Call for discussion on ZABBIX 1.6

[bobrivers]

More suggestions

Screen Options - Allowing more custom screen data when trying to build screens would be very helpful. Allow you to staticically define a field and then insert a value after it...

I agree with rraver. Or a more simple feature: a table with host summary. Like the "Zabbix Server info" with basic information (items/triggers specific for the host, host uptime, host information, local time, etc. And, if could define the rows that I want to see inside it, it would be better.

Another improvement, is the ability to define screen templates and the ability to link it to host templates (the same functionality that is provided to graphs). For instance: I did one screen to each server that we are monitoring. In each screen I put 3 graphs: cpu utilization, network utilization and memory utilization. Nowadays I have to build one by one. If I could build a screen and then attach it to a template, it would be nice.

[testos]

Greetings.

My contribution .

Zabbix is a very great product and if it continues by this way perhaps it will be able of killer other very extended monitoring alternatives (nagios, tivoli, ambertpoint…) and even others Business Service Management applications (managed objects, tango04,…).
I would first of all emphasize the great aid offered by zabbix forum and mainly always zabbix developers are arranged to solve in very just short time, errors, consultations, suggestions, inexperience… Congratulations.
In my company Tivoli checks 4000 events and there is other 8000 without monitoring. At the moment we see viable zabbix will be able for replace Tivoli soon.
Please, obviate repeated, erroneous or simply stupid suggestions:

Product behavior improved
- Add encryption to agent-server traffic: http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=625 .
- Incorporate to languages files all hardcoded messages
- Move translation files xx_xx.inc.php to database table/s.
- Add to vm.memory.size[<mode>] key modes pfree, used, pused , in the same way that system.swap.size[<device> <,mode>] key.
- Allow calculated items like “vm.memory.size[free]) / vm.memory.size[total] * 100”
- Allow $n wildcard in triggers name.
- Allow adding expression in triggers name. For example, it could be interesting make this trigger “Warning 3 days without backup”, where number 3 is obtained from calculated expression of one or more involved items.
- More and better log files information. Now it is not able know what group:host:item belong to each message.
- Add otherwise expressions in triggers: otherwise name, otherwise severity, otherwise comment, otherwise url, otherwise dependency…One only condition expression for two trigger situations
- Allow database maintenance and management from zabbix front-end.
- Add internal new smart features to zabbix agent for monitoring health hard disk http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/.
- Add internal new database features to zabbix agent for monitoring performance and health several database (oracle, mysql)
- Add internal new features to zabbix agent to perform more monitoring and informational functions.http://www.gedanken.demon.co.uk/proc...Screen%20Shots
- User defined trends reports.
- Allow zabbix_agentd.conf setting from front-end configuration menu.
- Allow zabbix_agentd.restartarting from front-end configuration menu and allow update also zabbix_agentd.conf changes (Userparameter, etc) without agent restarting (nagiostyle).
- Rename item zabbix concept for monitor. Item expression is more generic as long as monitor involve monitoring / checking idea. I’m translated to Spanish so it.
- Ocurrences and holes tivoli style to monitoring CPU, Memory, file systems, and other resources model: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/tividd...fmst02.htm#wq3 . Index here: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/tividd...325.htm#wq1653
- Other good ideas about zabbix monitoring improved: http://www.lund.com/support_docs/met...D05d_aug05.pdf



Product UI inproved
- Add “Save an clone” button to saving at the same time cloning an item or trigger itself (already suggested http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6418)
- Add “Mass update” button to triggers
- Add “Apply” button to apply changes without exit current edition windows in contrast with save button do.
- Add dependency trigger after selecting one of available list without pressing down add button in next step.
- Afterwards save item / trigger return to initial page position in the navigator window where click was done. Now it is replaced at the beginning of the php page (it is very uncomfortable)
- When creating/editing triggers, expressions wizard should display current host. Now, it display latest selected in previous trigger operation.
- Allow arrange items by columns at least key and description
- Change focus item selection windows (simple/advanced) to button Search, so that start search when pressing down intro key (item external filter).
- Splitting ‘S_SELECT’ button because sometimes it perform selections and others exploring
- Add “Clone” button to TI services
- Arrange by name, or better still, allow arrange by any clicked column item list displayed by trigger expressions wizard.
- Allow replacing items / triggers / TI services names into configuration list directy. Complete edition is necessary now.
- Allow use control and shift keys to select ranges of items and triggers configuration lists. Clicking singly is now
- Add left buttom contextual menu in items and triggers alike IT services
- Some windows (Mass update, Copy selected to …) text appears displaced downwards with respect to selection box.
- Hierarchical maps where each element display its children by clicking itself., allowing IT link.
- Asign to every item IT one icon. Colour icon green, red, gray.. ) will indicate status hierarchical object same Formula Managed Objects style.
- Drag and drop objects in maps and TI services for the purpose of copy, move, clone organizations, hosts, items.


Potential bugs?
- In item selection windows (simple/advanced) when set status filter to Active, it does't work fine search, because all register are displayed.
- In item selection windows (simple/advanced) when mouse pointer keep over three select buttons shorcut keys (Alt+G, Alt+H, Alt+A) are displayed but it doesn't work.
- Enable/disable buttons in item list (status column) doesn't switch when are translated. Already reported at bottom http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5918
- Only triggers windows display register id left to trigger name.
- Enable/disable button doesn't work on triggers list windows.
- Ussing extended chars (áéó...) in name definitions, when import intented appear this error: # XML error: Invalid character at line nnn:. Already reported and diagnose in http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5876
- Unsupported items [zabbix agent (active)] never make active when it is possible. Set parameter “Refresh unsupported items (in sec)” to several values #0 and not working. It is necessary to do it manually.


From now to October they will be arising more.

(sorry for my disastrous english)

Regards

[dratliff]

A nice little addition,

I am playing with IT services to categorize my application operations. I have a trouble screen or start screen with the basic network topology and status information.

Can we have a drop selection for IT Services in the Screen display options?

I am using the URL right now. That works. But it would be nice to have that as a selection.

Thank you,

Dave

[ras.su]

alternative snmp port per host settings, not per each item

Hello,

Will be very helpful to set snmp port via host settings (port field) for servers that monitored via snmp or via host template. Cause make big templates and set for any server port per each item - pain in ass.

This will be very good improvement.

Best Regards,
Dmitry.

[Artturi]

I've been using zabbix and I although it's probably a difficult thing to implement, I thought it would be cool to check zabbix via a read-only imap account.

Users would have to add a new account in the mua, that would point to the zabbix server.
There could be a directory structure like this :

INBOX
----> Triggers : showing active triggers
----> Events : history of recent events
----> Hosts : one mail per host, with last items

Of course, I guess there are other improvements that are far more important, this is just an idea that I had in mind...

Regards,
Artturi

[limo]

OK, here it is

More states for triggers... See http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6103
Maybe next usable status of trigger could be "acknowledged" . So this mean this trigger is acknowledged to be true. Can be usable for customers.

zabbix_cli support . It means commandline tool for controling zabbix. It is enaught to know only some commands in start.. (start server, stop server, refresh triggers, run housekeeper, rotate log, expand macros....) See http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6350

Maps and screens history. Would be nice to implement some way how to store more maps. I think it is possible by external script and macro expander in future. One of the action when some trigger goes on could be external script which will redraw map or screen and save it (or sends by email). You can see what happened with network step by step..

SVG support and SVG templates for maps. See http://www.zabbix.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5959

with regards,
Lukas

[bbrendon]

Let me add a vote for having remote command actions on active only agents.

AFAIK it currently does not work for active only agents.

[sbadger]

4) REPORTS

Every day (and I consolidate it monthly) I produce a "Operation Report" where I summarize the incidents/problems that occurred. If I could use zabbix to do it, it would be great. I need to report when, where, duration, why and solution. Zabbix is almost there, but it needs some adjustments to make it more usable (item 3).

I agree with bobrivers here. It would be nice to have the ability to generate a report for what happened. I have been palying with putting one together, but haven't made it look nice enough yet for managers to look at.

[bking]

How about a built in ping to replace finding and installing fping for ping only checks?

[S0d0]

I could help you to make AIX support more complete.

Most of checks are done by using kmem like getloadavg_kmem
and some checks are totally missing.

AIX 5.x has nice library called libperfstat which can be used to
obtain information from operating system.

Reading /dev/kmem needs special permission,
libperfstat can be used without root authority.


To get load average, you just need:

int i = 0;

perfstat_cpu_total_t cpu_total;
perfstat_cpu_total(NULL, &cpu_total, sizeof(perfstat_cpu_total_t), 1);

for(i=0;i<3;i++)
{
    loadavg[i] = (double) cpu_total.loadavg[i] / (double) (1<<SBITS);
}

Br,

Juha Moisio

[starstream]

My votes:

BETTER -FREEBSD SUPPORT:
Better freebsd support in agents.

AJAX:
Zabbix have made lots of improvements in the GUI from when i first started to use zabbix (very long time ago). But i still think we need improvements Many view contains long datalisting and are pretty heavy to draw/refresh. If we involved some AJAX i know we can make i faster to work with.

WEBSERVICE/API:
There would be great to have some simple form of and API to add/manage hosts and maybe retrieving reports and statuses from the various hosts.

TRAFFIC REPORTS:
Monitor bandwidth usage with 95-percentile support.

GENERATING/PRINTING -REPORTS:
A way of generating /printing availability reports for customers.

ENFORCE CHECK
Sometimes we have checks that run less freakvent and when you get a failure i the middle of the night, you can fix the problem in 2 minutes but then it will be no another check in about 30 min. So you have time to go to bed and fall a sleep before you get the OFF response. There fore i would like to enforce/make an instant test on a trigger to check if its working.

[agehring]

My biggest vote would be for better client support.

The BSD based unices (OpenBSD, FreeBSD, AIX, OS X) have very little, or very bad support.

[NOB]

Here is a few things:

Device discovery:

- disk discovery : We want to monitor disk inode, and free space on all server. Right now you must know each server's mount table to monitor it and create triggers, item and action to suits the partition schema of each server.

It should be easy to zabbix to have rule like :

vfs.fs.inode[/,pfree,all]

that does the monitoring on all disk. Same for all disk related functions.

This would be nice if limited to the disks you are interested in.
Who wants to know the free space in percent of a mounted CD-ROM ?
The same is valid for the /proc filesystem.
You see, it's not that easy - and it might change over time by mounting
NFS-filesystems, USB-sticks and installation media.

I agree with most of the other things proposed by you.

Regards,

Norbert.

[NOB]

Hi,

just my input for the next release of ZABBIX:

Better FreeBSD support

I second the "better FreeBSD support" request.

As I mentioned in another post, I'll try to get the ZABBIX FreeBSD
agent source replaced by netXMS agent source which seems
to be better.

Escalations

And the request for limiting escalations - this would be a bonus
for ZABBIX in our environment.

Logfile monitoring

What we use - in one of the big four in System Management - is
a very flexible way to monitor logfiles.

Something along the line logfilematch[filename,regexp].
Where regexp contains all the patterns of interest like Warning|Error|OK.
The line containing this pattern is send to ZABBIX whenever it shows
up in the file.

We are now using finite state machines to implement something
like
If the pattern Error occurs in the file, remember it, but do
nothing right now.

If there is no pattern OK in the file during the next 3 minutes, issue an alarm.

In this way we can eliminate false alarms nearly at the source and do not
flood ZABBIX with a lot of logfile entries nor the admins with a lot
of SMS during the night.

With the current flexible scheme for triggers in ZABBIX this should be possible
with just implementing this logfile monitoring feature in (all) agents.

Of course, this should not be limited to normal logfiles but should
be available for the Windows eventlogs, too.

This is one thing which will prevent ZABBIX from being used over here,
I think.

One sort of work-around on UNIX/Linux would be to use the logsurfer+
software for doing this kind of stuff and send the patterns to ZABBIX
or use the logsurfer to even implement the finite state machine.

command-line interface or API

As already mentioned in other posts an API to add hosts to ZABBIX and
linking (existing) templates to those would be nice.

Even better would be to have command-line tools to do it, instead
of every user has to implement it's own.
Of course, this could be a part dedicated to the ZABBIX community.

Migrating more than a few hosts manually from an existing
product is a nightmare.

Interface to trouble ticket systems

Not a particular one, but a generic interface with all informations
required for the TT system.

That would be another bonus for the use of ZABBIX in our environment.
In addition with limited escalations - who wants to resolve
10 trouble tickets for the same problem - this would be one of the
main points for ZABBIX. Now our TT System managers think that
a lof ot trouble tickets will bring down their system.

WMI support for ZABBIX

With Samba version 4 it seems to be possible to use WMI directly
from UNIX/Linux to gather informations about Windows systems,
e.g. hardware inventory.
This could be done with external scripts but it would be much nicer
to have it included.
The latest ZENOSS release does it, so the implementation in the
"technology preview" of Samba 4 is not that bad ...

Last not least - Thank you for ZABBIX

Thanks go to all ZABBIX developers for providing such a good product and
the speed of development and short time to fix bugs !
Keep up the good work.

Regards,

Norbert.

[testos]

Greetings

In actions based on discovery it would be very interesting to be able choose the key would give name to host. Now the IP is used and soon it forces editing and changing host name. Similar to zabbix agent key when creating discovery rules.

Regards.