Our use case for Zabbix involved installing an agent-based tool to manage and control our workstations. We needed to gather information about parameters such as configurations. Zabbix proved highly flexible and adaptable to our needs, although there was a learning curve due to scripting requirements. However, the tool is easy to deploy and offers flexibility in usage and configuration.
We use Zabbix to monitor our organization's IT infrastructure and workstations. We don't use Microsoft Intune since it's expensive. The tool's real-time alerting system has proved crucial for us, particularly when a new device joins a network that is not one of our own devices. It notifies us about the presence of this new device, allowing us to investigate further. Additionally, it alerts us about disk usage, memory usage, and the software installed on the machine.
The most valuable feature for me is its configurability. Zabbix provides a shell I can install on every machine, giving me control over them. This highly configurable shell allows me to customize it according to my needs. For example, I wanted to know all the software installed on each machine in detail, not just from the registry. So, we created a custom script for this purpose. We deployed the script, which runs monthly, providing details of all installed software and updates on each machine.
Tasks that would typically take three or four days to complete can now be completed in a single day. For example, if I ask my team to provide an inventory of all online assets and their status, Zabbix can generate this report within a day. Previously, such a task would take longer, around three to four days.
The customizable dashboard provides the core information we need at a glance, such as the number of devices, locations, and network details. Additionally, it allows for drill-down functionality into specific devices, offering detailed information about the operating system, users on the device, and other relevant details.
Integrating networks with our current IT infrastructure system was very easy. Zabbix uses a MySQL database, and since our team has significant skills in MySQL, we were able to pick it up and start using it with no problems at all.
In the next release, I'm hoping for features targeted towards larger users with more customizable options. Despite this, I think pre-canned reports that can be used straight out of the box would be beneficial rather than having to configure each report individually. Additionally, a deeper dive into software configurations on the machines would be useful, although I understand there may be challenges in implementing this due to scripting requirements. More documentation would also be appreciated.
I have been working with the product for two years.
The stability is really good. It seems lightweight and doesn't interfere with other processes running on the machine. As far as I can tell, none of our users have returned to me with any issues regarding the tool.
My company has 150-200 users. We've scaled from zero to over 200 devices, and I believe our Ubuntu server and VM can handle further scaling by increasing the computing power. While we haven't tested it extensively, I'm confident it has good scalability. We do have plans to increase the number of network users. I intend to add another hundred users, but they will be from remote sites. My next project will involve exploring whether Zabbix can operate across virtual private networks
I need to go to other remote buildings, check our network, and retrieve usage data from all devices in those locations. This is something we haven't done before.
I believe the team contacted the technical team for assistance during some initial configurations. The responses were timely and helpful. I don't recall if it was through calls, but I think it was mostly via email or chat.
Our deployment took about ten days, including setting up different servers. If we had to install agents on all machines manually, it would have taken us much longer, possibly turning into a three—to four-month project. Additionally, the system is easily updateable, allowing us to patch the agent and incorporate new monitoring components as needed.
The tool's licensing is good.
I rate the overall product an eight out of ten. I recommend people start using it and dive into it. You'll see value almost immediately.