Home

Add a Zabbix proxy to an existing Zabbix server

So; you have an existing and working Zabbix server and would like to add a Zabbix proxy server? Here are the steps:

Install zabbix-proxy

On a new host (likely in some remote network) install the software package zabbix-proxy:

yum install zabbix-proxy
chkconfig zabbix-proxy on

We'll need to configure it, but that's a later step.

Create a database

Another easy step, maybe you already have a database infrastructure on the remote network, otherwise you can always install a database server locally:

yum install mysql
/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'MyPassword'
chkconfig mysql on
service mysqld start

No matter where the database server is located, zabbix-proxy needs it's own database:

GRANT SELECT,INSERT,UPDATE,DELETE ON zabbix.* TO 'zabbix'@'localhost' identified by 'MyZabbixPassword';

The database schema also needs to be populated. That schema can be found from the zabbix source code package, in database/mysql/ .

mysql -u root -p zabbix < data.sql

Configure zabbix-proxy

There are a few items to configure in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_proxy.conf.

The Server should point to your existing Zabbix server.

Server=existing-zabbix-server.example.com

The Hostname should be set, and should match exactly on what you configure later in the existing Zabbix server webinterface.

Hostname=zabbix-proxy-01.example.com

You also need to configure the Zabbix proxy to be able to connect to the database:

DBHost=localhost
DBName=zabbix
DBUser=zabbix
DBPassword=MyZabbixPassword

Configure zabbix-server

This is a very easy step; go the the webinterface and click to:
Administration - DM
Click on Create Proxy

Fill in the name of the proxy, exactly like you set it on the proxy in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_proxy.conf under Hostname.

Start zabbix-proxy

service zabbix-proxy start

On the Zabbix server you should now see under Administation - DM that the "last seen" field is updated. (It might take a minute or so.)

Monitor a node with the zabbix-proxy

Now you may add hosts to zabbix that are monitored by that proxy. On the configuration of that host, select the newly configured proxy at "Monitored by proxy".

If you can't get the Zabbix proxy to be seen by the server, make sure that these ports are open:

Source Source port Destination Destination port Description
Zabbix proxy any Zabbix server 10051/tcp The Zabbix proxy sends the traffic to the Zabbix server over this port
Zabbix proxy any Zabbix hosts (agents) 10050/tcp The Zabbix proxy connects to monitored hosts on this port for "passive" items.
Zabbix hosts (agents) any Zabbix proxy 10051/tcp The Zabbix hosts connect to the Zabbix proxy for "active" items.

Also check the logfile /var/log/zabbix_proxy.log on the Zabbix proxy.