How can Zabbix calculate a "rate" for collected data?

Zabbix is equipped with a built-in functionality to calculate rates directly through its item configuration settings. When using the Rate calculation method, Zabbix can automatically determine the change in values over specified time intervals, making it particularly effective for metrics like bandwidth usage or other similar scenarios where you want to gauge the rate of change over time.

This method reduces the work for users, as there is no need for manual calculation or additional tools. Instead, Zabbix captures the necessary data points at defined intervals and processes them to provide an accurate representation of the rate. This built-in capability streamlines monitoring and analysis, allowing users to focus on interpreting the data rather than calculating it themselves.

Other options, such as manual calculations or averaging historical data, would not be as efficient or accurate for real-time monitoring. Additionally, periodic data sampling techniques may imply a less structured approach and might not provide the precise rates that Zabbix can calculate directly through its dedicated method.