How to Install Zabbix Server on CentOS/RHEL 9

In the realm of network management and monitoring, Zabbix stands out as a premier open-source solution. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for monitoring network services, servers, and other network hardware. This guide will help you with installing Zabbix Server on CentOS/RHEL 9, a popular choice for enterprise-grade server environments, using a MySQL database backend. Zabbix’s compatibility with CentOS/RHEL 9 ensures stability and performance, making it an excellent choice for robust network monitoring.

The tutorial includes steps for setting up a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack, configuring the Zabbix server, and finalizing the setup through its web interface.

Prerequisites

A CentOS/RHEL 9 System: This guide assumes a clean installation of CentOS/RHEL 9.
Root or Sudo Privileges: Essential for installing packages and making system changes.
Familiarity with Terminal Commands: Basic knowledge of Linux command line operations is beneficial.
Internet Connectivity: Required for downloading packages and updates.

Step 1: Preparing the System

Update System Packages: Keeping your system updated is crucial for security and compatibility.
```
sudo dnf update -y 
sudo dnf upgrade -y 
```
Install Essential Tools: Tools like wget and vim will be useful during installation.
```
sudo dnf install wget vim -y 
```

Step 2: Setting Up LAMP Stack

In this step we will install and configure LAMP stack on our system. That is required to run Zabbix server and frontend application on any system.

Install Packages:

sudo dnf install httpd mariadb-server mariadb php php-cli php-common php-mysqlnd -y

Start and enable service:

sudo systemctl start httpd mariadb
sudo systemctl enable httpd mariadb

Secure mysql installation:
```
sudo mysql_secure_installation 
```

Step 3: Install Zabbix Server

Zabbix officially provides a RPM package to setup DNF repository for RHEL-based systems. In tis step we will configure the repository on our system and install required Zabbix server packages:

Import Zabbix repository:

sudo rpm -Uvh https://repo.zabbix.com/zabbix/6.4/rhel/9/x86_64/zabbix-release-6.4-1.el9.noarch.rpm

Install Zabbix server with MySQL support:

sudo dnf install --disablerepo=epel zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-web-mysql  \
      zabbix-apache-conf zabbix-sql-scripts zabbix-selinux-policy zabbix-agent -y

Step 4: Create MySQL Database for Zabbix

Now create a MySQL database and user for Zabbix server.

Log into MySQL:
```
mysql -u root -p 
```

Create a Zabbix database and user:


mysql> CREATE DATABASE zabbix CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_bin;
mysql> CREATE USER zabbix@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbix.* TO zabbix@localhost;
mysql> SET GLOBAL log_bin_trust_function_creators = 1;
mysql> EXIT;

Import initial schema and data. You will be prompted for the newly created password:

zcat /usr/share/zabbix-sql-scripts/mysql/server.sql.gz | mysql -uzabbixuser -p zabbixdb

Login again to MySQL console and revert log_bin_trust_function_creators setting:
```
mysql> SET global log_bin_trust_function_creators = 0;
mysql> EXIT;
```

Step 5: Configure Zabbix Server

Edit the Zabbix server configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf

Set the database name, user, and password.

Restart Apache and Zabbix server:

sudo systemctl restart httpd zabbix-server

Enable Zabbix server to start at boot:
```
sudo systemctl enable zabbix-server 
```

Step 6: Access Zabbix Web Interface

If the system have firealld active, You need to open por 80. To open HTTP port, type:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=80/tcp

Then reload the changes with command:

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Step 7: Access Zabbix Web Interface

Open your web browser and navigate to your server’s IP address or domain name followed by /zabbix. For example, http://your_server_ip/zabbix.

Install Zabbix Server on CentOS/RHEL 9 — Zabbix Web Wizzard

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Zabbix setup. Once completed the wizard, you will see the login page. Use the below login details:

Username: Admin
Password: zabbix

Conclusion

With Zabbix installed on your CentOS/RHEL 9 system, you are now equipped to monitor your network and server environments effectively. This guide has walked you through each step in detail, ensuring a thorough setup process. Regular maintenance, such as updating Zabbix and backing up your configuration, will ensure long-term stability and performance of your monitoring system.