Zabbix Tutorial Slides - https://monitor.rice.edu/tutorial/

Zabbix Webinar Videos - https://monitor.rice.edu/webinars/

Introduction

Zabbix is distributed network monitoring software that functions by polling and trapping data. Using this data Zabbix can create specific reports and statistics, which can be accessed from a web based front end. Zabbix data is dependent on the backend database values for a specific item. Zabbix data gathering works at intervals and are not on-demand.

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Fore more information see: https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/2.02/manual

Architecture Overview

Zabbix Server - Central process and repository where all configuration, statistical, and operational data are stored. Performs polling and trapping of data, calculates triggers, send notifications to users.

Zabbix Agent - Deployed on monitoring servers/devices to actively monitor local resources and applications and report the gathered data to the Zabbix server. Zabbix Agent can perform passive and active checks.

Passive Check is data being requested by the Server to the Agent.

Active Check is data being sent from the Agent to the Server.

Host groups

Host groups are containers of hosts and templates.

Host groups are what permissions are based on for user groups.

Recommended to use

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Host group names that

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includes the group of the owner.

Examples:

Group Name: Middleware Development & Integration - MDI

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MDI - Cyrus Mail Servers

MDI - Netscaler Servers

Hosts and Templates

Hosts and Templates are almost the same on the backend.

They both hold Application names, Items, Triggers, Graphs, Screens, and Discovery Rules.

Templates

Templates contain Application names, Items, Triggers, Graphs, Screens, and Discovery Rules thatare that are used to apply to one or more hosts.

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Changing a template will propagate to all linked hosts.

Unlinking a host from a template will just unlink the items, the items will still exist on the host unless you unlink and clear.

It is recommended that Templates should be stored in the appropriate host group of the owner.

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Recommended to use template names that makes it easy to recognize it's function and include the group name of the owner.

Hosts

Object to be monitored (servers, switches, routers, etc)

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Recommend to only use visible name if required do to macro ease of use.

Items (Retrieve values)

Items gather data from a host.

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• Zabbix Agents (active or passive)
• SNMP (v1, v2, v3)
• IPMI (limited)
• Simple Checks (icmp, port checks)
• Web Scenarios(cURL based [text])
• External Scripts (Server Side)
• Zabbix Trapper (zabbix_sender)

Triggers (Trigger by Item value)

Use logic to interpret item values

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Recommended to use a trigger description that describes the problem.

Trigger Events (Created by Trigger activity)

Trigger state change and duration

Are logged for future reference or audit

Can be acknowledged

Actions (Executed to do work after an Event occurs)

Work on the basis of conditions

Send out (repeated) notifications

Run scripts on hosts

Data Visualization

Graphs

Maps

Screens

Reports

Things to Remember

Host name is the unique host name used by the agents and the server. (The configuration must match exactly.)

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Recommended to use host group names that are easy to recognize identify the owning user group who owns it. Prepend user group or something similar.

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Active Check is data being sent from the Agent to the Server. .

Unlinking a host from a template will just unlink the items, the items will still exist on the host unless you unlink and clear.

Make sure your actions only affect the host group you are working with and the user/user group you are targeting.