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Advanced Features

Host Grouping (Parent-Child Relationships)​

You can create parent-child relationships between hosts to visually group them together on the map. This is useful for representing logical groupings or physical locations.

Setting a Parent/Group Node​

  1. Right-click on a host node that you want to be the parent
  2. Select "Properties"
  3. Go to the "Grouping" tab

Grouping Tab

  1. Select the "Set this node as a parent" checkbox

Parent Node Option

Setting a Child Node​

  1. Right-click on a host node that you want to be the child
  2. Select "Properties"
  3. Go to the "Grouping" tab
  4. Select the desired parent node from the dropdown menu

Assigning Parent

Moving the parent node around the map will move its children along with it, making it easy to organize and rearrange your infrastructure visualization.

Parent-Child Movement

Traces (Traceroute Visualization)​

MapZ has a feature to add and display traceroute information. This helps troubleshoot network connectivity to a host, with each hop metrics collected and shown in an interactive graph.

Prerequisites​

important

Before using traces:

  1. The 'TEMPLATE-NET-MTR' template will be linked to the host in Zabbix
  2. The 'mtr' binary must be executable on the Zabbix Server or Proxy
  3. A script 'mtr.sh' must be added to the ExternalScripts folder on your Zabbix Server or Proxy with this code (and made executable):
#!/bin/bash

MTR=$(which mtr)
IP=$1

$MTR -r -c3 -w -b -p -j $IP

Adding Trace Data​

  1. Right-click on any host you want to collect trace data on and select 'Add Trace Data'

Add Trace Data

  1. Open the Traces page from the Settings sidebar menu

Traces Tab

  1. Select the trace and inspect the data

Trace Route Display

Manage Templates​

From the Settings page you can now manage Zabbix templates:

  1. Navigate to the Settings and select "Manage Templates"
  2. View your current templates and check installation status of required templates

Manage Templates Screen

Community Templates​

MapZ supports community-contributed templates for various devices and services. You can browse and install these templates to enhance your monitoring capabilities.

  1. Go to the "Community Templates" section in settings
  2. Browse the available templates
  3. Click on a template to view its details
  4. Click "Install" to add the template to your Zabbix server. NOTE: Ensure the selected Zabbix server is compatible with the template version.
Important Warning

Community templates are not officially supported by Zabbix or MapZ. They may contain bugs, security vulnerabilities, or be incompatible with your Zabbix server version. Proceed with caution.

Community Templates Screen

Monitoring Templates​

In the "Monitoring Templates" section, you can create and edit monitoring templates for your hosts. This allows you to define specific items to be included in the host monitoring.

  1. From the sidebar, select "Monitoring Templates"
  2. Click on "Create Template" to add a new monitoring template
  3. Fill in the required fields:
    • Name: The name of the template
    • Description: A brief description of what the template monitors
    • Interface Type: Select the type of interface (e.g., Ethernet, Wireless)
    • Zabbix Template: Select the Zabbix template to be used
    • Items: Select the items to be included in the template
  4. Click "Create" to save the template

Monitoring Templates Screen

Monitoring Template Creation

Usage

In the interfaces page you can select the monitoring template to be used for each interface. This allows you to customize the monitoring settings for each interface based on the selected template.

Interfaces Page

Subscriptions & Team Management​

MapZ offers different subscription tiers with varying features.

Understanding Subscription Tiers​

  • Free: Basic map creation and visualization
  • Standard: Adds support and more features
  • Premium: Team Management features

To upgrade your subscription, go to your account in the sidebar and then the "Subscription" tab.

Account Menu

Team Management (Premium Subscription Only)​

Premium subscription users can add team members and set permissions:

  1. Go to your account in the sidebar and then the "Team Management" tab

Team Management

  1. Click on "Create New User"

Create User Button User Creation Form

  1. Enter the new user's email address and choose a role:

    • Explorer: Can view maps but cannot modify them
    • Guardian: Can modify maps but cannot delete them

  2. Click "Create User" - the new user will receive an email with setup instructions

New User Screen User Permissions Permission Toggles

Managing Map Access (Premium Subscription Only)​

  1. Go to the "Team Management" tab and click on "Manage Maps"

Manage Maps Button

  1. Select the map you want to share and click on "Add to Team"

Add Map to Team

All members of the selected team will have access to the map, with the permissions defined by their roles.

Associated Teams

SVG Asset Management​

Customize your maps with custom SVG graphics for a more personalized and professional appearance.

Accessing the SVG Manager​

  1. Navigate to Settings → SVG Manager
  2. The SVG Manager dialog opens

SVG Manager

Uploading Custom SVGs​

  1. Click "Upload SVG" in the SVG Manager
  2. Select your SVG file from your computer
  3. Enter a name for the SVG asset
  4. Optionally add tags for easier searching
  5. Click "Upload"

SVG Requirements:

  • File format: .svg
  • Maximum file size: 5MB
  • Recommended size: 100x100 to 500x500 pixels
  • Must be valid SVG XML

Using Custom SVGs​

Once uploaded, SVGs can be used for:

Static Objects:

  1. Right-click on the map canvas
  2. Select "Add Object"
  3. Choose "Custom SVG" as the object type
  4. Select your uploaded SVG from the list
  5. Adjust size and position as needed

Host Icons:

  1. Right-click on a host node
  2. Select "Properties" → "Icon" tab
  3. Choose "Custom SVG"
  4. Select your uploaded SVG
  5. The host icon will update to use the custom SVG

Managing SVG Assets​

Viewing Assets:

  • All uploaded SVGs appear in the SVG Manager
  • Preview thumbnails show what each SVG looks like
  • Filter by name or tags

Editing Assets:

  • Click on an SVG to view details
  • Update name or tags
  • Replace the SVG file if needed

Deleting Assets:

  • Select an SVG in the manager
  • Click "Delete"
  • Confirm deletion
  • Note: Objects using this SVG will revert to default icons

SVG Best Practices​

  1. Optimize SVGs

    • Remove unnecessary metadata
    • Simplify paths
    • Use tools like SVGO to optimize

  2. Consistent Sizing

    • Use similar dimensions for related icons
    • Makes scaling more predictable
    • Easier to maintain visual consistency

  3. Naming Convention

    • Use descriptive names
    • Include category in name (e.g., "network-router", "server-database")
    • Makes searching easier

  4. Color Considerations

    • Use colors that work on both light and dark backgrounds
    • Consider using monochrome SVGs that can be colored dynamically
    • Test visibility at different zoom levels

Trace Interval Configuration​

Adjust how often traceroute data is collected for hosts with trace monitoring enabled.

Why Adjust Trace Intervals?​

Shorter Intervals (More Frequent):

  • More up-to-date network path information
  • Better for troubleshooting active issues
  • Increases load on Zabbix server

Longer Intervals (Less Frequent):

  • Reduces server load
  • Sufficient for stable networks
  • Better for long-term monitoring

Configuring Trace Intervals​

  1. Right-click on a host with trace data enabled
  2. Select "Configure Trace Interval"

Configure Trace Interval

  1. Set the collection interval in seconds

    • Minimum: 60 seconds (1 minute)
    • Maximum: 86400 seconds (24 hours)
    • Default: 300 seconds (5 minutes)

  2. Click "Save"

Active Troubleshooting:

  • Interval: 60-120 seconds
  • Use when: Investigating connectivity issues
  • Duration: Temporary, during troubleshooting only

Normal Monitoring:

  • Interval: 300-600 seconds (5-10 minutes)
  • Use when: Regular network monitoring
  • Duration: Standard operational setting

Low-Priority Hosts:

  • Interval: 1800-3600 seconds (30-60 minutes)
  • Use when: Stable networks, less critical hosts
  • Duration: Long-term monitoring

Considerations:

  • Number of hops affects collection time
  • More frequent traces = more Zabbix server load
  • Balance between data freshness and system resources

User Dashboard​

Create a personalized dashboard with widgets showing your most important information.

Accessing Your Dashboard​

  1. Click on your user icon in the top-right corner
  2. Select "Dashboard"

User Dashboard

Dashboard Widgets​

Your dashboard can include:

Recent Problems

  • Shows your most recent problems
  • Filter by severity
  • Quick access to problem details
  • Acknowledge directly from widget

Your Tasks

  • Tasks assigned to you
  • Grouped by status
  • Quick status updates
  • Due date highlights

Favorite Maps

  • Quick access to frequently used maps
  • Thumbnail previews
  • Last modified timestamps
  • One-click map loading

System Status

  • Zabbix server connectivity
  • MapZ system health
  • Active users
  • System resource usage

Activity Feed

  • Recent map changes
  • Problem updates
  • Task assignments
  • Team activity

Quick Stats

  • Total hosts monitored
  • Active problems count
  • Open tasks count
  • Maps created

Adding Widgets​

  1. In your dashboard, click "Add Widget"

  2. Select the widget type

  3. Configure widget settings:

    • Title
    • Refresh interval
    • Display options
    • Filters

  4. Click "Add"

The widget appears on your dashboard.

Arranging Widgets​

Moving Widgets:

  • Click and drag the widget header
  • Drop in the desired position
  • Widgets automatically rearrange

Resizing Widgets:

  • Drag the bottom-right corner
  • Widgets snap to grid
  • Some widgets have minimum sizes

Removing Widgets:

  • Click the X icon in the widget header
  • Confirm removal
  • Widget can be re-added later

Dashboard Settings​

Layout:

  • Single column
  • Two columns
  • Three columns
  • Custom grid

Refresh:

  • Auto-refresh interval (30s, 1m, 5m, 10m)
  • Manual refresh button
  • Pause auto-refresh

Sharing (Premium):

  • Share dashboard layout with team
  • Export dashboard configuration
  • Import dashboard from template

Dashboard Best Practices​

  1. Prioritize Information

    • Put most important widgets at the top
    • Use larger widgets for critical data
    • Hide less important information

  2. Optimize Refresh Rates

    • Don't refresh too frequently
    • Balance freshness with performance
    • Use manual refresh for rarely-checked widgets

  3. Customize for Your Role

    • Admins: System status, all problems, all tasks
    • Engineers: Your tasks, recent problems, favorite maps
    • Managers: Team activity, stats, problem trends

Support​

MapZ offers support based on your subscription tier:

  • Standard Support: Click on "Support" in the sidebar and submit the issue

Support Option

  • Priority Support (Premium Subscription): Click on "Priority Support" in the sidebar for faster response times

Priority Support Option