Trigger Description - Can I use item values?

[tcweb]

I have a template I created that I link to the base Linux/windows templates. I've added some items and dependent items, etc.
I'd like to be able to use item values in a trigger description. The documentation says that macros are valid in trigger descriptions.

I'm trying this: (I cloned the default trigger for high PCU, and modified the description.

Windows: High CPU utilization (over 90% for 5m) {?last(//top.cpu.pname)} : {?last(//top.cpu.pct)}%

I end up with *UNKNOWN* after the macros expand:

Windows: High CPU utilization (over 90% for 5m) *UNKNOWN* : *UNKNOWN*%


Here are all of the relevent items from the host perspective, so they are all available and populated:


I've tried several variations, but I'm starting to wonder if the fact that these templates are linked is the issue? In order for this to work, do I need all of the item values to be in the SAME template?

Thanks,

-Tom

[rozols]

Hi,

I checked this tried myself in a lab, created 1 master item and 3 dependent items for collecting data from master, afterwards made a clone of High CPU utilization trigger and updated the name -
Test: High CPU utilization - {?last(//top.cpu.pname)} PID {?last(//top.cpu.pid)} : {?last(//top.cpu.pct)}%





Adjusted the expression to trigger the alert and in end got -

Test: High CPU utilization - java PID 7155 : 0.4%

Only way to reproduce the *UNKNOWN* alert was if in the dependent item i set history to Do not store -



Maybe more details would help the check the issue further:
- What Zabbix version are you running? The {?last(//key)} syntax in trigger names/descriptions requires 5.4+.
- Does the item ever show a "not supported" state?
- Can you paste the exact item key as shown in Latest Data, next to the exact macro text you're using? {?last(//key)} needs an exact, case-sensitive match including any bracket parameters.
- Check Housekeeping setting — is "Override item history period" enabled?

[tcweb]

Only way to reproduce the *UNKNOWN* alert was if in the dependent item i set history to Do not store <-- for the master item, I do not store history, but I do for the dependent items.

I am using zabbix 7.4.

I did see "not supported" once, but I assume it was because high CPU on the host may have caused the item to timeout. (I had increased timeout from default to 5s)

I will paste the exact item key and macro test shortly. Thank you.

[tcweb]

Here is the trigger description I am using:

Windows: High CPU utilization (over 90% for 5m) {?last(/Company Windows Servers/top.cpu.pname)} : {?last(/Company Windows Servers/top.cpu.pct)}%
Note: I also tried the syntax I posted above: {?last(//top.cpu.pname)}

Here are the item keys. top.cpu.process is the input from my user parameter. top.cpu.pct, top.cpu.pid, and top.cpu.pname are dependent items.

[tcweb]

rozols, can you confirm that you did this all within one template? or did you create your master/dependent items in a separate template like I did?
I recall that there may be issues referencing items from different templates. But I was hoping that LINKING templates addressed that issue. Perhaps not. Would it be too much trouble to ask you to try this? Pull your items to a separate template, link that template to your default Linux template, and see if it still works, or if it breaks?

I just copied the items into the main Windows template, and ramped up CPU on a test server. Trigger fired, and I got UNKNOWN again. I did see that my items timed out, again probably due to CPU being 100 on the server:

[tcweb]

OK, I got it to work - modified the trigger to fire at 60%, so I wouldn't have to bury the CPU at 100%:

Now back to putting my items in a linked template to see if it still works.

[tcweb]

...And it still works with a linked template. Phew.
So I just need to get my trigger to fire a bit faster, in case we have a runaway process that pushes host CPU too high that the user parameter times out.

-Tom