Global Macro

[lucac]

Hi All,
I would use a global macro that can be used across multiple templates.

I stumbled across this point in the manual:

If a user macro is used in items or triggers in a template, it is suggested to add that macro to the template even if it is defined on a global level

But, if I define the macro at the template level, then global value is not used. Is there a way to keep the macro defined at the template level (so that the template can be exported/imported without issues) but have this value overwritten by the global one?
TIA

[kaspars.mednis]

Global Macros are overwritten in the following way

Host overwrites template, template overwrites global
lets make an example

You can have a global macro {$MAX_CPU_LOAD} = 0.5

then you have 2 templates

TEST_SYSTEMS without this value, all hosts in this template take it from global macro
PROD_SYSTEMS with macro {$MAX_CPU_LOAD} = 1, which overwrites global macro and affects all hosts in this template

and in PROD_SYSTEMS you can have some host with heavy CPU load all the time which is normal for that particular host. Here you overwrite the Template macro on host level with {$MAX_CPU_LOAD} = 3, to make exclusion only for this one host

This is by design !

Regards,
Kaspars

[lucac]

Hi Kaspars,
Thanks for reply, but probably I wasn't clear in my post.

Based on your example, in the TEST_SYSTEMS template the macro is not defined.
So if I export TEST_SYSTEMS then I won't be able to import it on another server without first creating the global macro MAX_CPU_LOAD.

Is that correct? From online docs it seems to me that you should always define a macro ALSO at template level to avoid issues when exporting/importing, but probably I missed the point.

Thanks

[kaspars.mednis]

Yes, the global macros are not exported with template, so its always better to create them with template if you want to export

https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/3.4/manual/config/macros/usermacros

If a user macro is used in items or triggers in a template, it is suggested to add that macro to the template even if it is defined on a global level. That way, exporting the template to XML and importing it in another system will still allow it to work as expected.

Regards,
Kaspars

[lucac]

OK.
Probably the phrase in doc should be changed in:

If you want to export the template, it is suggested to define the macro at the template level. That way, exporting the template to XML and importing it in another system will still allow it to work as expected.

The verb add was confusing me.
Thanks for clarifying