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Migration from Zabbix

Zabbix and Vesana share base concepts but use different terms. This table is the key:

Concept mapping

Zabbix Vesana Note
Host Host identical
Item Profile-check + host-service item definition = profile-check, item per host = host-service
Trigger Thresholds on the check (warning/critical) in Vesana the check judges itself; the alert rule only decides who gets notified when
Action Alert rule + channels Zabbix actions combine trigger + escalation, Vesana separates them
Template Profile with profile-checks direct counterpart
Macro {$VAR} Override per host check or configurable values on a script Vesana has no global macros; profile values can be overridden per device
Discovery rule (LLD) no direct counterpart see FAQ
Host group Folder and/or tags a device sits in exactly one folder but can carry several tags
Item type Zabbix Agent agent_* check types same use case
Item type SNMP agent snmp, snmp_string, snmp_table analog
Item type Simple check ping, http, port (collector) analog
Item type External check agent_custom, agent_script scripts central in Vesana
Item type Calculated not directly workaround: custom script
Trigger severity Status WARNING / CRITICAL Zabbix has 6 severities, Vesana the statuses OK, WARNING, CRITICAL, UNKNOWN, No Data
Maintenance Downtime identical
Acknowledgement ACK identical
Web scenario http check not 1:1 — no built-in multi-step web test

Phase 1 — Inventory

# From Zabbix API:
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"host.get","params":{"output":"extend","selectGroups":"extend"},"auth":"...","id":1}' \
  https://zabbix.example.com/api_jsonrpc.php

You need the list of all hosts with hostgroups and templates. From there, build the Vesana concept mapping.

Phase 2 — Prepare profiles

Per Zabbix template, one Vesana profile. The profiles from the Vesana library already cover many device types — what's missing, create as a profile of your own.

The items per template become profile checks. Take the thresholds from the Zabbix triggers as warning/critical limits on the check.

There is no converter for Zabbix templates; you create the profiles in Vesana (or import a Vesana profile bundle).

Phase 3 — Import hosts

After creating the profiles: create the hosts with profile assignment — via the host wizard or from discovery. The profile checks are created automatically. There is no import tool for Zabbix hosts.

Phase 4 — Switch data paths

When Zabbix agent runs

You must replace the agent — Zabbix agent can't talk to Vesana directly. Workflow:

  1. Install the Vesana agent with the install command from Vesana (host → set up agent)
  2. Compare values for a while
  3. Stop + uninstall the Zabbix agent

Both agents can run in parallel — the Vesana agent opens no port, it only connects outbound to the server.

When using Zabbix proxy / active server polling

Migrate to Vesana collector in the same network segment. Configuration analog to Zabbix proxy: one collector per location.

Phase 5 — Replace triggers + actions

The condition of a Zabbix trigger becomes the warning/critical limit on the check. The Zabbix action becomes the alert rule:

  • Scope: all devices of the tenant, selected devices or selected checks — each with exceptions (tags and folders are not a filter of an alert rule)
  • Statuses and delay: from which status and after how many seconds a message goes out
  • Channels: derived from the Zabbix action
  • Escalation: Zabbix action steps become the rule's escalation steps

More complex Zabbix triggers with last(), avg(), calculated items: not 1:1 transferable — implement as a monitoring script in Vesana.

Phase 6 — Dashboards

Zabbix dashboards → your own dashboards (or the customized built-in overview). Widget mapping:

Zabbix widget Vesana widget
Trigger overview Open problems
Graph Graph
Plain text Number or Text / Note
Map no widget — the maps (logical/physical)
Host availability State

Phase 7 — Users + permissions

Zabbix user groups → Vesana roles. Defaults cover most cases. Custom roles for special cases.

FAQ

What about Zabbix LLD?

No direct counterpart. What covers the most common cases:

  • File systems: agent_disk monitors all partitions automatically; on SNMP devices the SNMP sensor picker selects the existing storage
  • Interfaces: the device scan proposes a bandwidth check per interface; "SNMP table: worst state" judges a whole table in one check
  • Services: agent_services_auto detects the automatically starting services and reports them as one combined check

Calculated items?

Via a monitoring script (agent_script): the script fetches several values via OS APIs or other tools, computes the result and returns it in Nagios or JSON format.

Web scenarios?

No built-in multi-step web test. A monitoring script with a curl chain is the way out.

Can we import history?

Not directly. Recommendation: keep old Zabbix instance read-only for 90 days, then archive. Vesana starts fresh.

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