /store/backups/nagiosxi/1471501361.tar.gz
[root@nagiosximon ~]# ls

Restoring backup to the new_nagios server.

IMPORTANT : But now most of the server will not be able to send notifications to the new server, so you will recieve notifications, better idea is to disable notifications till we are done with all the configuration.

[root@nagiosserver ahmed]# /usr/local/nagiosxi/scripts/restore_xi.sh /home/ahmed/Desktop/1471501361.tar.gz 
TS=1471501690
Extracting backup to /store/backups/nagiosxi/1471501690-restore...
In /store/backups/nagiosxi/1471501690-restore/1471501361...
Backup files look okay.  Preparing to restore...
Shutting down services...
Stopping nagios: done.
Stopping ndo2db: done.
NPCD Stopped.
Restoring directories to /...
Restoring Nagios Core...
Restoring Nagios XI...
Restoring NagiosQL...
Restoring NagiosQL backups...
Restoring NRDP backups...
Restoring MRTG...
Restoring Nagvis backups...
Restoring MySQL databases...
Restoring Nagios XI MySQL database...
Restarting database servers...
Stopping mysqld:                                           [  OK  ]
Starting mysqld:                                           [  OK  ]
Restoring logrotate config files...
Restoring Apache config files...
Stopping httpd:                                            [  OK  ]
Starting httpd:                                            [  OK  ]
NPCD started.
Starting ndo2db: done.
Starting nagios: done.

===============
RESTORE COMPLETE
===============

Linux Client Configuration [NRPE].

As the service is running on the server, and the inbound requests are handled by xinetd, so we need to add the new server information in the configuration.

• Open file /etc/xinetd.d/nrpe
• Added a new entry only_from += 172.3.2.0/24 after the only_from line. We have given a mask address, but this can be an IP as well. (This should be the IP Address or IP Range for new_nagios server)
• Save, Close and Restart xinetd

Here is how the configuration file looks like.

root@nagiosxi-test-linux:~# cat /etc/xinetd.d/nrpe 
# default: on
# description: NRPE (Nagios Remote Plugin Executor)
service nrpe
{
           flags           = REUSE
    socket_type     = stream    
    port        = 5666    
           wait            = no
    user            = nagios
    group        = nagios
           server          = /usr/local/nagios/bin/nrpe
    server_args     = -c /usr/local/nagios/etc/nrpe.cfg --inetd
           log_on_failure  += USERID
    disable         = no

    # Old server IP
    only_from    = 172.2.2.123

    # New Server IP
    only_from    += 172.3.2.123

    # Range of IPs using Masking.
    only_from     += 172.3.2.0/24        
}

Restart xinetd service.

root@nagiosxi-test-linux:~# service xinetd restart
xinetd stop/waiting
xinetd start/running, process 15883

Windows Client Configuration [NSClient++].

Here as well we have to update allowed hosts parameter in nsclient.ini

• Open run -> services.msc
• Stop the NSClient++ service.
• Goto Location C:\Program Files\NSClient++
• Now go to start -> notepad -> open notepad with Run as Administrator Option.
• Now your notepad has admin permission.
• Open the file nsclient.ini which is located in C:\Program Files\NSClient++
• Added the new_nagios server IP in the allowed hosts list, its a comma separated values list.

Here is how part of the configuration looks like.

;Undocumented section
[/settings/default]

;Undocumented key
password = nagios123

;Undocumented key
allowed hosts = 127.0.0.1, 172.2.2.123, 172.3.2.123

• Finally save, close and Start NSClient++ service.

We are done. Now you will start seeing updated service information on the new_nagios server.

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