How to Monitor Kubernetes API with Python and Zabbix Sender – Step‑by‑Step Guide

Step 1: Get the Kubernetes API address

Run the following command on the master node (not a worker) to obtain the current API endpoint:

Step 2: Generate a token on the master

Execute the following command to retrieve the admin‑user secret and extract the token:

kubectl -n kube-system describe secret $(kubectl -n kube-system get secret | grep admin-user | awk '{print $1}')

Save the token to a local file for later use in the script.

Step 3: Upload and modify the script

Create a directory named k8s under /usr/local/zabbix/share/zabbix/externalcripts and place the get_k8s.py script there.

The script needs three modifications: upload the script, set the token, and adjust the host name.

Step 4: Create a host and apply the script

In Zabbix, create a host named k8s_master; the name must match exactly, otherwise data cannot be retrieved because Zabbix Sender sends data to that host.

Step 5: Manually trigger the check

Select the monitoring item in Zabbix and click “Check now”. The resulting graph shows successful retrieval of Kubernetes metrics via the API.