Inter-server monitoring

[MustQ]

So here I am and I have zabbix up and running beautifully . But I've now found a new need: I need to ensure that SQL servers can communicate with other SQL servers. (not limited to SQL, this is purely for example).

How would I go about having the zabbix agent on server A try and open/test a port on server B, and then give me a true/false about it?

All our servers are windows servers (except for zabbix itself).

Thanks!

[MustQ]

Half answered my own problem

So I've figured out that this would work: net.tcp.port[DNSHOSTNAME,PORTNUMBER]

But I want to do this by template and so far it's looking pretty clumsy. In the template I have to add an item for each host manually and the end result when I link the two servers (when there is two servers) is that they monitor themselves and each other. It'll end up resulting in more alarms than wanted.

I'm a novice with discovery rules, but here's what I'm thinking (logic wise):

If linked to template, create an item for each member of zabbix group "Database" (except yourself) that matches: "net.tcp.port[DNSHOSTNAME,PORTNUMBER]" and a trigger to go along with it.

Anyone more experienced with discovery know how I might attack this one?