In this chapter, we looked at more advanced ways to gather data.
Aggregate items allowed us to calculate particular values like minimal, maximal, and average for items over a host group. This method is mostly useful for cluster or cluster-like systems where hosts in the group are working to provide a common service.
External checks and user parameters provided a way to retrieve nearly any value - at least any that can be obtained on the command line. While very similar conceptually, they also have some differences that we'll try to summarize now.
External checks |
User parameters |
---|---|
Are executed by the Zabbix server process |
Are executed by the Zabbix agent daemon |
Are executed on the Zabbix server |
Are executed on the monitored hosts |
Can be attached to any host |
Can be only attached to the host where the Zabbix agent daemon runs |
Can reduce server performance |
Have no notable impact on server performance |
As can be seen from this comparison, external checks should be mostly used with...