Applying Macros via Templates

[michaeldpotter]

Hello,
I am fairly new to Zabbix, so I apologize for my lack of understanding of some of it's capabilities.

I downloaded a template for my AIX servers. I modified the template and for the "Too many processes on {HOSTNAME}" trigger, I changed the default value of 300 to {$TOTALNUMPROCESSES} and then also set a macro for the template for {$TOTALNUMPROCESSES} = 300. I figured this way I could adjust the total number of processes for all the AIX servers by simply changing the macro value on the AIX template. This seems to work fine.

I have some AIX servers that run a certain application, so this total number of processes needs to be higher for those. Rather than set individual macros on all the hosts, I thought I could create a template for the application, and apply that template to those specific hosts. So, I created the template, and then only think defined in it is the macro {$TOTALNUMPROCESSES} = 600. I linked both the AIX template, and the App template to one of the hosts.

However, when I look at the inherited macros for the hosts, I only see the macro from the AIX template.

Am I just going about this the wrong way, or am I not understanding how the templates work?

Thanks for your help!
Michael

[Markku]

Hi, I believe that the macro defined in the same template that uses it overrides the macro possibly defined in other templates. I say this because I just implemented a system this way:

• The first template uses the macro but does not define it
• Second template defines the macro (this template only has a bunch of use case-specific macros in it)
• Both templates are applied to the hosts.

And this works.

Markku

[Markku]

Oops, actually, there is documentation about the template preference:

https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/current/manual/config/macros/usermacros

Markku

[michaeldpotter]

Thank you so much for your help on this!