Zabbix
Zabbix is open-source IT monitoring from Zabbix SIA (Latvia), free with no device limit. It polls switches and UPS units over SNMP, servers through Agent 2, and alerts by email, Telegram or webhook. Zabbix Proxy collects data at branches and forwards it.
- Headquarters
- Latvia
- Positioning
- EntryMid-marketEnterprise
- Official website
- www.zabbix.com
Who it suits
IT teams who want to know before users call that an ISP link is down, a UPS is on battery or a server disk is nearly full.
Overview
What Zabbix is
Zabbix is open-source IT monitoring software developed by Zabbix SIA in Riga, Latvia. The software is free with no device limit, and there is no "enterprise edition" with locked features; the company earns from support subscriptions, training and its cloud service. From version 7.0 Zabbix moved from the GPLv2 to the AGPLv3 licence. That changes nothing for organizations using it internally, but matters if you modify the code and offer it as a service to others.
The components
- Zabbix Server: stores data, evaluates conditions (triggers) and sends alerts. It runs on PostgreSQL or MySQL and has a web front end for dashboards and network maps.
- Zabbix Proxy: sits at a branch or site, collects data locally and forwards it to the server. If the internet link drops, the proxy buffers data and sends it when the link returns. Version 7.0 added proxy groups, which share the load and take over automatically when one proxy fails.
- Zabbix Agent 2: installed on Windows and Linux servers to collect CPU, memory, disk, service and database metrics.
- SNMP, IPMI and HTTP: poll switches, firewalls, UPS units, printers and temperature sensors without any agent. Version 7.0 added multi-step browser-based website checks.
Alerts go out by email, Telegram, webhook and other channels, and ready-made templates exist for most major vendors' equipment.
Versions and support life
Zabbix ships LTS releases with five years of support (three full, two for critical fixes only) and standard releases every six months. Organizations should run LTS: 7.0 LTS came out in June 2024 with full support until mid-2027, and 8.0 LTS is scheduled for late 2026. 6.0 LTS is already past full support; if you still run it, plan the upgrade.
Strengths
- No licence fees and no limit on devices or metrics. The budget goes into the server, the setup and ongoing care instead of a yearly licence.
- It watches every brand on one screen: Cisco or MikroTik switches, Fortinet firewalls, APC UPS units, Dell servers and server-room temperature sensors.
- A Zabbix Proxy at a branch or mine site buffers data when the link drops, so history stays complete and the central server does not have to reach every device over the internet.
- Alerts reach Telegram or email the moment an ISP link drops, a UPS goes on battery or a disk nears full, so IT knows before users call.
Things to know before choosing
- Free does not mean no cost. Tuning templates, triggers and alerts takes someone who knows Linux, SNMP and databases. Badly tuned, it produces so many alerts that nobody reads them.
- If the Zabbix server sits on the same network it monitors and that network goes down, nobody gets alerted. Plan a backup alert path or an external check.
- The database grows fast with many metrics and long retention. Set sensible history and trend periods and back the database up regularly.
- Upgrades between LTS versions need planning and testing, especially with custom templates or scripts.
Using it in Laos
Zabbix has no hardware to order, so there are no shipping delays. What you need is a stable server or VM and someone who knows how to configure it.
What we see on sites:
- Branch internet: provincial branch links drop often. Put a Zabbix Proxy on a small box at the branch so no data is lost and you can tell an ISP outage from a failed device.
- UPS and temperature: connect UPS network cards and temperature sensors to Zabbix so you know at once when mains power fails or the air-conditioning stops.
- Zabbix needs a UPS too: if the Zabbix server dies with the power, you learn nothing.
For the bigger picture, see our network monitoring intro. Good fits: banks, mines, factories, hotels and multi-branch organizations. People who can configure Zabbix well are still scarce in Laos.
Compared with alternatives
Cisco Meraki and HPE Aruba Networking Central have easier cloud dashboards, but they only see their own brand's devices and carry licence fees. APC EcoStruxure IT is built specifically for UPS and server-room monitoring. Choose Zabbix when your network mixes many brands and someone will look after the system over time.
Product lines
- Zabbix Server
- Zabbix Proxy
- Zabbix Agent 2
Solutions that use this brand
Network Monitoring (NMS)Every device, link and internet circuit on one screen, with alerts that reach IT before the first user calls.
IoT Environmental MonitoringIoT sensors for temperature, humidity, water leaks, power and air quality, alerting instantly by SMS, LINE, Telegram or email.
IT Asset ManagementAn IT asset register that keeps itself current: devices, licences, warranties and lifecycle, with patching and remote management.FAQ
Is Zabbix really free?
The software is free and complete, with no device limit. The real costs are the server, the time of whoever sets it up and maintains it, and a support contract if you want one.
What size server do we need?
For a few hundred devices, a VM with 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM and SSD storage is usually enough. The real size depends on values collected per second and history retention. Always put the database on SSD.
Which version should we install?
Always run the latest LTS release in production. Standard releases such as 7.4 have a shorter support window and suit testing new features.
All brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Mention does not imply official partnership unless explicitly stated. Products are sourced through legitimate distribution channels.
Send us a floor plan or a few photos of the site
We’ll come back with a few questions, then a first design. The first consultation is free, in Lao, Thai or English, on WhatsApp or our Facebook page.