Zabbix

Zabbix
DeveloperZabbix LLC
Initial releaseApril 2001 (2001-04)
Stable release
7.4:7.4.3[1] / 1 October 2025 (1 October 2025)
7.2:7.2.13[2] / 30 September 2025 (30 September 2025)
7.0 LTS:7.0.19[3] / 29 September 2025 (29 September 2025)
6.0 LTS:6.0.42 / September 29, 2025 (2025-09-29)
Written inC (server, proxy, agent), Go (agent2), PHP (frontend), Java (gateway)[4]
Operating systemLinux, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows (agent only)
TypeNetwork management system
LicenseAGPLv3 (7.0+); earlier versions GPLv2[5]
Websitewww.zabbix.com
Repositorygithub.com/zabbix/zabbix

Zabbix is an open-source monitoring platform for networks, servers, virtual machines, and cloud services. It collects metrics via SNMP, IPMI, JMX, and custom agents, then stores the data in a relational database and provides alerting, visualization, and reporting through a web-based frontend.[6]

Alexei Vladishev created Zabbix in 2001 and released the first stable version (1.0) in 2004. The project is developed by Zabbix LLC (SIA Zabbix), based in Riga, Latvia.[5] The server and agent are written in C, a newer agent (agent2) in Go, the web frontend in PHP, and a Java gateway handles JMX monitoring.[4] Beginning with version 7.0 (June 2024), Zabbix is licensed under the AGPLv3; earlier versions used the GPLv2.[5]

History

Vladishev started Zabbix in 2001 as an internal monitoring tool. The first public stable release, version 1.0, appeared in 2004. Version 1.1 followed later that year; subsequent development adopted a convention of odd numbers for development branches and even numbers for stable releases, so 1.3 was the development branch that became 1.4.[4]

Version 1.8 (December 2009) added auto-discovery and auto-registration of hosts. Version 2.0 (May 2012) introduced a screen-based dashboard system and improved template inheritance. Version 3.0 (February 2016), the first long-term support (LTS) release, added encryption for agent-server communication and predictive trigger functions.[7]

Version 4.0 (October 2018) introduced the Zabbix agent2 written in Go, with concurrent check execution and a plugin architecture. Version 5.0 LTS (May 2020) added a monitoring proxy for distributed environments and a redesigned SAML authentication system. Version 6.0 LTS (February 2022) added high-availability clustering for the Zabbix server, Kubernetes monitoring, and a machine-learning-based anomaly detection function.[7]

Version 7.0 LTS (June 2024) changed the license from GPLv2 to AGPLv3 and added browser-based synthetic monitoring, an improved API, and a new proxy load-balancing mode.[5]

Architecture

Server and proxies

The Zabbix server collects data from agents and other sources, evaluates trigger conditions, sends alerts, and stores data in a relational database. Supported databases include PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Oracle, and TimescaleDB (as a PostgreSQL extension for time-series optimization). For distributed monitoring, Zabbix proxies collect data at remote sites and forward it to the central server, reducing bandwidth and providing local buffering if the connection is interrupted.[7]

Agents

The original Zabbix agent (written in C) runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, and macOS, collecting system metrics such as CPU, memory, disk, and network statistics. Agent2 (written in Go) supports the same platforms and adds a plugin system for extending data collection to databases, message queues, and cloud APIs without writing external scripts.[4]

Data collection methods

Zabbix supports multiple data collection protocols:

  • SNMP polling and traps for network equipment
  • IPMI for hardware health monitoring (temperature, fan speed, power)
  • JMX via the Java gateway for JVM metrics
  • HTTP/HTTPS for web scenario monitoring and REST API polling
  • SSH and Telnet for agentless checks on remote systems
  • Calculated and aggregated items for derived metrics[7]

Templates and low-level discovery

Zabbix uses templates to define sets of items, triggers, graphs, and discovery rules that can be applied to hosts. Low-level discovery (LLD) automatically detects and monitors new resources such as network interfaces, file systems, or database instances without manual configuration.[7]

Frontend and API

The web frontend, written in PHP, provides dashboards, maps, screens, and reports. A JSON-RPC API allows programmatic access to all Zabbix objects for automation and integration with external systems.[8]

Adoption

Zabbix is used in financial, telecommunications, and government environments. The Bank of China uses Zabbix with a TiDB scale-out database to monitor its infrastructure.[9] Zabbix LLC holds an annual Zabbix Summit conference and maintains a network of certified partners and training centers.[7]

Early comparisons described Zabbix as simpler to set up than Nagios due to its template-based configuration.[10][11] Later reviews noted that large deployments require significant manual configuration of triggers and thresholds.[8]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zabbix.

References

  1. ^ "Release Notes for Zabbix 7.4.3". October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  2. ^ "Release Notes for Zabbix 7.2.13". September 30, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  3. ^ "Release Notes for Zabbix 7.0.19". September 29, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "zabbix/zabbix". GitHub. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d Vladishev, Alexei (April 3, 2024). "Striking the Right Balance: Zabbix 7.0 to be Released Under AGPLv3 License". Zabbix Blog. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Gewirtz, David. "Best network monitoring tools 2022: Top expert picks". ZDNet. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Zabbix Documentation". Zabbix. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  8. ^ a b Perschke, Susan (September 12, 2018). "REVIEW: Zabbix delivers effective, no-frills network monitoring". Network World. IDG.
  9. ^ "How Bank of China Uses a Scale-Out Database to Support Zabbix Monitoring at Scale". pingcap.com. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Lahti, Christian B.; Peterson, Roderick (December 19, 2007). Sarbanes-Oxley IT Compliance Using Open Source Tools. Elsevier. p. 356. ISBN 978-0-08-055727-4.
  11. ^ McKendrick, Russ (December 15, 2015). Monitoring Docker. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78588-550-1.

Further reading

  • Olups, Rihards (August 2016). Zabbix Network Monitoring, 2nd edition. Packt Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78216-128-8.
  • Liefting, Nathan; van Baekel, Brian (August 2024). Zabbix 7 IT Infrastructure Monitoring Cookbook, 3rd edition. Packt Publishing.
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