Handy Tips #12: Optimizing Zabbix database size with custom data storage periods

Anonymous Anonymous

Zabbix Certified Expert & Trainer

November 18, 2021

Zabbix allows its users to configure custom data retention periods for different types of data – from history and trend storage periods to user session storage periods. Data retention requirements can vary a lot between different environments. With considerations to data storage footprint and company policies, some environments might require storing months of historical data, […]

Zabbix allows its users to configure custom data retention periods for different types of data – from history and trend storage periods to user session storage periods.

Data retention requirements can vary a lot between different environments. With considerations to data storage footprint and company policies, some environments might require storing months of historical data, while others are fine with storing mostly trends.

Use housekeeping settings to define custom data storage periods:

Storage periods can be defined for history, trends, events, and more
Unique storage periods can be defined for each individual item

TimescaleDB backends support native data partitioning and compression
Housekeeping for individual data types can be disabled – not recommended in production environments

Check out the video to learn how to define data storage periods on your Zabbix instance.

How to define data storage periods on your Zabbix instance:

Navigate to Configuration → Hosts and click on the Items button next to an existing host
Select any integer or float item
Set the History storage period to 30d, Trend storage period to 180d
Save the item
Navigate to Administration → General → Housekeeping
Set the Trigger data storage period to 90d
Tick the checkbox next to the Override item history period option
Set the History storage period to 90d
Navigate back to Configuration → Hosts and click on your host
Click on the Items next to your host and find the previously modified item
Click on the green i next to the History storage period
Read the override notification

Tips and best practices::

Usually, long term storage of internal, network discovery, and autoregistration events is not required
Item and trend storage periods can be overridden by global settings
Storage period will not be overridden for items that have Do not keep history or Do not keep trends enabled
An event will not be removed until the associated problem is resolved