The default configuration that NMIS8 ships with can be turned into a working system fairly, if you are looking to get NMIS8 set-up quickly and just want the basics to start off with, this is the guide for you, if you are looking for more in-depth descriptions see NMIS8 Configuration.
It is often advantageous to group individual nodes, or devices into Groups to improve dashboard views and reporting. This is especially important when working with opMaps, as it allows geographical notification of group status, reducing the number of icons being represented.
While NMIS ships with a set of default Groups built-in, most users will want to add custom groupings. Groups are single level and cannot be nested (IE Servers>Windows, Servers>Linux). Therefore, it is imperative that some thought be given to the creation of groups and assignment of nodes. If you plan to use opMaps you should consider creating Groups based on specific geographic location. Otherwise, Group definition is most often defined by device type (Routers, switches, etc), business function (core, perimeter, offsite, etc), or manufacturer (Cisco, Juniper, etc).
Group definitions are contained in the NMIS config file - config.nmis - but this can be edited through the NMIS interface by selecting System > Add/Edit Groups from the NMIS menu.
The Add/Edit Groups window Allows direct editing of the group_list field from the config.nmis file. This field accepts a comma separated list of groups.
NOTE: The group list should contain NO SPACES; this includes between group names comprised of multiple words (use an underscore _ ), following the group name, or following the comma separator.
Once you have completed your editing, click the Edit button to confirm or Cancel to close the dialog. The NMIS Configuration window will open, centered on the group_list, to allow you to confirm the change. When you are satisfied simply close this window.
There are two basic ways to monitor a node, using SNMP or using ping. We will add a node to be monitored by ping first as it is the simplest.
Each node requires, at a minimum, 4 attributes to be set. These are marked with a red asterisk next to the properties name, and are the first four properties in the Add/Edit Nodes and Devices window.
* The “SNMP Community string” is like a user id or password that allows access to a router's or other device's statistics. SNMP Community strings are used only by devices which support SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c protocol. If the community string is correct, the device responds with the requested information. If the community string is incorrect, the device simply discards the request and does not respond. By convention, most SNMPv1-v2c equipment ships from the factory with a read-only community string set to "public".
This is the section about Node Customization
This is the section about System Configuration
By default NMIS8 has the user Contact1 notified on all events for the first couple of escalation levels (0 and 2), because we set the email address for Contact1 emails will start to flow immediately, no changes need to be made. After you receive the first couple of messages you may find yourself wanting to make some modifications to the default settings, see INSERT LINK HERE.
The default contact is named Contact1 and should be left with this name. We need to set the email address, and phone numbers if you like.
For more detailed information on any of these topics or any other topics that are not covered here see NMIS8 Configuration