zabbix_agent2

Start the agent with the default configuration file

$ zabbix_agent2

$ zabbix_agent2 [[-c|--config]] [path/to/zabbix_agent2.conf]

$ zabbix_agent2 [[-c|--config]] [path/to/zabbix_agent2.conf] [[-T|--test-config]]

$ zabbix_agent2 [[-c|--config]] [path/to/zabbix_agent2.conf] [[-t|--test]] [item_key] [[-v|--verbose]]

$ zabbix_agent2 [[-c|--config]] [path/to/zabbix_agent2.conf] [[-R|--runtime-control]] userparameter_reload

$ zabbix_agent2 [[-c|--config]] [path/to/zabbix_agent2.conf] [[-R|--runtime-control]] loglevel [increase|decrease]

$ zabbix_agent2 [[-h|--help]]

zabbix_agent2 [-c config_file] [-d] [-f] [-h] [-p pid_file] [-R command] [-s] [-t item] [-V]

-c, --config <file>
    Set path to configuration file (default: /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agent2.conf)

-d, --daemon
    Start as a daemon process

-f, --foreground
    Run in foreground (do not daemonize)

-h, --help
    Display help and exit

-p, --pidfile <file>
    Name and path of PID file (default: /run/zabbix/zabbix_agent2.pid)

-R, --runtime-control <cmd[,param]>
    Perform runtime control action like agent reload or plugin load

-s, --start-plugins
    Start plugins on agent startup (default behavior)

-t, --test <item>
    Test specified item and exit

-V, --version
    Display version number and exit

Zabbix Agent 2 is the next-generation monitoring agent for the Zabbix open-source monitoring platform, introduced to replace the legacy C-based zabbix_agentd. Written in Go, it offers superior performance, multi-threading, and extensibility through a plugin architecture. The agent collects system and application metrics from hosts, such as CPU, memory, disk usage, network stats, and custom items via plugins (e.g., for databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Oracle).

It supports both passive checks (server polls agent) and active checks (agent pushes data). Key advantages include native TLS support, better resource efficiency, and runtime plugin loading without restart. Ideal for large-scale environments, it runs as a daemon, in foreground for testing, or with runtime controls for dynamic management.

Configuration is via INI-style files, defining servers, hostnames, items, and plugins. Security features include PSK encryption and userparameter scripts. Zabbix Agent 2 coexists with the legacy agent during transitions, ensuring smooth upgrades.

Requires Zabbix server/proxy 6.0+; plugins need separate installation; high load may require tuning via config (e.g., StartAgents). Not compatible with legacy agent configs without migration.

Key config options: Server=IP/DNS of Zabbix servers,
ServerActive=servers for active checks,
Hostname=agent host name,
Plugins=enabled plugins list,
ListenPort=10050 (default).

Extensible via Go plugins (.so files) for custom monitoring (e.g., mongodb, promtail). Load/unload at runtime with -R plugin.load[...].

Developed by Zabbix SIA, first released in Zabbix 5.4 as experimental (2021), became default in Zabbix 6.0 (2022). Shifted to Go for cross-platform plugins, outperforming legacy agent in scalability and maintenance.

zabbix_agentd(8), zabbix_sender(1), zabbix_get(1), zabbix_proxy(8)