API Discussion

[mlange]

I would like to add some functions we need from the API (besides the ones posted before):

--> importing templates
--> attaching templates to hosts
--> de-/activating items/triggers/hosts
--> configuring actions (at least enable/disable)

Esp. the template stuff has a major importance for us since we work completely with a template-based design. Will this also be supported?

Thanks.

[Aly]

Managing templates - definitely!

[Tom Spengler]

we need

-> getting values of triggers and items
-> getting the serverstatus

[js1]

Will the API be part of the upcoming 1.8 version? We tested it and extended some functions - it is really useful esp. for large environments. Managing the configuration in the frontend only is simply not not enough.

Can the API be used to extend Zabbix itself? So even beyond automating the management of systems and services with Zabbix, how about extending Zabbix itself? One of the questions I had recently was about graphing and charts. It'd be nice to be able to extend on our own within the Zabbix framework. As a colleague put it, extend without forking.

[nelsonab]

I would like to see more discussion from the Zabbix team with regards to how they envision it to work. I think a great example of a good API would be to look at the Trac project http://trac.edgewall.org. They have a pretty well defined set of classes and methods for data passing, extending trac is just a matter of inheriting the right objects and overriding or extending their functionality. I would especially love to see a well defined set of classes or methods for the UI with hooks to use with extending the capability.

Within the Server and client portions I've thought of adding a LUA interpeter. I think this would be especially useful for the writing of your own functions. for instance you could then actually write a group() function for items within a host and not across a group of hosts. Also you could then have the ability to write a convert function for items when they are polled. That would be useful for when you need to convert an item to make it easier to work with such as a temperature sensor which gives data in Celceus and you are in the US where people understand Farenheight.

Bottom line, can some of the Zabbix team please enlighten us on their thoughts and direction? I know we all want to see something exciting and as useful as possible.

[fjrial]

1 - getting a list of hosts on the server
2 - getting a list of triggers setup on a host
3 - creating hosts remotely
4 - creating items remotely
5 - creating triggers remotely
6 - creating it services remotely

and i'm doing a lot of create_if_not_exist() style of semantics.

I know that this topic is not active since a long time ago, but I want to ask if you can share those functions and api calls..

I'm working modifying zabbix_sender source code in order to create_if_not_exist items, thus, It will allow me to monitor Xen Servers without knowing anything about them..

Thanks.