Comments/Acknowledgement history
I'm in need of a way to document issues within Zabbix.
When a host goes down and we either acknowledge or write a comment on it.
The comment will disappear in time, while acknowledgement stays.
We have a few of these wonderful routers/hosts (not always the same) which can flap by the minute, hour, days or in periods. The Maintenance work great, when we know a date for the issue to be solved.
But when there's no date for a solution and the problem appears at random, then it's be a nightmare to track the right information in acknowledgements. I could personally do it, if I were to have the time.
But others, like my boss doesn't want to and never have that time.
He requested me to sort out a sort of "eternal" comment on the trigger page that he monitors the situation from.
This comment needs to keep history for a long time, it would be great if you were able to set the length manually.
I'm sure that better triggers can solve a lot of issues, but that would just postpone the issue until we need to do the redundant work again. Not to mention, there's nothing telling if it's another issue than the current one.
What we need, is a sort of grouping for acknowledgement and comments, a kind of history page. My boss would prefer to get a function like the comments and put notes in it per host with the specific issue. As in the host at the trigger notification page, so it'll never be more than one click.
You should be able to link an acknowledgement with a former one, possible a drop-down list. This list is sorted by groups and then different kinds of acknowledgement per host, all created manually.
This would allow you to get the right and former information, possible a question if it's the same acknowledgement as a former one.
As you're questioned, you can view former acknowledgements.
Comments or a version to create notes should be editable were you can fill in new information. Possible that the trigger messages are stored in the same way and are removable, to keep it clean. It would be good that a trigger posting the exact same message isn't posted if it already exist, just a comment that it re-edits as "Above message repeated X amount of times."
Without this, we must question each other who have done what or make redundant calls. With a flapping trigger, we'll have to wait until the other responsible person is done with a call or is reachable. If someone see this as a new issue, then he'll be doing redundant work where as he should have worked on something else.
While issues appear on calm days, it's fine.
On more or very busy days/weeks/months, it can be frustrating.
I'm sure that this situation can be understood by the development team who're yet to release zabbix 2.2, you never need that extra issues when dealing with others (like this one).
We're currently new with zabbix and I didn't put it up before a week or two ago. I fully agree with my boss regarding that we need more information one way or the other. Even if triggers can be improved, it'll not be enough.
Can this be developed so we got a system within Zabbix?
Otherwise I need to find another tool for the documentation, possible create one.
I can see needs, structure, logic and however a system would need to look like. But something I never liked, is programming, which I would have to quickly learn again or google. Another issue is that Zabbix 2.2 will auto-update, from what I understand (likely possible to disable). This would create much work when the linked parts are updated. As Zabbix updates or features are created (that you very likely want), it could result in extra work. The last issue is that if I'm not working at the same place in the future, then it'll be a lot for a new guy to learn.
The alternative is to create a new log/document system, separated from Zabbix. This however, also results in the "extra" clicks.
I don't expect it to be done right away. But if it's of interest and possible to give a time frame, then please reply with information as soon that is possible.
It'll tell what kind of work that lies ahead of me, or if I can just mention to my boss that an update will be out in period X. If and an update will be out, then it makes no sense to create and document in an external system.
Add that to documenting in the system and migrating it to the new one.
I always try to cover everything in one post, it's taller and might look like a complain. I tend to avoid using smilies as well, so don't take ill to my posts.
We're so far pleased with Zabbix, of course we have yet to experience any frustrating issues.
/Ignore the grammar, I'm on vacation for another two days.
When a host goes down and we either acknowledge or write a comment on it.
The comment will disappear in time, while acknowledgement stays.
We have a few of these wonderful routers/hosts (not always the same) which can flap by the minute, hour, days or in periods. The Maintenance work great, when we know a date for the issue to be solved.
But when there's no date for a solution and the problem appears at random, then it's be a nightmare to track the right information in acknowledgements. I could personally do it, if I were to have the time.
But others, like my boss doesn't want to and never have that time.
He requested me to sort out a sort of "eternal" comment on the trigger page that he monitors the situation from.
This comment needs to keep history for a long time, it would be great if you were able to set the length manually.
I'm sure that better triggers can solve a lot of issues, but that would just postpone the issue until we need to do the redundant work again. Not to mention, there's nothing telling if it's another issue than the current one.
What we need, is a sort of grouping for acknowledgement and comments, a kind of history page. My boss would prefer to get a function like the comments and put notes in it per host with the specific issue. As in the host at the trigger notification page, so it'll never be more than one click.
You should be able to link an acknowledgement with a former one, possible a drop-down list. This list is sorted by groups and then different kinds of acknowledgement per host, all created manually.
This would allow you to get the right and former information, possible a question if it's the same acknowledgement as a former one.
As you're questioned, you can view former acknowledgements.
Comments or a version to create notes should be editable were you can fill in new information. Possible that the trigger messages are stored in the same way and are removable, to keep it clean. It would be good that a trigger posting the exact same message isn't posted if it already exist, just a comment that it re-edits as "Above message repeated X amount of times."
Without this, we must question each other who have done what or make redundant calls. With a flapping trigger, we'll have to wait until the other responsible person is done with a call or is reachable. If someone see this as a new issue, then he'll be doing redundant work where as he should have worked on something else.
While issues appear on calm days, it's fine.
On more or very busy days/weeks/months, it can be frustrating.
I'm sure that this situation can be understood by the development team who're yet to release zabbix 2.2, you never need that extra issues when dealing with others (like this one).
We're currently new with zabbix and I didn't put it up before a week or two ago. I fully agree with my boss regarding that we need more information one way or the other. Even if triggers can be improved, it'll not be enough.
Can this be developed so we got a system within Zabbix?
Otherwise I need to find another tool for the documentation, possible create one.
I can see needs, structure, logic and however a system would need to look like. But something I never liked, is programming, which I would have to quickly learn again or google. Another issue is that Zabbix 2.2 will auto-update, from what I understand (likely possible to disable). This would create much work when the linked parts are updated. As Zabbix updates or features are created (that you very likely want), it could result in extra work. The last issue is that if I'm not working at the same place in the future, then it'll be a lot for a new guy to learn.
The alternative is to create a new log/document system, separated from Zabbix. This however, also results in the "extra" clicks.
I don't expect it to be done right away. But if it's of interest and possible to give a time frame, then please reply with information as soon that is possible.
It'll tell what kind of work that lies ahead of me, or if I can just mention to my boss that an update will be out in period X. If and an update will be out, then it makes no sense to create and document in an external system.
Add that to documenting in the system and migrating it to the new one.
I always try to cover everything in one post, it's taller and might look like a complain. I tend to avoid using smilies as well, so don't take ill to my posts.
We're so far pleased with Zabbix, of course we have yet to experience any frustrating issues.
/Ignore the grammar, I'm on vacation for another two days.