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Installing the Zabbix Agent on Windows

Benhcmark Administrator

17/08/2025

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How to Install and Configure the Zabbix Agent on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

Monitoring the health and performance of your Windows servers and workstations is crucial for maintaining a stable and reliable IT infrastructure. Zabbix stands out as a powerful, open-source monitoring solution, and its agent is a lightweight, versatile tool for gathering essential system metrics.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of installing and configuring the Zabbix agent on a Windows operating system, ensuring you can start collecting valuable data in minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• Administrator privileges on the target Windows machine.
• The IP address or DNS name of your Zabbix server.
• A basic understanding of using the Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Step 1: Download the Zabbix Agent

First, you need to download the correct agent files from the official source. It is critical to match the agent version with your Zabbix server version for optimal compatibility.

1. Navigate to the Zabbix download page.
2. Select your Windows version, hardware architecture (usually amd64 for 64-bit systems), and desired encryption level.
3. Click the Download button to get the pre-compiled agent in a ZIP archive.

For stability, it is often recommended to use the LTS (Long Term Support) version if one is available for your Zabbix server release.

Step 2: Extract and Place the Agent Files

Once the download is complete, you need to create a dedicated folder for the Zabbix agent. A standardized location makes management and troubleshooting easier.

1. Create a folder on your C: drive, for example: C:\Zabbix.
2. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP archive into this new folder.

Inside the C:\Zabbix directory, you will find a bin folder containing the agent executable (zabbix_agentd.exe) and a conf folder with the sample configuration file (zabbix_agentd.conf).

Step 3: Configure the Agent

The configuration file tells the agent where your Zabbix server is and how it should identify itself. This is the most critical step in the setup process.

1. Navigate to the C:\Zabbix\conf directory.

2. Open the zabbix_agentd.conf file with a text editor like Notepad or Notepad++.

3. You need to modify three essential parameters:

   • Server: This is the IP address or DNS name of your Zabbix server. The agent will only accept connections from this address for passive checks.
     Server=192.168.1.100

   • ServerActive: This is also the IP address or DNS name of your Zabbix server. This setting is used for active checks, where the agent proactively sends data to the server. It’s best practice to configure both.
     ServerActive=192.168.1.100

   • Hostname: This is the unique name that will identify this machine in the Zabbix server’s web interface. It must exactly match the “Host name” you configure in the Zabbix frontend. To avoid issues, use the computer’s actual hostname.
     Hostname=WIN-PROD-SERVER-01

Save the changes to the configuration file after you have set these parameters.

Step 4: Install the Zabbix Agent as a Windows Service

To ensure the agent runs automatically and persistently in the background, you must install it as a Windows service. This requires using an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell.

1. Open the Start Menu, type cmd or powershell, right-click the result, and select “Run as administrator.”

2. Navigate to the directory containing the agent executable.
   cd C:\Zabbix\bin

3. Execute the following command to install the service, pointing it to your configuration file:

   .\zabbix_agentd.exe --config C:\Zabbix\conf\zabbix_agentd.conf --install

If successful, you will see a message confirming that the service “Zabbix Agent” has been installed successfully.

Step 5: Start the Service and Configure the Firewall

With the service installed, the final steps are to start it and ensure that network traffic can reach it.

Start the Service

You can start the service directly from the command line:

.\zabbix_agentd.exe --start

Alternatively, you can open the Windows Services console (services.msc), find the “Zabbix Agent” service, and start it from there. It’s also wise to set its “Startup Type” to Automatic to ensure it starts after a reboot.

Configure the Windows Firewall

By default, the Zabbix agent listens for incoming connections on TCP port 10050. The Windows Firewall will block these connections unless you create an exception.

You can create this rule easily using PowerShell (run as administrator):

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Zabbix Agent Port" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 10050 -Action Allow -RemoteAddress <ZABBIX_SERVER_IP>

Important: Replace <ZABBIX_SERVER_IP> with the actual IP address of your Zabbix server. Restricting the rule to only your server’s IP is a crucial security best practice.

Verifying the Installation

To confirm everything is working correctly:

1. Check the Service Status: In services.msc, ensure the “Zabbix Agent” service is listed as “Running.”
2. Review the Agent Log: The agent log file, typically located at C:\Zabbix\zabbix_agentd.log, can provide valuable information if you encounter issues.
3. Check the Zabbix Frontend: In your Zabbix server’s web interface, navigate to Configuration > Hosts. The host you just configured should appear, and its availability icon in the “Availability” column should turn green after a few moments.

By following these steps, you have successfully deployed the Zabbix agent on your Windows system, empowering you to monitor its performance, availability, and overall health with precision.

Source: https://kifarunix.com/install-zabbix-agent-on-windows-systems/