Zabbix Helpers To Fetch Mikrotik's Counters via API

These scripts rely on PyPi librouteros library. The reason is why this code was born is that Mikrotik's vendor does not hurry with implementing SNMP OIDs for the certain interesting counters. When Linet LTD started to migrate to Mikrotiks - they missed an opportunity to monitor the health of their NAS in many ways like they did before.

Currently, we monitor the next:

• radius.py: Radius CoA counters: /radius incoming monitor
• radius.py: Radius Client counters: /radius monitor
• bgp.py: BGP Peer Counters: /routing bgp peer print status
• irq.py: System IRQ Counters: /system resource irq print
• firewall.py: Firewall Counters /ip firewall <table> print stats

Installation

In the example below we use a template which monitors the single Mikrotik Node. If you want to minitor several Mikrotiks from a single zabbix_agent - you can fetch the concept and clone the items for several Mikrotiks.

The concept is:

1. We define mikrotik.api.discovery item (manually or using the template) on the node with zabbix_agentd available. The item accepts a couple of parameters
2. We define mikrotik.api.discovery in zabbix_agentd configuration file
3. Zabbix Server pokes for mikrotik.api.discovery. The item's first parameter is another host name of Mikrotik we want to monitor. Mikrotik does not have zabbix_agentd inside, right?
4. Poking mikrotik.api.discovery spawns the execution of zabbix.py which returns some data. This bunch of data get forwarded to zabbix_sender
5. A lot of other items defined via Zabbix Template as Zabbix Trapper items. So they are being collected during the previous step and pushed into the server with zabbix_sender.

Creating the user in Mikrotik

You need to create an separate group. Go to System - Users and create the new group:

• Name: api_read
• Policies:
  • test
  • api
  • read
  • winbox

Create a user and put it into api_read group.

Tuning up Zabbix

Tested with Zabbix 3.2.

There is a Zabbix Template Template Mikrotik API Poke. It contains few macroses which you need probably to re-apply when attach it to your host:

• {$MTIK_HOSTNAME} (default: Mikrotik) - the host name in Zabbix inventory to assign values to.
• {$MTIK_API_HOST} (default: 192.168.0.1) - the IP address API listens to
• {$MTIK_API_USER} (default: admin) - the api user name. read permissions for the user is OK to start.
• {$MTIK_API_PASSWORD} (default: admin) - the API password
• {$MTIK_API_SCRIPT_PARAMS} (default: -t) - the additional parameters you want to pass to zabbix.py script. Separate with spaces. Probably the most interesting are:
  • -t: Use timestamps when sending the values
  • -s: Use SSL when do API call. The Certificate verification is disabled.
  • -P PLUGINS: the directory with the plugins to use related to the directory where zabbix.py is located.

Before importing any templates you need to import Value Maps (Administration - General - Value Maps):

• ciscoBgpPeerState can be found here
• Mikrotik BGP Administrative Status can be found here
• Mikrotik Firewall Rule Status can be found here

The next templates are available:

• Template Mikrotik API Poke - defines 2 items which Zabbix server pokes to (user parameters defined in zabbix_agent config). While it happens, the execution of zabbix.py happens - it pokes for values using Mikrotik API and forwarding the results through zabbix_sender happens.

  The template should be attached to the host where zabbix_sender and Python is installed. Also, the macroses should be defined (see above).

• Template Mikrotik BGPv4 - is being used for BGP Peers Monitoring. It discovers for the peers using low level discovery, assigns items and triggers for the peer and also builds a couple of charts.

  The template should be attached to the Mikrotik node. Very likely, you need to edit an every single item and define/redefine Allowed Hosts value. The default is 127.0.0.1. This option tells Zabbix from which hosts it will accept the values for Zabbix Trapper items.

• Template Mikrotik Firewall Statistics Monitors the stats coming from Mikrotik Firewall. In order to discover the rule, assign a comment to it. The comment must start with ZBX in order to be monitored by the plugin. Currently we monitor bytes and packets per second values. The chart is available for the counters as well.

  The template should be attached to the Mikrotik node. likely, you need to edit an every single item and define/redefine Allowed Hosts value. The default is 127.0.0.1. This option tells Zabbix from which hosts it will accept the values for Zabbix Trapper items.

• Template Mikrotik Radius Counters - is being used for RADIUS Client counters monitoring. It discovers the servers defined in Mikrotik's settings and adds items and charts for them. It monitors RADIUS Incoming CoA counters as well.

  The template should be attached to the Mikrotik node. Very likely, you need to edit an every single item and define/redefine Allowed Hosts value. The default is 127.0.0.1. This option tells Zabbix from which hosts it will accept the values for Zabbix Trapper items.

• Template Mikrotik IRQ Counters - is being used for System IRQ counters monitoring. It discovers the IRQs available in Mikrotik's settings and adds items and charts for them.

  The template should be attached to the Mikrotik node. Very likely, you need to edit an every single item and define/redefine Allowed Hosts value. The default is 127.0.0.1. This option tells Zabbix from which hosts it will accept the values for Zabbix Trapper items.

Installation on Zabbix Server

The code uses Python 3 (tested in 3.11.3). All the dependencies are listed in requirements.txt file. Very likely you will use Virtualenv for the installation. I used /etc/zabbix/.venv as a virtualenv directory.

As usual, everything which is in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.d gets included by zabbix_agentd. Put or symlink userparameter_mikrotik_getdata.conf to something in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.d in order to start.

Known Issues

• Python2 support was removed

Hints

Low Level Discovery

Low Level discovery plugins are in lld_plugins folder. Everything which is *.py (except __*) will be dynamically included and run() with the parameters will be executed.

./zabbix.py -H 192.168.0.1 -u apiuser -p apipassword -s -P lld_plugins 2>/dev/null

Fetch Counters

The plugins which fetch the data using API calls are in plugins folder. Everything which is *.py (except __*) will be dynamically included and run() with the parameters will be executed.

./zabbix.py -H 192.168.0.1 -u apiuser -p apipassword -s 2>/dev/null

Zabbix Sender Examples

On the Zabbix server an item of type Zabbix trapper should be created with corresponding key(s). Note that incoming values will only be accepted from hosts specified in Allowed hosts field for this item.

Read the values from file:

zabbix_sender -c /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.conf \
    --host mtik.local \
    --input-file /path/to/parameters_file

Read the values from STDIN:

cat /path/to/parameters_file | zabbix_sender -c /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.conf \
    --host mtik.local \
    --real-time \
    --input-file -

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