Zabbix is an open-source monitoring software used to track and analyze network performance and availability. This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing the Zabbix server on 000Webhost, a popular free web hosting provider.
Before proceeding with the installation, make sure you have already signed up for an account on 000Webhost. Once you have your account credentials ready, follow these steps to install Zabbix server:
- Access the cPanel: Log in to your 000Webhost account and locate the cPanel, which is the control panel used to manage your hosting account.
- Create a MySQL database: In the cPanel, navigate to the "Database" section and click on "MySQL Databases". Create a new database by entering a name and clicking on the "Create Database" button.
- Create a MySQL user: After creating the database, create a user associated with it. Choose a username and password, and click on the "Create User" button.
- Assign user privileges: Once the user is created, assign it all privileges by selecting the user and the database from the provided dropdown menus. Click on the "Add" button to apply the changes.
- Download Zabbix: Visit the official Zabbix website and download the latest stable release of Zabbix server. You can find the download link on their Downloads page.
- Upload Zabbix: Access the "Files" section in the cPanel and open the "File Manager". Locate the "public_html" directory and upload the downloaded Zabbix file into this folder.
- Extract Zabbix: Select the uploaded Zabbix file and click on the "Extract" button to extract its contents. This will create a new directory named "zabbix-X.X.X" (where X.X.X represents the version number).
- Move files: Open the newly created "zabbix-X.X.X" directory and select all files and folders inside it. Click on the "Move" button and specify the destination as "public_html". This will move all the Zabbix files to the root of your hosting account.
- Configure Zabbix: Access the website URL associated with your 000Webhost account. It should be in the format http://yourdomain.000webhostapp.com. You will be prompted to configure Zabbix. Follow the on-screen instructions, providing the necessary details such as database name, username, and password that you set up earlier.
- Complete installation: Once you have provided all the required information, click on the "Next step" button. Wait for the Zabbix server to complete the installation process. Once done, you will be redirected to the Zabbix login page.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Zabbix server on 000Webhost. Login to the Zabbix web interface using the admin credentials you specified during the installation process. From there, you can begin monitoring and managing your network with Zabbix.
What is a Zabbix agent and why is it required for monitoring?
A Zabbix agent is a lightweight software component that is installed on the monitored device or server. It allows the Zabbix monitoring system to gather data from the device and collect information about its performance, health, or other metrics.
The Zabbix agent is required for monitoring because it allows the Zabbix server to get real-time data directly from the device, rather than relying on external probes or SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). This provides more accurate and detailed monitoring metrics.
The agent can collect a wide range of data, including system information, CPU and memory usage, network statistics, disk performance, and application-specific metrics. It can also execute custom scripts or commands to fetch particular information from the operating system or applications.
By installing the Zabbix agent on devices, administrators gain more control and flexibility in monitoring their infrastructure. They can monitor various parameters and take proactive measures based on the collected data to detect and resolve issues efficiently. The agent provides a vital link between the Zabbix monitoring server and the devices being monitored, enabling effective monitoring and centralized control over the entire IT infrastructure.
How to set up a MySQL database for Zabbix server?
To set up a MySQL database for Zabbix server, follow these steps:
- Install MySQL Server: Start by installing MySQL Server on your machine. You can download the appropriate installer from the official MySQL website.
- Create a Database: Once MySQL Server is installed, open the MySQL Command Line or any other tool (such as MySQL Workbench) and login with your MySQL credentials. Create a new database for Zabbix server by running the following command:
1
|
CREATE DATABASE zabbix CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_bin;
|
- Create a User: Next, create a new user account that will be used by Zabbix to access the database. Run the following command to create a new user named 'zabbix' with a password of your choice:
1
|
CREATE USER 'zabbix'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
|
- Grant Privileges: Grant necessary privileges to the 'zabbix' user by running the following command:
1 2 |
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbix.* TO 'zabbix'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES; |
- Import Zabbix Database Schema: Zabbix provides a SQL script that sets up the necessary tables and initial data for the server. Find the 'create.sql' script in the Zabbix installation directory (most likely in the '/usr/share/doc/zabbix-server-mysql/' directory) and import it into your newly created database using the following command:
1
|
mysql -u zabbix -p zabbix < /path/to/create.sql
|
Replace '/path/to/create.sql' with the actual path to the 'create.sql' script file.
- Configure Zabbix Server: Open the Zabbix server configuration file (usually located at '/etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf') and update the database connection settings to match your MySQL configuration. Set the following parameters:
1 2 3 4 |
DBHost=localhost DBName=zabbix DBUser=zabbix DBPassword=your_password |
Remember to set 'your_password' to the actual password you set for the 'zabbix' user.
- Start Zabbix Server: Once the database is set up and the configuration is updated, start the Zabbix server and verify that it can connect to the MySQL database.
That's it! You have successfully set up a MySQL database for Zabbix server.
How to create custom templates in Zabbix for monitoring?
To create custom templates in Zabbix for monitoring, follow these steps:
- Login to your Zabbix web interface.
- Navigate to the "Configuration" tab and click on "Templates".
- Click on the "Create Template" button to start creating a new template.
- Provide a name and description for the template.
- Under the "Applications" tab, create relevant applications for grouping your monitored items. For example, create an application named "Server Monitoring" to group items related to server metrics.
- Under the "Items" tab, add the specific items that you want to monitor. This can include metrics like CPU usage, memory usage, disk space, network traffic, etc. Specify parameters such as item type, data type, key, and update intervals.
- Under the "Triggers" tab, define triggers based on the monitored items. Triggers allow you to set conditions to generate alerts or notifications when certain thresholds are crossed. For example, you can create a trigger to alert when CPU usage exceeds 90%.
- Under the "Graphs" tab, create graphs to visualize the collected data over time. You can add multiple items to a single graph for comparison.
- Under the "Discovery Rules" tab, you can define automatic discovery rules to discover and monitor new devices or applications that join your system dynamically. This is useful for scaling environments.
- Under the "Templates" tab, you can link other existing templates, which allows you to reuse existing templates rather than recreating them from scratch.
- Once you have configured the template as desired, click on the "Save" button to create the custom template.
- Apply the custom template to the hosts or groups that you want to monitor. This can be done by navigating to the "Configuration" tab, selecting the host or host group, and linking the template via the "Templates" tab.
By creating custom templates, you can standardize your monitoring across multiple hosts and easily capture relevant metrics and triggers specific to your environment.
How to start the Zabbix server service on 000Webhost?
I'm sorry, but 000Webhost does not support the installation and running of custom server applications like Zabbix. 000Webhost is a free hosting provider with limited features and capabilities.
To run Zabbix server, you would typically require a VPS (Virtual Private Server) or a dedicated server that allows you to install custom applications and control the server environment. You may consider using a different hosting provider or deploy Zabbix on your own server.
Here are some general steps to start the Zabbix server service on a Linux-based server:
- Connect to your server using SSH or any remote access method.
- Ensure that you have installed the necessary prerequisites for Zabbix, such as a supported version of the operating system, a supported database server (e.g., MySQL or PostgreSQL), and PHP.
- Download the Zabbix server package from the official Zabbix website or using package management tools like apt or yum.
- Install the Zabbix server package using the appropriate commands for your operating system. For example, on Debian-based systems, you can use apt-get install zabbix-server-mysql.
- Configure the Zabbix server by editing the configuration file located at /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf. Update the database connection details, if necessary.
- Start the Zabbix server service using the appropriate command for your system. For example, on systemd-based systems, you can use systemctl start zabbix-server.
- Optionally, enable the Zabbix server service to automatically start on server boot using systemctl enable zabbix-server.
Please note that these steps may vary depending on your specific operating system and setup. It is recommended to refer to the official documentation and installation guides provided by Zabbix for detailed instructions.