Templates for host groups

[x0tsing]

Hello all.
I'm sorry if this question has already been answered, but I couldn't find it.

I have a number of servers (Windows) running at a number of different clients, all of which I would like to monitor from one Zabbix server offsite. I would like to break down my items/triggers into groups of major functions and then pick what groups each host belong to.

For instance, I have one generic template for Windows servers. Some servers are domain controllers, some are not. Some are Exchange servers, some are not. Some domain controllers are also Exchange servers, some are not. etc.

It would make sense to me to create templates for each major function (server, e-mail, antivirus, domain controller, etc.) and then apply that template to a host group. That way I could change the template, which would cascade to the host group and to all the hosts in that group. But host groups don't seem to have Items and Triggers the way hosts do. Is there a better way to do what I'm looking for? Thank you.

[James Wells]

Greetings,

While it will not do quite what you are looking for, the best way to do this is to create child templates, which are children of the main templates, then link the hosts to these children.

As I understand from reading the rest of your post, it sounds like you are asking about linking multiple templates to each host or host group. At present, while this capability is available in Zabbix 1.1.x, it is not documented, nor is it supported in the UI. There has been some talk where I work of re-adding this feature to the UI, but I haven't even started looking in to it yet.

To do it manually, you have to edit the DB directly and link the items to the child templates manually, then link the hosts to the templates in the UI.

[tronite]

Greetings,

While it will not do quite what you are looking for, the best way to do this is to create child templates, which are children of the main templates, then link the hosts to these children.

As I understand from reading the rest of your post, it sounds like you are asking about linking multiple templates to each host or host group. At present, while this capability is available in Zabbix 1.1.x, it is not documented, nor is it supported in the UI. There has been some talk where I work of re-adding this feature to the UI, but I haven't even started looking in to it yet.

To do it manually, you have to edit the DB directly and link the items to the child templates manually, then link the hosts to the templates in the UI.

I wonder what it is you do for a living exactly since you are an unnoficial devel for zabbix (sorry about the devel I meant devel-oper)

[frankcheong]

Greetings,

Wow, I am thinking to do exactly what x0tsing is doing but without luck. I am using 1.6.6. And when I am doing this with multiple template I will encounter another problem (application should be unique amongst different template for the same host).

It seems like the definition of application, template and host group with relation to host linkage is a bit confusing to a newbie like me. The situation for an organization to have multiple host running same OS with different server application is very common. The default template based on OS which tries to apply the same server application to different host with same OS would be quite confusing. I know you can create trigger and alert on an host level which eliminate problem. But after all, I would see the event of service down for any particular host which actually don't have that service up. Or I have to disable that item on that particular host.

If the suggestion from x0tsing is workable, we can then can create alert based on template or even host group level so that whenever new host has been added, the trigger or even alert would be up automatically.