Deployment software with zabbix

[gazambuja]

Hi for every one, i start install one server in "the could" to monitoring a lot of servers and workstations whit Active agent. Now, i think use the zabbix agent to deployment software in the computers.
I think this is not "very" dificult, we aldrey have a agent and the UserParameter...

Some body have this "feature" yet?

I think make a vbs (or similar) to download a xml file (https://myserver.com/apps_to_install.xml), verify if this machine ($HOSTNAME) have a install (or execute some command) pending, download .msi/.bat/.exe/.sh/.rpm/.deb and install it.

What you think this idea?
any body can help?? (my skills to develope software is "unused for some time")

[nelsonab]

At one client site we used a home grown configuration management solution to push out Zabbix to all the agents. It would be very straighforward to use Puppet or CFengine to push out Zabbix configs too.

[Alexei]

While we hear this quite often, I do not think that software deployment is something to be supported by Zabbix. Let's leave this task for other applications, there are plenty around! Even a simple crontab job (ssh, rsync, ftp, whatever based) can do the trick easily.

[Alexei]

Hmm, "cloud software deployment", it sounds so sweet! I guess we've found huge potential selling point...

[nelsonab]

"Cloud computing"

BINGO!!!

Gotta love buzzword bingo. ;-)

[gazambuja]

Im starter work

i starter work in a python "agent" to verify one xml on the server with instructions to install or run one (or more) command (remember, active agent in zabbix).
The idea: Agent ask to Server if have to do something. if yes, download a package and install; save the txt log in some folder and zabbix agent report to zabbix server.
In some future (whit your help), i want create the XML using zabbix web console (to chose the machines affected).

The basic XML whit i work in this moment is:

<catalog>
	<software name="Open gedit in my Linux" id="20090213AAA">
		<type>cmd</type>
		<cmd>gedit</cmd>
	</software>
	<software name="Install and execute Putty in Windows" id="20090213AXZ">
		<type>package</type>
		<repository>PC-1234</repository>
		<url>http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/latest/x86/putty.exe</url>
		<cmd>copy putty.exe C:\putty.exe</cmd>
		<cmd>C:\putty.exe</cmd>
	</software>
</catalog>

The <repository> key, is one machine in the group (LAN) whit a copy of file (in this case, putty.exe), if this file is not present in the repository, the agent will go download from URL.

Some suggestions?

[nelsonab]

While I think this is a cool hack and has some cool potential, have you considered looking at Puppet or CFengine? They are quite mature and have solved many of these problems. I'm looking at using Puppet on a few servers here soon because of it's extensibility and object oriented nature.

[gazambuja]

yes, but i need deployment software in windows machines (workstations and servers) in diferents LAN's and locations, so, the actual solutions not work very well for me. i need some simple and easy to work with it.
I already test OCS and wpkg but not work in my "situation"

I repeat, i need a tool very simple, I have plans for use this in a lot of machines in very differents scenarios (with and without firewalls for example) and systems.

i need see the security stuff, for example, i think URL must be a "https://$SERVER/packages/$PACKAGE"
and not a "external" url to be a bit more secure.

if anybody have interest in help us, please, send a email to me (gazambuja AT gmail).
I use python for the agent, I do it for be very simple, and quickly to develop but is my first time with python, then, if someone have time for help, i will be grateful.
We need someone with PHP and MySQL knowledge to make a "addon" to zabbix to chose the machines, groups, and create (and upload) packages.

i want have a alfa version in 3 weeks.

please, sorry for my poor english, i need write more for be better :-)