This section describes the differences between the Zabbix agent and the Zabbix agent 2.
| Parameter | Zabbix agent | Zabbix agent 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Programming language | C | Go with some parts in C |
| Daemonization | yes | by systemd only (yes on Windows) |
| Supported extensions | Custom loadable modules in C. | Custom plugins in Go. |
| Requirements | ||
| Supported platforms | Linux, IBM AIX, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, HP-UX, Mac OS X, Solaris: 9, 10, 11, Windows: all desktop and server versions since XP | Linux, Windows: all desktop and server versions since XP. |
| Supported crypto libraries | GnuTLS 3.1.18 and newer OpenSSL 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.1.0, 1.1.1 LibreSSL – tested with versions 2.7.4, 2.8.2 (certain limitations apply, see the Encryption page for details). | Linux: OpenSSL 1.0.1 and later is supported since Zabbix 4.4.8. MS Windows: OpenSSL 1.1.1 or later. The OpenSSL library must have PSK support enabled. LibreSSL is not supported. |
| Monitoring processes | ||
| Processes | A separate active check process for each server/proxy record. | Single process with automatically created threads. The maximum number of threads is determined by the GOMAXPROCS environment variable. |
| Metrics | UNIX: see a list of supported items. Windows: see a list of additional Windows-specific items. | UNIX: All metrics supported by Zabbix agent. Additionally, the agent 2 provides Zabbix-native monitoring solution for: Docker, Memcached, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, systemd, and other monitoring targets – see a full list of agent 2 specific items. Windows: All metrics supported by Zabbix agent, and also net.tcp.service* checks of HTTPS, LDAP. Additionally, the agent 2 provides Zabbix-native monitoring solution for: PostgreSQL, Redis. |
| Concurrency | Active checks for single server are executed sequentially. | Checks from different plugins or multiple checks within one plugin can be executed concurrently. |
| Scheduled/flexible intervals | Supported for passive checks only. | Supported for passive and active checks. |
| Third party traps | no | yes |
| Additional features | ||
| Persistent storage | no | yes |
| Persistent files for log*[] metrics | yes (only on Unix) | no |
| Timeout settings | Defined on an agent level only. | Plugin timeout can override the timeout defined on an agent level. |
| Changes user at runtime | yes (Unix-like systems only) | no (controlled by systemd) |
| User-configurable ciphersuites | yes | no |
I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.
I publish technical articles at DevOps School, travel stories at Holiday Landmark, stock market insights at Stocks Mantra, health and fitness guidance at My Medic Plus, product reviews at TrueReviewNow, and SEO and digital marketing strategies at Wizbrand.
Find Trusted Cardiac Hospitals
Compare heart hospitals by city and services — all in one place.
Explore Hospitals