Zabbix Windows Agent configuration & documentation

[Andreas Bollhalder]

Hello

I installed the Zabbix-Agent on a Windows server and observed a lot of entries in the event log (system) from ZABBIX (all informational). There are so many, that the log went full and all other older events has been gone.

I read the documentation for the windows agent (1.4 rev7) and there is stated, that the option "DebugLevel" has no effect. But on the windows machine, when setting "DebugLevel=1", I get much less entries in the event log. Is this an undocumented feature ?

Andreas

[Alexei]

What messages you are getting? Please give me some.

[Andreas Bollhalder]

Hello Alexei

All messages are informational and from the source "ZABBIX Agent". For example:

[2824]:  zabbix_agentd started. ZABBIX 1.4.
[2652]:  zabbix_agentd collector started
[2672]:  zabbix_agentd listener started
[2776]:  zabbix_agentd listener started
[1368]:  zabbix_agentd listener started
[3372]:  zabbix_agentd active check started [xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:10051]
[3372]:  In init_active_metrics()
[3372]:  In refresh_metrics('xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx',10051)
[3372]:  get_active_checks('xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx',10051)
[3372]:  Sending [ZBX_GET_ACTIVE_CHECKS foo.bar.net]
[3372]:  In process_active_checks('xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx',10051)
...

In 2 minutes, I had 30 messages. On a server I have checked after 2 days, ZABBIX has filled the event log with its messages.

I was only wondering about the documentation on page 63 which states: the "DebugLevel" has no effect. But it seems, that it works for the Windows agent too. So I have to recommend to set the "DebugLevel" to a lower number then the default "Warning".

Andreas

[Alexei]

I'll amend the manual. Sorry for this.

[NOB]

Hi,

you can set the logfile to any real file you like.
In this way you avoid filling the eventlog with ZABBIX messages.

There was (still is ?) a bug in the agent configuration
in the NSIS package. The logfile is called zabbix_agentd.pid
instead of zabbix_agentd.log.
I fixed it for our installations.

Norbert.

[tronite]

Hi,

you can set the logfile to any real file you like.
In this way you avoid filling the eventlog with ZABBIX messages.

There was (still is ?) a bug in the agent configuration
in the NSIS package. The logfile is called zabbix_agentd.pid
instead of zabbix_agentd.log.
I fixed it for our installations.

Norbert.

I've seen this file as well, when zabbix won't stop I delete this file.

[bill.unger]

How did you get it to install as a service? I have tried the different command line parameters as outlined in the 1.4 manual (ie., zabbix_agentd install) and the agent just starts up from the command prompt w/o installing as a service...

tia,
Bill

[tronite]

I probably did'nt follow the instructions so well, because I just configured with a few parameters ... make... make install and saw no errors?

Don't worry my zabbix is not behaiving at all!

[Andreas Bollhalder]

Does ZABBIX log rotation with its log file or is there a limit to confugure ?

I install the agent on windows server like this.

1. Make the directory on the server
   

   C:\Program Files\Zabbix

2. Copy the files to the server
   

   zabbix-1.4-start.bat
   zabbix-1.4-stop.bat
   zabbix_agentd.conf
   zabbix_agentd.exe

3. Edit the configuration file
   zabbix_agentd.conf:
   

   Server=ip-zabbix-server
   Hostname=hostname.domain.tld
   DebugLevel=1

4. Start or stop them with the batches
   zabbix-1.4-start.bat:
   

   REM change user /install
   zabbix_agentd.exe --config "C:\Program Files\Zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf" --install
   zabbix_agentd.exe --config "C:\Program Files\Zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf" --start
   REM change user /execute
   pause

   zabbix-1.4-stop.bat:
   

   REM change user /install
   zabbix_agentd.exe --config "C:\Program Files\Zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf" --stop
   zabbix_agentd.exe --config "C:\Program Files\Zabbix\zabbix_agentd.conf" --uninstall
   REM change user /execute
   pause

[Andreas Bollhalder]

I'll amend the manual. Sorry for this.

No problem, ZABBIX is open source and we are here to help to improve it as far each can.

Andreas