How to Install and Configure Zabbix Server on AlmaLinux 9

Zabbix Server on AlmaLinux 9 – Enterprise-Grade Monitoring on a RHEL-Compatible Platform

Zabbix Server is a flexible and high-performance monitoring platform used by enterprises to gain visibility into infrastructure, applications, and services. Paired with AlmaLinux 9, a 1:1 binary-compatible replacement for RHEL 9, it becomes a rock-solid choice for building secure, scalable, and supportable monitoring environments.

AlmaLinux 9 as a Host for Zabbix

AlmaLinux 9 is designed for businesses that need long-term stability and enterprise-ready performance, making it an excellent OS base for Zabbix deployments. Key benefits include:

10-year support cycle, aligned with RHEL
Linux Kernel 5.14 LTS, with support for cgroups v2 and modern namespaces
SELinux (enforcing) by default, offering enhanced security for monitoring daemons
Systemd v250+ for managing Zabbix services and dependencies
dnf package manager with access to EPEL and Zabbix’s official repositories

These features allow AlmaLinux 9 to support mission-critical monitoring scenarios with minimal system volatility over time.

Zabbix Server Architecture on AlmaLinux 9

Zabbix is composed of several modular components, each supported and compatible with AlmaLinux’s system environment:

Zabbix Server: Central collector and processor of monitoring data.
Zabbix Agent (v1 and v2): Installed on monitored systems to send metrics.
Zabbix Proxy (optional): Aggregates monitoring data in distributed or remote networks.
Zabbix Frontend: Web interface built on PHP, running under Apache or NGINX.
Database Backend: Compatible with PostgreSQL 13+, MySQL/MariaDB, or Oracle.

All Zabbix services on AlmaLinux are managed via systemd, and can be tightly integrated with system security and logging features.

Key Capabilities of Zabbix on AlmaLinux 9

Capability	Description
Multi-protocol support	Agent, SNMP, IPMI, JMX, HTTP, scripts
Auto-discovery	Dynamic network scanning and service mapping
Built-in alerting	Escalations, acknowledgments, and recovery actions
Historical data storage	Metrics, trends, and event logs in SQL-based backends
Template-based configs	Apply standardized monitoring logic using macros and templates
Distributed monitoring	Proxies for scaling across locations or secure zones
Visualization tools	Maps, dashboards, charts, and SLA tracking

With AlmaLinux 9, Zabbix runs securely and efficiently, benefiting from the same kernel and system stack used in many RHEL-certified environments.

Enterprise Use Cases

Zabbix on AlmaLinux 9 is widely used in:

Enterprise IT monitoring: Full-stack visibility across Windows, Linux, networking, and cloud resources
Service provider networks: Multi-tenant or high-availability deployments using proxies and partitions
Compliance-heavy environments: Where SELinux, auditing, and hardening are required
Hybrid clouds: Monitoring resources across on-prem and cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP) via native templates
IoT & edge devices: Lightweight Zabbix agents or SNMP-based monitoring from proxies

Performance and Scalability

AlmaLinux 9’s RHEL-based kernel offers low-latency I/O and consistent process behavior, ideal for Zabbix Server’s resource-intensive data collection. Key tuning options include:

Area	Optimization Example
Database	Use PostgreSQL 15 or tuned MariaDB for large datasets
Poller/Trapper config	Adjust `StartPollers`, `StartTrappers`, `CacheSize`, etc.
Frontend	Use PHP 8.1+ with OPcache for faster web GUI response
Logging	Direct integration with `journald`, or configure `syslog`/`auditd`

For high-load environments, Zabbix on AlmaLinux supports distributed architecture with proxies, frontend clustering, and database partitioning.

Security Features

AlmaLinux 9 provides enterprise-class security tools out of the box. Zabbix integrates seamlessly with:

Security Tool	Benefit to Zabbix
SELinux (enforcing)	Limits daemon access to only required resources
Firewalld	Zones and port filtering for agent/server (10050, 10051) communication
OpenSCAP & FIPS mode	Compliance auditing and cryptographic hardening
Auditd	Detailed logging of configuration and runtime activity
TLS + PSK support	Encrypt communication between Zabbix components

Rootless systemd services, encrypted agent-server communication, and strong access controls make Zabbix secure by default on AlmaLinux 9.

Comparison with Other Operating Systems

Feature	AlmaLinux 9	Ubuntu 24.04	Debian 12
Kernel Version	5.14 (RHEL-based)	6.8 (mainline LTS)	6.1 (LTS)
Security Framework	SELinux (enforcing)	AppArmor	AppArmor
Support Lifecycle	10 years	5 years	~5 years
Package Availability	RHEL + EPEL	Official Docker & PHP repos	Community APT
Ideal Use Case	Regulated, stable IT	DevOps & modern cloud	Lightweight & stable

AlmaLinux 9 is best suited for organizations replacing CentOS, seeking compatibility with Red Hat tooling, or operating in compliance-bound sectors like finance, healthcare, or telecom.

Zabbix Server on AlmaLinux 9 offers a hardened, long-term supported, and performance-optimized environment for comprehensive infrastructure monitoring. It is ideal for production workloads that demand enterprise-grade security, scalability, and integration flexibility—especially in regulated or highly available environments.

If you’re building a distributed observability stack or replacing legacy monitoring systems, this combination delivers modern monitoring with traditional Linux reliability.

Step 1: Set Up a Server Instance on Shape.Host

To begin, provision a clean AlmaLinux 9 VPS. Shape.Host provides fast, SSD-based virtual servers perfect for running enterprise monitoring tools like Zabbix.

Create an Instance:

Go to https://shape.host and log in.

Click “Create” in the dashboard.

Select “Instance”.

Pick a server location.

Plan with at least 2 CPUs, 2 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD.

Choose AlmaLinux 9 (64-bit) as the OS.

Finalize by clicking “Create Instance”.

Copy your VPS’s IP address from the Resources tab.

Connect via SSH

On Linux/macOS:

ssh root@your_server_ip

On Windows (using PuTTY):

Download PuTTY.
Enter your server’s IP in the Host Name field.
Use port 22 and select SSH.
Click Open and log in as root.

Step 2: Install Zabbix and Required Components

1. Update your system:

dnf update

2. Add the official Zabbix repository:

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

3. Disable EPEL temporarily to avoid conflicts:

dnf config-manager --set-disabled epel

4. Install Zabbix server, frontend, agent, and MariaDB:

dnf --disablerepo=epel install zabbix-server-mysql zabbix-web-mysql zabbix-apache-conf zabbix-sql-scripts zabbix-agent mariadb mariadb-server

Step 3: Configure MariaDB

1. Start and enable MariaDB:

systemctl enable --now mariadb

2. Secure MariaDB:

mysql_secure_installation

3. Create the Zabbix database and user:

mysql -u root -p

Then run:

CREATE DATABASE zabbix CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_bin;
CREATE USER zabbix@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON zabbix.* TO zabbix@localhost;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 4: Import the Initial Schema

Import the schema into the database:

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

Enter the StrongPassword when prompted.

Step 5: Configure Zabbix Server

1. Edit the Zabbix server config:

nano /etc/zabbix/zabbix_server.conf

Set the database password:

DBPassword=StrongPassword

Step 6: Configure the Firewall

1. Unmask and start firewalld:

systemctl unmask firewalld
systemctl enable firewalld
systemctl start firewalld

2. Open required ports:

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=10051/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

Step 7: Configure PHP for Zabbix Web Interface

Edit the PHP configuration:

nano /etc/php.ini

Find and set:

date.timezone = Europe/Bucharest

Step 8: Start and Enable Zabbix Services

1. Restart all necessary services:

systemctl restart zabbix-server zabbix-agent httpd php-fpm

2. Enable services at boot:

systemctl enable zabbix-server zabbix-agent httpd php-fpm

Step 9: Access Zabbix Web Installer

Open your browser and go to:

http://your-server-ip/zabbix

Follow the on-screen wizard:

Confirm prerequisites
Enter DB user: zabbix and password: StrongPassword
Set timezone and server name
Complete the installation

🧭 Zabbix Web Installer

1. Welcome

Open in browser: http://<your-ip>/zabbix/setup.php
Select preferred language
Click Next step

2. Check of pre-requisites

Installer checks PHP version, extensions, limits
Ensure everything is OK
Click Next step

3. Configure DB Connection

Fill in:
- Database type: MySQL/MariaDB
- Host: localhost
- Port: 0 (default)
- DB name: zabbix
- User: zabbix
- Password: your DB password
Click Next step

4. Settings

Set:
- Server name (e.g., Zabbix Alma)
- Time zone (e.g., Europe/Bucharest)
- Theme (default is fine)
Click Next step

5. Pre-installation Summary

Review all configuration values
If everything is good → Click Next step

6. Install

Installer creates the zabbix.conf.php config file
Click Finish

7. Login

Username: Admin
Password: zabbix (default)
Remember to change the password after login

8. Dashboard

The global view will load with CPU stats, system status, and map
You’re ready to monitor hosts!

You’ve now installed and configured Zabbix Server 6.4 on AlmaLinux 9, ready to monitor your infrastructure. With the web UI accessible and services running, you can start adding hosts and setting up alerts.

Run Zabbix on Shape.Host Cloud Vps for optimal performance and flexibility in production.

Launch your Zabbix monitoring stack now at https://shape.host.

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