Zabbix Reviews

I'm using it to have a global map overview of all my machines. We also use it in simple scenarios to check that our applications are up. We haven't really created that many dashboards at this time, but our next mission is to create good dashboards to efficiently track the VM performance.

There is a problems page that shows us every warning or problem that occurs on our VMs globally. The map screen is also really useful because this is something that was missing. I don't know every other tool in the market. So, I don't know if this is a good point of only Zabbix, or other tools are also doing it, but from my point of view, this is the most useful page that I use, along with the problems page that efficiently lists the problem, recovery time, ending hours, starting hours, and so on.

In terms of user-friendliness, large maps could be more interactive. We should be able to click on some areas and move some objects. It would make it simpler to see things while analyzing some dedicated parameters.

It has been six months.

It is stable.

It is scalable. We have 15 to 20 users of this solution. It is used by the IT department. So, the operations teams, which is my team, and the system admin team, which is in charge of the infrastructure and the network, are its users.

I have never contacted them.

We used Centreon previously.

I was not a part of the deployment project, but I didn't hear that the deployment was complicated. The tool is very detailed, and maybe the configuration needed afterward to do the setup everywhere might be heavy.

From a user's perspective, I would rate it a nine out of ten.

We are using Zabbix in my workplace to monitor the infrastructure.

We are able to monitor our virtual infrastructure, virtual machines, windows servers, databases, and the network using a simple network management protocol. We are able to pull almost all the metrics that we want, receive notifications, and have them integrate with telegrams for certain devices that are critical, such as UPSs.

Zabbix does not draw automatic mapping of the network, this is something they should add in the future. There is a lot of effort that is involved in tailoring some of the settings which could be made easier. 

I have been using Zabbix for approximately four years.

Zabbix is scalable because depending on the size of your infrastructure you can have distributed proxies servers across your network that will feed to the main server for the metric. It is similar to branches, where you can have one product for each branch and then the central server speaking in your central location, it works perfectly.

Our entire IT department is using Zabbix, which is 15 people, but we have approximately 600 devices being monitored.

I have never had an issue that I needed to contact support. However, everything I have needed was able to be found online from the community or the Zabbix site manuals. Zabbix does offer support based on a subscription.

I was using Centurion previously but I decided to switch to Zaddix because of costs. I was using the community edition of Centurion and it was very limited but with Zabbix, you can have an enterprise-class monitoring solution for free. I did research quickly and then I phoned Zaddix to see if they could solve all my problems without having to pay anything. This is when they confirmed I could and then I switched.

The initial setup was easy. It took approximately three hours to get the server up and running.

By using Zabbix you minimize the cost of operation because you recieve an enterprise-class monitoring solution for free.

The solution is free to use but they offer support as a paid service. If you can go read the manuals and do the fine-tuning based on your needs, you do not need to pay anything and you will have a full solution.

I have evaluated PRTG and SolarWinds.

You do not need to spend a lot of money on solutions that have similar functionality, such as PRTG or Solar Winds. With Zabbix, you receive a free enterprise-class monitoring solution for free, as long as you know how to use it.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Zabbix a nine out of ten.

I've designed and built a high-available solution with Zabbix version 5. I introduced and deployed Zabbix in my current company, and it ended up becoming a production service within the company.

I like being able to use proxy servers for different locations. The agents are pretty cool. They're easy to roll out. 

The standard out-of-the-box templates are also pretty easy to use. The integration with other learning products is also good. I have, in the past, used Slack, but we've integrated it with Microsoft Teams. We also use it for SMS with a service called Redcoat. It is very flexible.

It does what I need it to do, and my manager is very happy because it doesn't cost anything. We are nearing 4,000 hosts inside Zabbix, and we've got another 6,000 access points to add to it. We've thrown everything at it, and it has managed to keep going. I am very impressed with the tool, and I'd shake their hand very hard if I got to say the compliments to the Zabbix team. They keep improving it and doing refreshes, which is one good thing about it. There is also online information as well as books that you can purchase if you're willing to read enough. There is a lot to pick up, but it is a pretty complete solution.

The APM monitoring has room for improvement, although I hear that the new 5.2 version has some improvements in that area, and I'd like to give that a go. I would like to see a few more templates out there for different styles of monitoring. I use the Grafana interface for reporting. 

I would also like it to have an out-of-the-box ability to email reports. You can create reports, but to be able to email those reports would be really helpful. I've got users who are not interested in logging in and generating a report. They want it all pre-canned and sent to an email address. It would also be really handy if we could pin certain reports up onto platforms such as Teams or SharePoint.

A GUI for the proxy server would be cool to have for debugging purposes and for the support teams to have a look at, but I don't know whether that's really feasible to do. I get enough from the log files themselves.

I've been using this solution for probably over five years. I started using it from version 3. 

Zabbix is very stable. We ran into a few performance issues in the early proof of concept days. The database running on normal hard drives impacted the ability to process all items in a timely manner, and when I moved to SSDs, those issues went away.

For all implementations, the sizing calculator needs to be used to ensure the correct size of the database. Based on the number of hosts and items the performance of the database needs to be factored in.

We've managed to scale up recently from about 150,000 items. We're now on to about 380,000 items. We're not really seeing any major flaws or issues in that environment. It is pretty good.

Many years ago, when I worked for a different company, I had access to their support, and they were very good. They were very knowledgeable. I was working on versions 3 and 4. I also got training from them. They did a five-day training course for us. 

I am pushing my company at the moment to try and get an enterprise license so that we can get some on-site support and some guidance to make sure that we're deploying within recommendations and the way they would do it. At the moment, they're relying on me to get it up and running and make it work, but I'd love to have some support, and I know they're very good. It is an education company, and I am keen to get more people in front of it. There'll be more opportunities within the university itself from what we've already done, but that's a work in progress.

I've done many setups. They're all pretty easy to do. There are lots of different flavors of it. I've used Apache and Nginx. MySQL and PostgresSQL are the two databases I've tried out. I've done different versions. 

At the moment, my system runs on Postgres. We're looking to implement TimescaleDB on that, and we've got an Ingenex front-end that we use. It is a little bit more solid than the Apache version, and it is very flexible. You choose what you want and then you roll with it.

My manager is very happy because it doesn't cost anything.

I would definitely recommend it. It is very good for what I want it to do. I would recommend getting your Linux and databases teams involved very early on in the journey, and when you are deploying, make sure that you are targeting the more important applications in your portfolio. Don't just try and deploy it on everything straight off the bat. Try and pick some critical applications to look at and build the value in the product in the initial phase, and that usually gets people interested in the application and moving forward. That would be my advice to people. One of my drawbacks was that I waited a bit too long, and when I brought them on board, I had already built most of the environment myself. I should have got them involved a lot earlier and sooner. It is not really a bad thing, but you can't do everything yourself, so try and get people on board.

I would rate Zabbix a nine out of ten. I am pretty biased. I really enjoy using Zabbix, and I feel it does what I need it to do. It definitely ticked the boxes. In my current role and in three years, I've gone from demoing Zabbix, doing a proof of concept, and integrating it with a few things to the boss turning around and saying, "Right, make it production." I have to admit that everybody that has come into contact with it or I've presented it to has been very pleased with the results. It has been a very good fit. I can only compliment the tool. 

I am not giving it ten because it's not perfect. I don't think any monitoring tool is absolutely a hundred percent perfect. There is always room for improvement, but this has to be one of the better ones. I know what I'm doing, and I could do more if I had support from them, but what you can do with the tool is very good as compared to other tools that I've tried out in the past, such as Nagios. With Nagios, if you really want the full functionality, you have to pay for it. Here, they give you that functionality. You've just got to know how to use it. It is very clever, and it has definitely won me over as a tool. Thanks to deploying and using Zabbix, I have learned a lot of stuff around Zabbix as well. I have learned a lot about different tools such as Linux,  MySQL, and Postgres that are needed to run the service. It has been good. I have enjoyed it a lot.

We use Zabbix mainly to monitor the status of interfaces in our Juniper suite. When an interface goes down or when traffic on an interface drops, Zabbix triggers an alert to our Telegram. We're not using it for performance monitoring, just for interface monitoring.

The most valuable function for me is the auto-discovery of interfaces in devices. When you integrate devices into the tool, it automatically finds the interfaces, which is very helpful for my job. Integration and configuration run smoothly in my experience with Juniper and Aruba devices.

I'm using the free version of Zabbix, and I'd like to see more customization options, especially for setting trigger thresholds.

I have been using the product for seven months. 

I rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten. 

I rate the solution's scalability an eight out of ten. We have around 600 devices. 

I haven't contacted the tool's support. 

When comparing Zabbix and PRTG, I prefer Zabbix for scalability, but PRTG is better for customization.

The initial setup is quite simple, though it might be a bit confusing if you're unfamiliar with the Zabbix interface. We're using the desktop version, installed on a virtual machine and integrated into our network.

I use the tool's free version. 

I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. 

We primarily use it for monitoring, but also for some other things.

In terms of customization and integration, we have more flexibility. We can automate configurations, define deletion rules, and customize based on your needs. The client interface allows for further configuration, making it quite comprehensive.

Architecturally, we can even extend to the cloud using Suncoast servers and proxy servers to communicate with WorkRock or the supervisor. The compatible database list makes configuration straightforward.

User-friendliness is another strong point. We have a customizable dashboard. We can define metrics directly in the web portal, avoiding editing configuration files. This provides several advantages, especially when managing multiple collections.

There are areas of improvement. The database grows really fast. So, when you install Zabbix, you have to deal with some issues, like the database. We become pretty big very fast. 

This leads to optimization challenges, requiring manual deletion of network components like SNMP. We should work with SNMP. It's not as simple as configuring the host incident.

Configuration can also be difficult. The use of a workflow in the configuration of items or triggers makes it difficult to use an item in a mature way. It's hard to set up a dynamic workflow. While workflows exist, setting them up for specific data sources like network items can be a hurdle. You may need to find alternative methods, which isn't ideal.

For some customers, there are some personal customization challenges. But, for me, it's okay.

I have been using this solution for a year. We use version 6.0, which is the next recommended version. We don't do long-term tests, so it is a middle version.

The latest long-term support version we're using is 6.1.0.

I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. 

There are around less than 20 end users in the company. These include admins, managers, and engineers. 

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. 

I work with the public community like a public forum. So, when I have a request, I use the public community forums. We usually find solutions within a day or two, depending on availability.

Neutral

There are many options available. Today, you can use alternatives that provide better-detailed information. For instance, we have alerts concerning specific issues. I'm using Azure as part of this organizational setup. 

In Zabbix, for metrics, the latest release is better, and we can also find some metrics. Essentially, we don't incur any cost of the same magnitude. In Zabbix, images allow us to view the bot system today for Windows, Linux, infrastructure, and networking processes.

The installation itself took about one to two hours. The lack of clear step-by-step procedures. There are procedures, but they're not very detailed or user-friendly.

There is a team of admins to supervise the product. 

Zabbix itself is free, but professional support is paid. They have different pricing tiers based on the category and enterprise level. You can find the detailed pricing policy on their website.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

I use Zabbix to monitor my server and network infrastructure. It was set up to monitor cloud interfaces and ensure high-speed performance. The dashboards allow the support team to see interface status and are configured with porting.

The template system in Zabbix is very beneficial as it saves time in configuration. Initially, setting it up might seem challenging, but using pre-made templates makes integration with switches easier. By leveraging templates, configuration becomes more straightforward and efficient.

To improve Zabbix, adding more features to support the monitoring of modern workloads like containers would be beneficial. Many environments are shifting away from traditional setups to remote and customized infrastructures. Enhancing Zabbix to accommodate these changes would make it more appealing and user-friendly. This would help organizations like mine in selecting the most suitable monitoring solution.

I have been using Zabbix for about four years.

Zabbix is a highly stable solution. Despite occasional minor issues, it consistently delivers on its core features.

Zabbix offers good scalability and flexibility, although there have been some issues with database scalability over time. Configurability is straightforward but sometimes requires separating the database from the Zabbix virtual machine for easier management. Improvements in database scalability would enhance the overall scalability of Zabbix.

I would rate the technical support as an eight out of ten. It is quite good.

Positive

Zabbix is good for monitoring networks, while Prometheus is better for modern workloads like containers. Choosing depends on what you need to monitor. For diverse infrastructures, it is tough to pick one. Cost and engineer feedback help decide.

The initial setup of Zabbix was complex because of the need to customize it for our environment. It was challenging to integrate with our devices until we found templates to help with configuration. It took around two to three months to deploy the solution completely due to configuring many dashboards and integrating switches. Initially, it required two engineers to deploy and maintain, alongside support staff for ongoing operations.

Zabbix's licensing and pricing are good for our needs.

Zabbix helps manage application performance by providing easy-to-manage job reports and configuring alerts for network issues. It reduces turnaround time for issue resolution by 70%-80%. Managers and support teams receive updates on interface status, leading to quicker escalation and resolution. Zabbix also generates reports and dashboards showing link availability and downtime records, facilitating customer reporting and making processes more efficient.

The alerting and notification system in Zabbix is highly effective. It ensures that we are notified only when necessary, reducing unnecessary monitoring. Email alerts enable us to quickly respond to issues, even when away from the dashboard. This subscription system has significantly improved our response time to link failures.

Before using Zabbix, ensure that your database setup is appropriate for your environment, especially for larger setups. Consider hosting your database separately for security and performance reasons. Utilize templates provided by Zabbix to simplify the setup process, as they can streamline infrastructure configuration.

Overall, I would rate Zabbix as a nine out of ten. It is a great tool.

We deploy it for our customers.

The main use case is monitoring of the workplace services. That means lot of VDI systems, little machines, and all that stuff around office routers, switches, and even printers for example.

The Zabbix agent is one of the highlights. It's easy to deploy and self-registering into the system. This is very helpful. Using the template and the discovery, it's very easy to find examples from the community and make some changes if you need to, and deploy it and roll out. While the discovery is very easy, all the important things when getting connected is pretty straightforward.

The initial setup is very easy.

There is less computing power needed for scaling.

The solution is stable. 

It is open-source.

One of the real benefits is the API. You can do anything with an API; it makes life much easier. If you want to get reports or if you want to document something or you want to add something, you can use the API for that. That's really, really helpful.

The service module started with version six. There is room for improvement, due to the fact that this first step looks nice, yet it can be improved here for a better combination with the services and the dashboard. 

The event correlation could be better. From day one, we're using the API to create tickets for our operations, however, the correlation is not good, not there. A lot of the time, in that case, we are opening a few tickets for one problem, and then the correlation functionality is very, very limited.

The reporting is lacking. It is there, however, it's not a real reporting from my perspective. Reporting in Zabbix means you create a dashboard and then you can schedule that and you get it as a PDF. It's probably not the reporting most operations need especially if you need more data for importing Excel or whatever. Reporting is even, in a lot of ways, missing. In the other end, we are using the API to do that now. That said, the issue there is you need the developer to do that if you decide to go that route.

I have one year of experience with this solution.

The stability is good. I would rate it five out of five since we have no issues. It's been running well since the first day. We did two release updates in the meantime, however, there was no reason to restart something. The performance is very good. 

We have around 50 people using the solution. It is mostly the operation teams from different departments.

I was wondering if an open-source solution would scale well, since we have experience more with a lot of other enterprise tools, including Broadcom and HP. There are others which need much more resources to monitor the same devices, I would say. However, if you go to an enterprise solution like Broadcom or HP or ScienceLogic or BMC, you need much more infrastructure for monitoring than you do if you use Zabbix. In this sense, I can say it scales well. 

I'd rate the scalability five out of five. 

We haven't used the support from Zabbix so far. At the moment, all we are doing is using the manuals to troubleshoot. The documentation is good. Otherwise, we are using the community forum if we have any questions especially for creating templates or something like that. The community forum is great.

The initial setup is very straightforward and simple. It's easy, not overly difficult. 

We started with just one single device, one single server, since we did not have too many devices. We have, I'd say, around about 2000. However, we found it enough to monitor them all with one device. We have one device for a UI, for the application and for database as well and it's just one single server. We started with that and figured out, from the performance, it was more than enough.

The deployment, just for the application, took less than a day. It was quick. There was not too much to do. 

Our team managed the deployment. We did not need outside assistance. 

The solution is an open-source product. We are using that version and have yet to purchase a license, which we may do further down the line - maybe a year for now.

I'd rate the solution a nine out of ten.

The good thing is that it is easy to test. This is one of my favorite benefits and why I like open-source software. You can test it very well without signing contracts with enterprise vendors, for example. New users should put it on their laptop and try it out. It doesn't need much resources and you can discover your home network or your lab if you have something. 

We use it to collaborate with each other internally as a company for video conferencing, meetings, teams, and those kinds of things. We implement it in customer environments as well for the same reasons, and also for eHealth solutions, for instance, in hospitals.

It improves the way we work, the way our customers work. With eHealth, for instance, surgeons can make appointments with patients at a distance and they can still see each other. That's very, very good.

The most valuable aspect is it's very robust. It has a lot of features and it also integrates with a lot of the Cisco hardware around it, such as Smartboards, video conferencing units, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It's a really robust and complete solution.

The initial setup is easy.

It's a stable solution.

We find the product scalable. 

The use is very straightforward. It's actually pretty much ready to go out of the box. It's very easy to start using it, to be honest.

You can also integrate it without Microsoft Office 365 and put it in the agenda of Outlook for instance, for meetings.

They've already added extra features, such as noise-canceling and facial recognition, which is great.

One of the things we don't like is that Zabbix has a license structure with a price that is high compared to the competition. It's very high, for example, compared to something like Microsoft Teams.

We have used the product since Cisco acquired it. It's been maybe ten years or so at this point.

The stability is great. There aren't bugs. It's not glitchy and it doesn't freeze. it's reliable.

The scalability on offer is good. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. 

All of our people in the company in Europe use Zabbix for sure. That's at least 1,000. We also use it for events to stream video content, to customers, for instance, on a fairly large scale.

Technical support is very good. We have straight contact with the Cisco technical assistance center. If there is anything that has to be changed or improved, then we can directly call them.

We previously used Microsoft Teams. The number of possibilities in Zabbix was better than in Teams, and it also integrates very well with the hardware solutions from Cisco which was why we switched.

In general, the initial setup is very straightforward. It's not a difficult implementation process.

There isn't much staff needed for deployment or maintenance tasks. 

If more functionality is added to it, that might be a reason to use it more and more. However, as it is, at this point, we are already intensive users.

We buy the solution yearly. I'm not very aware of what the actual pricing and the licensing are, however, I know that for extra features, there is a possibility to buy a little bit more.

We looked at Zoom, however, we never ended up using it. 

Currently, we use it and we implement it as a partner.

We're always on the latest version. It's automatically updated via the cloud.

I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten.