How do I use template screens?

[monrovi]

Hi,

I'm trying to understand how to use the screens configuration part of the template. I know how to create the screen out of the graphs configured in the template.

The part I don't understand is how to make the template screen available as a favorite, or in the screens menu. So far, when I associate a host with the template, the screen for that host can only be found by either searching for the host name, or going to the 'overview' section, clicking the hostname and then clicking 'host screens'.

What is the best way to use screens created by a template?

[anpat89]

Screens

This is one of my favourite features of the program, great overview of everything that is going on.

You need to make sure that you have Graphs for each of the Hosts, not just the templates. These can be customised to your needs in Configuration/Hosts and click on Graphs of one of the hosts.

Anyway, when you go to Configuration/Screens, click on your default screen or create Screen (top right) - name it "Hosts".

Once in there you can set the amount of rows and columns by using the plusses and minuses. I made 1 column per host and 3 rows (memory, processor load and free space on Hard Drives).

Click the plus in the middle of one of the squares and fill in these details:


When you are selecting the graph name, select it from your servers, not from Templates.

For my screen 1680 wide, I have 5 hosts and made the Width 180, with 4 hosts, 200 is good.

All other information as it is, and should be good to go.
Kind Regards,
Andrew

[monrovi]

I'm actually talking about the 'screens' section of the template itself.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. I'm actually talking about something a little different.

I've created a host template called "Linux SNMP", that has a number of items defined, several graphs of those items, and a screen containing the template graphs.

Now when I add a new host, I assign it to the "Linux SNMP" template, and it creates all of the items, graphs and screen for the new host. I can actually see the new host screen if I click on the hosts name in the 'overview' tab and the graphs are there and populating normally.

But, strangely, the host screen doesn't show up under the "screens" tab, and I can't pick that screen as a 'favorite' on the dashboard. Which is frustrating. So I was wondering how other people are using the 'screens' part of the template, in case I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks again for your reply!
Daniel

[tchjts1]

There are a lot of questions on templated screens usage, and not much clarity yet.

The only real mention of it in the 2.0 documentation is this:

5.2.19 Templated host screens

Screens can be defined in templates. They are available for all hosts that are linked to the template. They can be accessed from the host popup menu everywhere, and from the search results.

[dahu33]

I have created an improvement request on the bug tracker: https://support.zabbix.com/browse/ZBXNEXT-1349

[sirtech]

Problems with multiple screens in templates

I've been using the templated screen from the "Host Screens" section (only way I've found to get to them). It sort of makes sense to be able to access the templated screen from the popup menu on the host name, once you know about it at least. I don't know what to do when multiple templated screens are attached to a host though.

Example:

The built in Template OS Linux has a System Performance screen in the template.

I have bound this to a Linux machine and can access it from the overview using the Host Screens item on the popup menu on the host name.

I have created another template of my own (Disk Perf), and have a screen defined inside that template.

Now when I go to the Host Screens section for the host, it displays my screen that was defined in the Disk Perf template, but the System Performance screen from the Template Linux OS template is completely inaccessible.

Am I missing the option to switch to a different screen when in the "Host Screens" section?

I think it totally makes sense for these templated screens to appear in the Screens section of Zabbix rather than *only* in the Host Screens section.

[richlv]

tried with svn head and two templated screens coming from different templates. i got both of them in the dropdown. it even works if they both have the same name...

[sirtech]

Maybe it's just 2.0.2rc2 then

The appliance is using 2.0.2rc2 so maybe it was fixed after that, although I don't see anything in Jira to say this. At any rate, if it's fixed in the trunk, then hopefully it'll appear as fixed in 2.0.3.

[seanwasere]

To make a Template Defined Screen available as a favourite, or in the screens menu,
first find the URL of the screen you want to reference.
eg, Search for 'Zabbix Server' in the top search bar,
then click the 'screen' link that appears in the search results in the 'Hosts' row,
Copy the URL,
Then, go to Monitoring->Screens->Create Screen,
Name it, give it 1 row and 1 column,
Continue and the edit the screen,
And select to 'change' the content of the row/column,
In the 'Resource' drop down, select the URL option, and then paste your URL into the URL field.

I demonstrate this in this video,

When the template defined screen is inside the monitoring/screens view, it can now be saved as a Favourite, and now even selected as a Screen in many other parts of Zabbix, and even the 'Slide Shows' section.