Handy Tips #2: Value maps: make any data human-readable

Anonymous Anonymous

Technical Writer at Zabbix

August 16, 2021

Zabbix value maps have become more powerful with the support of ranges and regex. Learn new tricks to display meaningful values instead of raw data. Previously, value maps only supported one-to-one mapping and could only be configured on a global level. This approach had many limitations. First, only super admins could create new value maps. […]

Zabbix value maps have become more powerful with the support of ranges and regex. Learn new tricks to display meaningful values instead of raw data.

Previously, value maps only supported one-to-one mapping and could only be configured on a global level. This approach had many limitations. First, only super admins could create new value maps. Second, you had to specify the exact mapping for each potential value. Third, the value maps were not “portable” – they could not be exported together with the template.

Since Zabbix 5.4 release, the value maps have been moved to the host/template level and now support additional logic:

Create value maps for a template or host
Set value mappings for value ranges
Use regex in value maps to match values and assign mappings

Set default mapping for values that don’t match specified conditions
Export/import value maps together with a template

Check out the video below to get familiar with this new functionality:

This tutorial explains how to create a new value map on a host or a template.

Open the host configuration form
Switch to the “Value mapping” tab and press Add
Enter the value map name
Select a mapping type and specify mapped values
In the “Mapped to” field enter a string that should be displayed instead of these values
Specify upper and lower thresholds for our mappings
For values outside the thresholds, the default mapping will be applied
Press “Add” to add a value map and “Update” to update the configuration
In the item configuration locate the value mapping parameter
Select desired value map and press “Update”
Switch to the Latest data section and check the results
You should see our mappings next to the raw value

Tips and best practices:

Use default mappings to map values outside of the defined ranges
Value mappings are also applied in the messages sent by your actions
Value mappings are not inherited on a host from a template. Mappings defined on a template level can be used only in the items within that template
While regular value display in the Latest data is trimmed to show only 20 symbols, the mappings from value maps do not get trimmed