Until now, every item type described in this chapter could be considered a way to get raw measurements as single data points. In fact, the focus of the chapter has been more on setting up Zabbix to retrieve different kinds of data than on what is actually collected. This is because on the one hand, a correct setup is crucial for effective data gathering and monitoring, while on the other hand, the usefulness of a given metric varies wildly across environments and installations, depending on the specific needs that you may have.

When it comes to aggregated and calculated items though, things start to become really interesting. Both types don't rely on probes and measurements at all; instead, they build on existing item values to provide a whole new level of insight and elaboration on the data collected in your environment.

This is one of the points where Zabbix's philosophy of decoupling measurements and triggering logic really pays off, because it would be quite...