Host cannot be found by technical host name when a visible name is configured(7.4.13)

[Rudlafik]

Host cannot be found by technical host name when a visible name is configured
Zabbix version: 7.4.13
Description:

When a host has a different Host name and Visible name, it cannot be found by searching for its technical host name in several parts of the Zabbix frontend.

For example:

• Host name: 1234567890
• Visible name: Test_host

Searching for 1234567890 does not return the host in the following locations:

• Data collection → Hosts
• Inventory → Hosts
• Monitoring → Hosts
• Monitoring → Latest data

The only place where the technical Host name appears as a searchable option is when creating or editing a graph widget on a dashboard. Steps to reproduce

1. Create a new host.
2. Set Host name to 1234567890.
3. Set Visible name to Test_host.
4. Save the host.
5. Open each of the following pages and search for 1234567890:
   • Data collection → Hosts
   • Inventory → Hosts
   • Monitoring → Hosts
   • Monitoring → Latest data

Actual result
The host is not found when searching by its technical host name, 1234567890. It can only be found by searching for its visible name, Test_host. Expected result

The host should be searchable by both: its technical Host name its Visible name

1. This should work consistently across all host-selection and host-search fields in the Zabbix frontend.
   
   This behavior is particularly problematic in environments where the technical host name contains an asset ID, serial number, CMDB identifier, or another unique machine identifier, while the visible name is used as a human-readable display name.

[ericg]

I have noticed this inconsistency as well, I believe it needs to be fixed. The search should return the host regardless of which name you search for.

[Rudlafik]

Update for VMWare
Zabbix version: 7.4.13 Description

When a host has a different Host name and Visible name, it cannot be found by searching for its technical host name in several parts of the Zabbix frontend.

This issue specifically affects hosts created by VMware low-level discovery.

For VMware-discovered virtual machines, Zabbix uses:

• the VMware UUID as the technical Host name
• the virtual machine name as the Visible name

Example:

• Host name: 529b9034-0109-2c18-5258-0b73701bf1da
• Visible name: CZ000CA0365JH-VMS

Searching for either the complete VMware UUID:

529b9034-0109-2c18-5258-0b73701bf1da

or its initial part:

529b9034

does not return the host in the following locations:

• Data collection → Hosts
• Inventory → Hosts
• Monitoring → Hosts
• Monitoring → Latest data

The only place where the technical Host name is offered as a searchable value is when creating or editing a graph widget on a dashboard. Steps to reproduce

1. Create a host or use a host created by VMware low-level discovery.
2. Set or verify the following values:
   • Host name: 529b9034-0109-2c18-5258-0b73701bf1da
   • Visible name: CZ000CA0365JH-VMS
3. Save the host.
4. Open each of the following pages:
   • Data collection → Hosts
   • Inventory → Hosts
   • Monitoring → Hosts
   • Monitoring → Latest data
5. Search for the complete host name:
   
   529b9034-0109-2c18-5258-0b73701bf1da
6. Search for a partial value:
   
   529b9034

Actual result


The host is not found when searching by either the complete technical Host name or a partial value from it.

The host can only be found by searching for its Visible name, Test_host. Expected result


The host should be searchable by both:

• its technical Host name
• its Visible name

Partial matching should work for both fields consistently across all host-selection and host-search fields in the Zabbix frontend. Impact on VMware monitoring


This behavior has a direct impact on troubleshooting VMware discovery.

VMware-related errors, diagnostic messages, events, and discovery output may identify a virtual machine by its UUID. However, the corresponding discovered Zabbix host cannot be located by that UUID in the main configuration and monitoring pages.

The differing Host name and Visible name values are not caused by an unusual manual configuration. They are generated by the standard VMware low-level discovery process.