Monitoring IT infrastructure offers numerous benefits. It brings security and savings and improves work comfort. Observing the IT environment is possible thanks to special solutions, one of the best being Zabbix.

Zabbix is an open-source tool, meaning we can use it completely free of charge. Unlike commercial solutions, there are no licensing costs. The only expense is proper implementation and funding for the subsequent administrator. It's also possible to optionally purchase official support from Zabbix.

Zabbix has a network of partners who carry out implementations most competently and receive support. One of these partners is Hawatel.

What can Zabbix do?

With its infrastructural functions, Zabbix perfectly meets the business goals of an organization. Monitoring IT system behaviors, detecting bottlenecks, automatically resolving issues, flexible alert logic, and a centralized NOC solution directly impact company operations. Zabbix enables performance planning, cost reduction, KPI tracking, and service monitoring.

Source: Zabbix

How does Zabbix work?

The core of the system is the Zabbix Server. It receives and captures data, and performs calculations. It serves as a repository where configurations, statistical, and operational data are stored. It can send notifications (e.g., SMS) to administrators when problems arise. Additionally, Agents and Proxies report availability data to the Zabbix Server.

The Zabbix Agent is placed on the monitored device (in different ways depending on the operating system). The agent checks local resources and applications, such as disks, CPU statistics, etc. The collected data is sent to the Zabbix Server.

Zabbix Proxy is an optional component similar to the Zabbix Server. It is used in highly distributed infrastructure for centralized monitoring of remote locations, branches, and networks without local administrators. This reduces the CPU time and disk operations required for processing.

Zabbix is available in two "versions" - LTS and standard. LTS (Long Term Support) offers five years of support, with full support for the first three years and security support for the remaining two. Zabbix LTS is released every 1.5 years. The standard version of Zabbix is released every six months, offering six months of full support and an additional month for critical fixes. The standard version delivers new functionalities faster, but the LTS version is more stable.

Zabbix interface

Zabbix is very intuitive and easy to use. It is accessible through a browser; you just need to log in to your account. The interface looks as follows:

Source: Zabbix

Zabbix presents data in a clear way, often using graphs, which can be customized. Below is an example:

Advantages of Zabbix

Zabbix has several advantages. The main ones include:

• No costs (no licensing fees)
• Popularity
• Extensive integration capabilities
• User-friendly interface and data presentation options
• Frequent updates

Hawatel & Zabbix

Hawatel has many years of experience in implementing the Zabbix system. One of our clients is a nationwide network of stores offering RTV and household appliances. The project's goal was to find a replacement for a commercial, paid tool for monitoring IT infrastructure. Zabbix was chosen. In four months of work, we managed to cover approximately one thousand servers and network devices with Zabbix monitoring. We successfully delivered a service that provides more functionalities than the previous paid program.

Details are described in our case study.

Remember that improperly configured Zabbix will not meet the expected outcomes. Therefore, the implementation of this tool should be entrusted to competent and reliable partners.

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If you want to learn more about Zabbix implementations, contact us!