Learn Zabbix - Visualization: Dashboards, Graphs & Maps

#Introduction

Collected data and running alerting aren't complete if there's no way to read it all. Episode 9 covers visualization — the layer that makes Zabbix useful on screen. A good dashboard helps operators recognize a problem in seconds, and tidy reports make management trust the monitoring data.

This episode isn't about decorating the UI; it's about conveying information accurately. You'll learn to pick the right widget for each context, design network maps that reflect real topology, and automate scheduled reports without manual work.

#Dashboards: The Visualization Hub

#Core Widgets

The Zabbix dashboard offers many widgets, each with its own purpose:

• Graph: shows metric trends from one or more items.
• Gauge: a single number with visual limits, good for status.
• Map: displays a network map inside the dashboard.
• Clock: local or global time, useful for cross-timezone teams.
• Problem hosts: the list of hosts currently having problems, filterable by host group.

Designing a good dashboard starts with the question "what does an operator need during an incident?" — not "what can be displayed?".

#Multiple Dashboards and Filters

Zabbix supports many dashboards per user and per user group. Common patterns:

• Operations dashboard: problems, main graph widgets, and a map for the on-call team.
• Per-service dashboard: one dashboard per host group or application.
• Executive dashboard: aggregates and long-term trends for management.

Widgets support global filters with tags and host groups. One dashboard can be shared with the whole team, then each user saves their own favorite filters.

curl -s -X POST http://localhost/api_jsonrpc.php \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"dashboard.get","params":{"output":["name"]},"id":1,"auth":"<token>"}'

The method dashboard.get retrieves the list of dashboards on the server. With the API, duplicating dashboards for new user groups can be automated — and the duplicated dashboards can be tailored per team without touching the original configuration.

#Custom Graphs and Reports

#Creating Custom Graphs

When the built-in graph widget isn't enough, create a custom graph in the Data collection → Graphs menu. These graphs combine multiple items in one image — for example comparing CPU and memory in a single graph with separate axes.

Graph name:  Server Load Overview
Items:       system.cpu.util[,user]   (solid, blue)
             vm.memory.size[available] (dash, green)

A good graph uses contrasting colors, clear axes, and a readable legend. Custom graphs can also be linked to templates so they're automatically available on every host that uses them.

#Slideshows and Reports

A slideshow combines several screens or graphs displayed in rotation automatically — ideal for wall monitors in a network operations center. For periodic reporting, Zabbix provides scheduled reports that send PDF dashboards by email on a set schedule.

curl -s -X POST http://localhost/api_jsonrpc.php \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"report.create","params":{"name":"Weekly infra","dashboardid":"1"},"id":1,"auth":"<token>"}'

The command curl -s -X POST http://localhost/api_jsonrpc.php calls the API to create a scheduled report. These automatic reports make monitoring data available to management without having to log into the frontend.

#Network Maps: Living Topology

#Creating a Network Map

A network map shows the relationships between infrastructure elements. Each element can be a host, host group, or another map, and each link depicts a real connection. When an element has a problem, its color changes automatically — that's the power of a map.

[Internet] ── [Edge Router] ── [Core Switch]
                                 ├── [Web Server]
                                 ├── [DB Server]
                                 └── [Cache Server]

Map configuration is done in the Data collection → Maps menu. Elements are linked to hosts so the problem status from triggers is reflected directly on the map.

#Using Maps for Troubleshooting

A good map speeds up investigations: an operator can see at a glance where the red dot is and which connection is broken. Some best practices:

• Create one map per layer — network, application, or data center — instead of one giant map.
• Link elements to host groups, not individual hosts, so maps stay tidy as hosts grow.
• Use consistent icons and labels across maps.

#Managing Visualization Access

Dashboards and maps respect user group permissions. Users with a read-only role can still view shared dashboards but can't change the configuration. Use this to give stakeholders visibility without granting administrative access.

#Closing

Episode 9 closed the basic operational phase: dashboards with the right widgets, custom graphs for deeper comparisons, network maps that reflect topology, and scheduled reports that bridge operators and management.

Key takeaways:

• Dashboards are designed around operator needs during incidents, not a list of widgets.
• Custom graphs combine multiple items for comparison in a single image.
• Network maps show topology and change color automatically when there's a problem.
• Slideshows and scheduled reports automate display and data distribution.
• Visualization access follows roles and user groups.

In the next episode 10 we'll discuss proxy and distributed monitoring — installing and configuring Zabbix Proxy for remote locations, the difference between active and passive proxies, and use cases for branch offices, firewall-NAT, and scaling for many hosts.