Using zabbix_sender for host discovery

[sailaja]

I'm writing an application which delivers data from remote devices over an HTTP API. These devices are on a mobile data connection and have limited resources.

I wish to receive custom monitoring data over the HTTP API, relying on the security model designed in the application, and push that data to Zabbix directly (or indirectly) from node.js. I do not wish to use Zabbix Agent on the remote devices.

I see that I can use zabbix_sender to send data to a Zabbix server containing a pre-configured host. This works great. I intend to deliver monitoring data over my custom API, and when received give this data to zabbix_sender inside the server network.

The problem is there are many devices in the field and more are being added all the time. TL;DR:

When zabbix_sender provides a custom hostname which doesn't exist in Zabbix already, it fails.

I would like to auto-add discovered hosts, based upon new hostnames from zabbix_sender. How would I do this?

Also, extra respect if anyone can give examples of how to avoid zabbix_sender and send data directly from node.js to the Zabbix server. I mean: suggest an NPM package that you have experience using.

[kloczek]

Using zabbix_sender means that metrics data will be send over some kind of automation. You can use this automation to trigger execute some script calling zabbix API to register new host.
Auto discovery is for active agent monitoring.