Zabbix Network Monitoring Course

Lesson 1 • Zabbix Architecture and Components

Explains the server, proxy, agent, and database roles within Zabbix. Students map data flow from monitored host to dashboard.

Lesson 2 • IT Monitoring Fundamentals

Covers key monitoring concepts: availability, performance, and alerting. Establishes the problem domain Zabbix solves before any tool-specific content.

Lesson 3 • Zabbix Overview and Use Cases

Introduces Zabbix as an open-source enterprise monitoring platform. Positions its strengths relative to common infrastructure monitoring needs.

Lesson 1 • Planning Your Zabbix Deployment

Covers hardware sizing, OS selection, and database choice before installation. Prevents common setup mistakes by establishing requirements first.

Lesson 2 • Installing and Registering Zabbix Agents

Deploys Zabbix Agent 2 on Linux and Windows hosts and registers them with the server. Connects agent installation to host visibility in the UI.

Lesson 3 • Post-Installation Security Hardening

Applies essential security settings after installation, including user accounts and encrypted communications. Ensures the environment is production-safe before adding hosts.

Lesson 1 • Understanding and Using Templates

Introduces templates as reusable monitoring configurations containing items, triggers, and graphs. Students link templates to hosts and observe inherited monitoring.

Lesson 2 • Building Custom Templates

Guides students through creating templates from scratch for custom applications. Reinforces template design principles for maintainability.

Lesson 3 • Organising Hosts with Host Groups

Explains host group design patterns for large environments. Students create logical groupings that support permissions and filtering.

Lesson 4 • Template Inheritance and Nesting

Covers linked and nested template hierarchies for complex environments. Students design multi-layer templates that reduce duplication.

Lesson 1 • SNMP, IPMI, and External Checks

Extends data collection to network devices and hardware using SNMP and IPMI. Students configure OID-based items and external script checks.

Lesson 2 • HTTP Agent and API Monitoring

Uses the HTTP agent item type to monitor REST APIs and web endpoints. Students parse JSON responses and extract specific values.

Lesson 3 • Data Preprocessing Pipelines

Applies preprocessing steps to transform raw collected values before storage. Students chain multiple steps including regex, maths, and JavaScript.

Lesson 4 • Agent and Agent-Based Item Types

Covers Zabbix agent, active agent, and simple check item types. Students configure each type and understand when to use active vs. passive collection.

Lesson 1 • Maintenance Periods and Alert Suppression

Creates maintenance windows to suppress alerts during planned downtime. Students schedule one-time and recurring maintenance periods.

Lesson 2 • Writing Trigger Expressions

Teaches the Zabbix trigger expression syntax using functions and operators. Students write expressions that accurately detect real problem conditions.

Lesson 3 • Trigger Severity and Dependencies

Configures severity levels and trigger dependencies to reduce alert noise. Students model parent-child relationships between infrastructure components.

Lesson 4 • Actions and Escalation Policies

Defines actions that send notifications and run remote commands on trigger events. Students build multi-step escalation chains with time-based conditions.

Lesson 1 • Low-Level Discovery Fundamentals

Introduces LLD as the mechanism for dynamically creating items, triggers, and graphs. Students understand LLD macros and prototype objects.

Lesson 2 • Network Discovery Rules

Scans IP ranges to detect new devices and trigger automatic host creation. Students configure discovery checks and map results to host actions.

Lesson 3 • Managing LLD Lifecycle and Overrides

Controls how discovered objects are updated, disabled, or deleted over time. Students apply LLD overrides to customise prototype behaviour per host.

Lesson 4 • Built-In and Custom LLD Rules

Configures built-in LLD rules for filesystems, network interfaces, and services. Students also write custom LLD scripts returning JSON discovery data.

Lesson 1 • Scheduled Reports and Exports

Automates PDF report generation and delivery to stakeholders on a schedule. Students configure report parameters and recipient lists.

Lesson 2 • Screens and Slide Shows

Combines multiple graphs and maps into screens for consolidated views. Students configure slide shows for rotating display on NOC monitors.

Lesson 3 • Dashboard Design and Widgets

Assembles dashboards from widget types including graphs, maps, clocks, and problem lists. Students design dashboards for NOC and executive audiences.

Lesson 4 • Graphs and Graph Prototypes

Creates custom graphs combining multiple items for trend analysis. Students configure graph types, axes, and colour schemes for clarity.

Lesson 1 • Database Performance Optimisation

Tunes database settings and housekeeping to maintain query performance at scale. Students configure partitioning, indexing, and history compression.

Lesson 2 • High Availability and Failover

Configures Zabbix native high-availability clustering for server redundancy. Students set up active and standby nodes and test failover behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Zabbix Server Tuning Parameters

Adjusts server process counts, cache sizes, and queue settings for high throughput. Students profile server performance using internal Zabbix metrics.

Lesson 4 • Macros, Global Macros, and Secrets

Uses user-defined macros and secret macros to parameterise and secure configurations. Students apply macros at global, template, and host levels.