Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing Zabbix, make sure your Ubuntu system is up to date. Run the following commands to update the package list and upgrade installed packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Regular system updates are critical for security and performance, particularly when hosting on platforms like VPS Windows Servers.

Step 2: Install and Configure MySQL

Zabbix requires a database for storing monitoring data. Install MySQL (or MariaDB) using the following command:

sudo apt install mysql-server -y

Once installed, secure the MySQL installation by running:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Log in to MySQL and create the Zabbix database and user:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Run the following SQL commands to set up the database:

CREATE DATABASE zabbix CHARACTER SET utf8 collate utf8_bin;
CREATE USER 'zabbix'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbix.* TO 'zabbix'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace your_password with a strong password of your choice.

Step 3: Install Zabbix Repository and Server

Add the Zabbix repository to your system to install the latest version. Run the following commands:

wget https://repo.zabbix.com/zabbix/5.0/ubuntu/pool/main/z/zabbix-release/zabbix-release_5.0-1+focal_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i zabbix-release_5.0-1+focal_all.deb
sudo apt update

Now install the Zabbix server, frontend, and agent:

sudo apt install zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-frontend-php zabbix-apache-conf zabbix-agent -y

Step 4: Configure Zabbix Server

Import the initial schema and data into the Zabbix database:

sudo zcat /usr/share/doc/zabbix-server-mysql/create.sql.gz | mysql -u zabbix -p zabbix

Next, configure the Zabbix server to connect to the database by editing the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf

Update the following lines with the Zabbix database information:

DBName=zabbix
DBUser=zabbix
DBPassword=your_password

Save and close the file.

Step 5: Configure PHP for Zabbix Frontend

Zabbix uses PHP for its frontend. Edit the PHP configuration file to set the required time zone:

sudo nano /etc/zabbix/apache.conf

Uncomment and set the time zone, for example:

php_value date.timezone Europe/London

Save the file and restart Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 6: Start Zabbix Server and Agent

Start the Zabbix server and agent, and enable them to start at boot:

sudo systemctl start zabbix-server zabbix-agent
sudo systemctl enable zabbix-server zabbix-agent

You can check the status of the services using the following command:

sudo systemctl status zabbix-server zabbix-agent

Step 7: Access Zabbix Web Interface

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your_server_ip/zabbix. You will be prompted to complete the Zabbix web installation.

Use the database information and set up the Zabbix frontend. The default login credentials are:

Username: Admin
Password: zabbix

Step 8: Secure Zabbix with SSL (Optional)

To secure your Zabbix instance with HTTPS, you can use Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates. First, install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Run Certbot to obtain and install the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Follow the prompts to secure your Zabbix instance with HTTPS.