What Is Zabbix?
Zabbix is a powerful open-source toezicht houden platform designed to track the health, availability, and performance of servers, toepassingen, network devices, cloud environments, and other IT infrastructure components.
Through its web-based management interface, administrators can monitor systems from a centralized dashboard, receive alerts when issues occur, and analyze performance metrics over time.
Zabbix is widely used by hosting providers, enterprises, and system administrators because it offers extensive monitoring capabilities without licensing costs.
Why Use Zabbix?
Zabbix provides a centralized monitoring solution that helps administrators:
- Monitor Linux and Windows servers
- Track network device availability
- Monitor websites and web applications
- Analyze performance trends
- Receive real-time alerts
- Generate reports and graphs
- Detect failures before they impact users
The platform scales from small environments to large enterprise deployments containing thousands of monitored devices.
Vereisten
Before installing Zabbix, ervoor te zorgen dat aan de volgende vereisten wordt voldaan:
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Besturingssysteem
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, using the Zabbix 7.0 LTS repository
Required Software
- Apache Web Server
- MariaDB or MySQL
- The PHP version and modules supported by Zabbix 7.0 on Ubuntu 24.04
- Zabbix Server
- Zabbix Agent
User Access
- Root user access
- Or a user with sudo privileges
Installing the Zabbix Repository
Use the official Zabbix repository to select the intended release rather than mixing packages from different sources. These steps are for a fresh installation, not an in-place upgrade. Run package and service commands as root or with sudo.
Download the repository package:
wget https://repo.zabbix.com/zabbix/7.0/ubuntu/pool/main/z/zabbix-release/zabbix-release_latest_7.0+ubuntu24.04_all.deb
Install the repository package:
dpkg -i zabbix-release_latest_7.0+ubuntu24.04_all.deb
Refresh package information:
apt update
Installing Zabbix Components
Install the Zabbix server, frontend, Apache configuration, and agent:
apt install -y zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-frontend-php zabbix-apache-conf zabbix-sql-scripts zabbix-agent
Once installation completes successfully, continue with database setup.
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Installing MariaDB
Zabbix requires a database backend for storing configuration and monitoring data.
Install MariaDB:
apt install -y mariadb-common mariadb-server mariadb-client
Start and enable MariaDB:
systemctl start mariadb
systemctl enable mariadb
Verify the service is running:
systemctl status mariadb
Creating the Zabbix Database
Create a dedicated database for Zabbix:
mysql -uroot -p
Inside the MariaDB console, execute:
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CREATE DATABASE zabbix CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_bin;
Create a database user:
CREATE USER 'zabbix'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPasswordHere';
Grant permissions:
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbix.* TO 'zabbix'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
Replace StrongPasswordHere with a secure password.
Importing the Initial Database Schema
Import only into a new, empty database. If binary logging is enabled and function creation is refused, record the current log_bin_trust_function_creators value, temporarily enable it as a database administrator for the import, and restore the previous value afterward. Stop on any import error.
Import the Zabbix database schema and default data:
zcat /usr/share/zabbix-sql-scripts/mysql/server.sql.gz | mysql --default-character-set=utf8mb4 -uzabbix -p zabbix
The import may take several minutes depending on server performance.
Configuring the Zabbix Server
Edit the Zabbix server configuration file:
nano /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf
Locate the following parameter:
# DBPassword=
Modify it to match your database password:
DBPassword=StrongPasswordHere
Save the file and exit.
Configuring the Firewall
Keep the frontend behind a VPN or restricted management network until HTTPS and the administrator password are configured. Preserve access to the actual SSH port before changing firewall rules.
Port 10050 is the passive agent listener; permit only the Zabbix server or proxy on monitored hosts. Port 10051 receives active-agent, proxy and sender connections at the server; permit only the required source networks. The local agent on this all-in-one server does not require a public inbound rule. Do not open both ports globally by default.
Starting Zabbix Services
Restart the Zabbix services:
systemctl restart zabbix-server
systemctl restart zabbix-agent
Enable them at boot:
systemctl enable zabbix-server
systemctl enable zabbix-agent
Controleer de servicestatus:
systemctl status zabbix-server
systemctl status zabbix-agent
Configuring PHP and the Frontend Timezone
Use the frontend setup checks to identify missing PHP modules or settings. Set the frontend timezone to the region used by your operators, such as Europe/Amsterdam. If PHP configuration needs adjustment, change the configuration for the web SAPI actually serving Zabbix, then restart that service; CLI PHP settings may be different.
Restarting Apache
Apply the new configuration:
systemctl restart apache2
Enable Apache at startup:
systemctl enable apache2
Verify that Apache is running:
systemctl status apache2
Completing the Web Installation
Open your browser and navigate to:
http://SERVER-IP/zabbix
Replace SERVER-IP with your actual server IP address or hostname.
Stap 1: System Check
The installer verifies:
- PHP version
- Database support
- Required PHP modules
- System settings
All checks should display as successful before proceeding.
Stap 2: Database Configuration
Enter:
Database Type
MySQL
Database Name
zabbix
Username
zabbix
Password
StrongPasswordHere
Continue to the next step.
Stap 3: Server Details
Review the automatically detected settings and continue.
Stap 4: Installation Summary
Confirm all information is correct.
Stap 5: Finish Installation
Klik Finish to complete setup.
Standaard inloggegevens
After installation, log in using:
Username: Admin
Password: zabbix
These credentials are case-sensitive.
Changing the Default Password
Immediately change the default administrator password.
After logging in:
- Open User Settings
- Select Change Password
- Enter a strong new password
- Save the changes
A strong administrator password should include:
- Uppercase letters
- Lowercase letters
- Nummers
- Speciale karakters
- At least 12 karakters
Understanding Zabbix Agents
Zabbix agents collect monitoring information from servers and send it back to the Zabbix server.
Agents monitor:
- CPU-gebruik
- Memory consumption
- Schijfruimte
- Netwerkverkeer
- Running services
- Custom scripts
The agent is lightweight and consumes minimal system resources.
Common Zabbix Ports
| Port | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 80 | Web Interface |
| 443 | HTTPS Web Interface |
| 10050 | Zabbix Agent |
| 10051 | Zabbix Server |
Ensure these ports are properly allowed through your firewall when required.
Beveiligingsaanbevelingen
After installation:
Use HTTPS
Protect the web interface with SSL certificates.
Recommended options include:
- Let’s Encrypt
- Commercial SSL certificates
Restrict Access
Limit access to:
- Administrator IPs
- Internal VPN networks
- Trusted management hosts
Keep Zabbix Updated
Regelmatig bijwerken:
apt update
apt upgrade
to receive security patches and bug fixes.
Secure Database Credentials
Use strong passwords and avoid sharing database accounts between applications.
Monitoring Your First Host
Set the agent’s Server value to the monitoring server or proxy. For active checks, also configure ServerActive and ensure Hostname exactly matches the host name in the frontend. Link the appropriate Linux template, then configure notification media and trigger actions. Test an alert deliberately; collecting data alone does not send notifications.
Once logged in:
- Navigeer naar Configuration → Hosts
- Add a new host
- Assign an IP address
- Attach a monitoring template
- Save the host
After a few minutes, data should begin appearing in the monitoring dashboard.
Troubleshooting
Check Zabbix Server Logs
tail -f /var/log/zabbix/zabbix_server.log
Check Agent Logs
tail -f /var/log/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.log
Verify Database Connectivity
mysql -uzabbix -p zabbix
Confirm Services Are Running
systemctl status zabbix-server
systemctl status zabbix-agent
systemctl status apache2
systemctl status mariadb
Final Notes
Zabbix provides a robust monitoring platform capable of tracking everything from a single VPS to large-scale enterprise infrastructure. By combining the Zabbix server, web interface, and agents, administrators gain real-time visibility into system health, gebruik van hulpbronnen, and service availability.
A properly configured Zabbix installation can help identify performance bottlenecks, reduce downtime, improve troubleshooting, and provide valuable insights into the long-term health of your infrastructure.
