When using zabbix_item we get an error when trying to create a zabbix_agent item on a Host

[WouterVanHecke123]

SUMMARY

When trying to register an item with community.zabbix.zabbix_item directly on a HOST, an error occurs because the interfaceid isn't filled in in the API call to zabbix.

ISSUE TYPE

• Bug Report

COMPONENT NAME

community.zabbix.zabbix_item

ANSIBLE VERSION

ansible [core 2.18.1]
  config file = /Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg
  configured module search path = ['/Users/wouter/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /opt/homebrew/Cellar/ansible/11.1.0/libexec/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/collections
  executable location = /opt/homebrew/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.13.1 (main, Dec  3 2024, 17:59:52) [Clang 16.0.0 (clang-1600.0.26.4)] (/opt/homebrew/Cellar/ansible/11.1.0/libexec/bin/python)
  jinja version = 3.1.4
  libyaml = True

CONFIGURATION

COLLECTIONS_PATHS(/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg) = ['/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/collections']
CONFIG_FILE() = /Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg
DEFAULT_FORKS(/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg) = 1
DEFAULT_HOST_LIST(/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg) = ['/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/inventory.yaml']
DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH(/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg) = ['/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/roles']
DEFAULT_STDOUT_CALLBACK(/Users/wouter/Projects/stripped/ansible.cfg) = yaml
PAGER(env: PAGER) = less

GALAXY_SERVERS:

OS / ENVIRONMENT / Zabbix Version

Zabbix version 7.2.4
Zabbix agent 2 version 7.2.4
Used version of community.zabbix is current master branch

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

---
- name: Register zabbix items
  delegate_to: "{{ zabbix_hostname }}"
  community.zabbix.zabbix_item:
    name: "DNS: A: github.com"
    host_name: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
    params:
      key: net.dns.record[8.8.8.8,github.com,A,2,1]
      type: zabbix_agent
      value_type: text
      interval: 1m
    state: present

EXPECTED RESULTS

I'd expect an additional item to be created on the zabbix host with name {{ inventory_hostname }}

ACTUAL RESULTS

An error is shown that indicates that the parameter interfaceid is missing.

This is a required field if type is zabbix_agent and hostid is provided according to https://www.zabbix.com/documentation/current/en/manual/api/reference/item/object (and it has been required in older zabbix versions). It is not required if you're not providing a host but a templateid.

TASK [dcb.zabbix_configurer_items : Register zabbix items] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
fatal: [dns-01 -> zabbix.stripped.hostname]: FAILED! => changed=false 
  msg: 'connection error occurred: REST API returned {''code'': -32602, ''message'': ''Invalid params.'', ''data'': ''Invalid parameter "/1": the parameter "interfaceid" is missing.''} when sending {''jsonrpc'': ''2.0'', ''method'': ''item.create'', ''id'': ''f5656960-4b2f-4cd4-97b9-3af717ff094e'', ''params'': {''type'': 0, ''value_type'': 4, ''name'': ''DNS: A: github.com'', ''key_'': ''net.dns.record[8.8.8.8,github.com,A,2,1]'', ''delay'': ''1m'', ''hostid'': ''10653''}}'
fatal: [dns-02 -> zabbix.stripped.hostname]: FAILED! => changed=false 
  msg: 'connection error occurred: REST API returned {''code'': -32602, ''message'': ''Invalid params.'', ''data'': ''Invalid parameter "/1": the parameter "interfaceid" is missing.''} when sending {''jsonrpc'': ''2.0'', ''method'': ''item.create'', ''id'': ''b7d2d30c-89c3-40cf-ac29-be944e73e853'', ''params'': {''type'': 0, ''value_type'': 4, ''name'': ''DNS: A: github.com'', ''key_'': ''net.dns.record[8.8.8.8,github.com,A,2,1]'', ''delay'': ''1m'', ''hostid'': ''10654''}}'

I do see the same behavior with key agent.version:

- name: Register zabbix items
  delegate_to: "{{ zabbix_hostname }}"
  community.zabbix.zabbix_item:
    name: "agent version"
    host_name: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
    params:
      key: agent.version
      type: zabbix_agent
      value_type: text
      interval: 1m
    state: present

fatal: [dns-01 -> zabbix.stripped.hostname]: FAILED! => changed=false 
  msg: 'connection error occurred: REST API returned {''code'': -32602, ''message'': ''Invalid params.'', ''data'': ''Invalid parameter "/1": the parameter "interfaceid" is missing.''} when sending {''jsonrpc'': ''2.0'', ''method'': ''item.create'', ''id'': ''e778e806-244d-4a7e-80b6-55dcb607d30d'', ''params'': {''type'': 0, ''value_type'': 4, ''name'': ''agent version'', ''key_'': ''agent.version'', ''delay'': ''1m'', ''hostid'': ''10653''}}'
fatal: [dns-02 -> zabbix.stripped.hostname]: FAILED! => changed=false 
  msg: 'connection error occurred: REST API returned {''code'': -32602, ''message'': ''Invalid params.'', ''data'': ''Invalid parameter "/1": the parameter "interfaceid" is missing.''} when sending {''jsonrpc'': ''2.0'', ''method'': ''item.create'', ''id'': ''ebe23db8-7bf4-44ab-b140-fbdd72224f45'', ''params'': {''type'': 0, ''value_type'': 4, ''name'': ''agent version'', ''key_'': ''agent.version'', ''delay'': ''1m'', ''hostid'': ''10654''}}'

[Thulium-Drake]

This also effects the zabbix_agent role, it now goes bad on a Zabbix 7.0.9 server when creating hostgroups

TASK [community.zabbix.zabbix_agent : API | Create host groups] ****************
<snip>
FAILED - RETRYING: [m-a05-01.example.nl -> m-a08-01.example.nl]: API | Create host groups (1 retries left).
fatal: [m-a05-01.example.nl -> m-a08-01.example.nl]: FAILED! => {"attempts": 10, "changed": false, "msg": "connection error occurred: REST API returned {'code': -32602, 'message': 'Invalid params.', 'data': 'Not authorized.'} when sending {'jsonrpc': '2.0', 'method': 'hostgroup.get', 'id': '44e77801-86ab-47d0-933c-190f46d0bbff', 'params': {'output': 'extend', 'filter': {'name': ['Linux servers']}}}"}

No, the unauthorized messages are not the cause, this is the same playbook with version 3.2.0 of the collection:

TASK [community.zabbix.zabbix_agent : API | Create host groups] ****************
ok: [m-a05-01.example.nl -> m-a08-01.example.nl]

I did see some changes here that were made to how the HTTPAPI module works: 3.2.0...3.3.0#diff-1bd5ceea50d5057fde402d8bfd4b004625ea084e1901d579b24f47f2300bf51e

[BGmot]

I consider this a a feature request not a bug. We can create items with active agent type as it does not require an interface, but we currently can't create types: "Zabbix agent", "IPMI agent", "JMX agent", "SNMP trap", "SNMP agent". It's just not implemented.

[BGmot]

This also effects the zabbix_agent role, it now goes bad on a Zabbix 7.0.9 server when creating hostgroups

TASK [community.zabbix.zabbix_agent : API | Create host groups] ****************
<snip>
FAILED - RETRYING: [m-a05-01.example.nl -> m-a08-01.example.nl]: API | Create host groups (1 retries left).
fatal: [m-a05-01.example.nl -> m-a08-01.example.nl]: FAILED! => {"attempts": 10, "changed": false, "msg": "connection error occurred: REST API returned {'code': -32602, 'message': 'Invalid params.', 'data': 'Not authorized.'} when sending {'jsonrpc': '2.0', 'method': 'hostgroup.get', 'id': '44e77801-86ab-47d0-933c-190f46d0bbff', 'params': {'output': 'extend', 'filter': {'name': ['Linux servers']}}}"}

No, the unauthorized messages are not the cause, this is the same playbook with version 3.2.0 of the collection:

TASK [community.zabbix.zabbix_agent : API | Create host groups] ****************
ok: [m-a05-01.example.nl -> m-a08-01.example.nl]

I did see some changes here that were made to how the HTTPAPI module works: 3.2.0...3.3.0#diff-1bd5ceea50d5057fde402d8bfd4b004625ea084e1901d579b24f47f2300bf51e

Please do not mix different problems into single "issue" here, create a separate one for this.

[WouterVanHecke123]

Whether we see it as a bug or as a feature isn't that important to me. I agree with you that I haven't seen code that implements this.

I'd like to point out though that the documentation does seem to indicate that it is supported, since the case I'm trying is literally documented on https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/community/zabbix/zabbix_item_module.html:

  community.zabbix.zabbix_item:
    name: agent_ping
    host_name: example_host
    params:
        type: zabbix_agent
        key: agent.ping
        value_type: numeric_unsigned
        interval: 1m
    state: present

For active agent we'd have to set type on zabbix_agent_active I think. So if we see this as a feature request we should probably alter the documentation.

I can try to provide a PR if you want, although I have no experience in coding in python so it might be kinda shady.

[WouterVanHecke123]

Created PR #1481 that should fix this.