Overview

This guide describes how to manually configure a Robustel EG/MG series gateway (running RobustOS Pro) to act as an SNMP collector and MQTT forwarder. By deploying Zabbix Server and Agent 2 via Docker, the gateway can poll data from local end-devices (via SNMP) and forward the processed data to a cloud server via MQTT.

This configuration implements the following data flow:

End Device (SNMP) -> MG460/EG5120 (Zabbix Agent 2) -> MQTT Broker -> Cloud/Server

What You'll Need

Hardware

• 1 x Robustel EG/MG Series Gateway (e.g., MG460, EG5120) with ARM64 architecture.
• 1 x Power supply.
• 1 x Ethernet cable connecting the gateway to the WAN/Internet.
• 1 x End Device (e.g., PLC, Marine VSAT) supporting SNMP connected to the Gateway's LAN.

Software/Firmware

• RobustOS Pro firmware (Debian 11 based).
• SSH Client (e.g., PuTTY, SecureCRT).
• Internet access on the gateway (for downloading Docker images and packages).

Prerequisites

• Root/Sudo Access: You must have a user with sudo privileges. For instructions on creating a sudo user, refer to: How to create a sudo user with SSH access on an EG series device.

Step-by-Step Configuration Guide

Step 1: Access the Gateway and Install Dependencies

First, log in to the gateway via SSH and install the necessary system tools and Docker environment.

1. Login via SSH:

Bash

ssh username@<Gateway_LAN_IP>

(Replace username and <Gateway_LAN_IP> with your actual details).

2. Update System and Install Tools:

Switch to root privileges and update the package list.

Bash

sudo -i
apt-get update

3. Install Docker and SNMP Utils:

Install Docker engine, Docker Compose, and SNMP utilities required for testing.

Bash

apt-get install -y docker.io docker-compose snmp snmp-mibs-downloader mosquitto-clients python3-pip

4. Start Docker Service:

Bash

systemctl start docker
systemctl enable docker

Step 2: Configure Directory Structure

Create the specific directories required to persist Zabbix database data and store MIB files.

1. Create Directories:

Bash

mkdir -p /zabbix-docker/mibs
mkdir -p /zabbix-docker/data/mysql
mkdir -p /zabbix-docker/alertscripts

2. Set Permissions:

Ensure the Docker containers can access these folders.

Bash

chmod -R 755 /zabbix-docker

Step 3: Create Docker Compose Configuration

You will now create the orchestration file that defines the Zabbix Server, Web Interface, Database, and Agent 2.

1. Navigate to the directory:

Bash

cd /zabbix-docker

2. Create the docker-compose.yml file:

Use a text editor (like nano or vi) or cat to create the file.

Bash

cat > docker-compose.yml << EOF
version: "3.3"
services:
  mysql:
    image: docker.1ms.run/library/mysql:8.0
    container_name: zabbix-mysql
    command:
      - --character-set-server=utf8mb4
      - --collation-server=utf8mb4_bin
      - --default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpass
      MYSQL_DATABASE: zabbix
      MYSQL_USER: zabbix
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: zabbixpass
    volumes:
      - ./data/mysql:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped

  zabbix-server:
    image: docker.1ms.run/zabbix/zabbix-server-mysql:latest
    container_name: zabbix-server
    depends_on:
      - mysql
    environment:
      DB_SERVER_HOST: mysql
      MYSQL_DATABASE: zabbix
      MYSQL_USER: zabbix
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: zabbixpass
      ZBX_STARTPOLLERS: 10
    volumes:
      - ./alertscripts:/usr/lib/zabbix/alertscripts
      - ./mibs:/usr/share/snmp/mibs
    restart: unless-stopped

  zabbix-web:
    image: docker.1ms.run/zabbix/zabbix-web-nginx-mysql:latest
    container_name: zabbix-web
    depends_on:
      - mysql
      - zabbix-server
    environment:
      DB_SERVER_HOST: mysql
      MYSQL_DATABASE: zabbix
      MYSQL_USER: zabbix
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: zabbixpass
      PHP_TZ: Asia/Shanghai
    ports:
      - "8800:8080"
    restart: unless-stopped

  zabbix-agent2:
    image: docker.1ms.run/zabbix/zabbix-agent2:latest
    container_name: zabbix-agent2
    user: root
    depends_on:
      - zabbix-server
    environment:
      ZBX_HOSTNAME: MG460-Gateway
      ZBX_SERVER_HOST: zabbix-server
      ZBX_PLUGINS: mqtt
      ZBX_PLUGIN_MQTT_BROKERS: EMQX_Broker
      ZBX_PLUGIN_MQTT_BROKERS_EMQX_BROKER_HOST: broker.emqx.io
      ZBX_PLUGIN_MQTT_BROKERS_EMQX_BROKER_PORT: 1883
      ZBX_PLUGIN_MQTT_BROKERS_EMQX_BROKER_USERNAME: admin
      ZBX_PLUGIN_MQTT_BROKERS_EMQX_BROKER_PASSWORD: admin
      ZBX_PLUGIN_MQTT_BROKERS_EMQX_BROKER_TOPICS: zabbix/#
    restart: unless-stopped
EOF

Note: Modify the MQTT Broker details in the zabbix-agent2 section to match your actual server configuration.

Step 4: Deploy and Verify Services

1. Launch Containers:

Bash

docker-compose up -d

2. Verify Status:

Wait approximately 60-90 seconds for the database to initialize, then check the running containers.

Bash

docker-compose ps

Ensure all four containers (zabbix-mysql, zabbix-server, zabbix-web, zabbix-agent2) are in the Up state.

3. Import MIBs (Optional):

If your end device requires specific MIB files, upload them to /zabbix-docker/mibs and restart the server container:

Bash

docker-compose restart zabbix-server

Step 5: Validation and Testing

Verify the complete data path: End Device -> SNMP -> MG460 -> MQTT.

1. Test SNMP Reachability:

From the gateway terminal, ensure you can read data from your end device (or a simulator).

Bash

# Replace 192.168.0.96 with your End Device IP
snmpwalk -v 2c -c public 192.168.0.96 .1.3.6.1.4.1

2. Access Zabbix Web Interface:

• Open a browser and go to http://<Gateway_IP>:8800.
• Username: Admin
• Password: zabbix
• Navigate to Configuration > Hosts and ensure the "MG460-Gateway" (Agent 2) is available. You can add SNMP interfaces here to poll the End Device.

3. Monitor MQTT Output:

Open a second terminal window or use the gateway console to subscribe to the MQTT topic and verify data is arriving.

Bash

mosquitto_sub -h broker.emqx.io -p 1883 -t "zabbix/#" -v

You should see JSON formatted messages published by the Zabbix Agent 2 containing the collected metrics.

Troubleshooting / FAQ

• Q: Docker fails to pull images.

• A: Check the gateway's internet connection. If the default registry is blocked, you may need to configure a Docker mirror in /etc/docker/daemon.json.

• Q: "Permission denied" errors.

• A: Ensure you are running commands as root or using sudo. The docker-compose.yml sets the Agent 2 to run as root to avoid socket permission issues.

• Q: I cannot see data in the MQTT broker.

• A: Verify the MQTT credentials in the docker-compose.yml file. Also, ensure the firewall allows outbound traffic on port 1883.

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