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diff --git a/collectors/README.md b/collectors/README.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..7676ff86 --- /dev/null +++ b/collectors/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +# Collectors + +When Netdata starts, and with zero configuration, it auto-detects thousands of data sources and immediately collects +per-second metrics. + +Netdata can immediately collect metrics from these endpoints thanks to 300+ **collectors**, which all come pre-installed +when you [install Netdata](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/packaging/installer/README.md). + +All collectors are **installed by default** with every installation of Netdata. You do not need to install +collectors manually to collect metrics from new sources. +See how you can [monitor anything with Netdata](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/COLLECTORS.md). + +Upon startup, Netdata will **auto-detect** any application or service that has a collector, as long as both the collector +and the app/service are configured correctly. If you don't see charts for your application, see +our [collectors' configuration reference](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/REFERENCE.md). + +## How Netdata's metrics collectors work + +Every collector has two primary jobs: + +- Look for exposed metrics at a pre- or user-defined endpoint. +- Gather exposed metrics and use additional logic to build meaningful, interactive visualizations. + +If the collector finds compatible metrics exposed on the configured endpoint, it begins a per-second collection job. The +Netdata Agent gathers these metrics, sends them to the +[database engine for storage](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md) +, and immediately +[visualizes them meaningfully](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/cloud/visualize/interact-new-charts.md) +on dashboards. + +Each collector comes with a pre-defined configuration that matches the default setup for that application. This endpoint +can be a URL and port, a socket, a file, a web page, and more. The endpoint is user-configurable, as are many other +specifics of what a given collector does. + +## Collector architecture and terminology + +- **Collectors** are the processes/programs that actually gather metrics from various sources. + +- **Plugins** help manage all the independent data collection processes in a variety of programming languages, based on + their purpose and performance requirements. There are three types of plugins: + + - **Internal** plugins organize collectors that gather metrics from `/proc`, `/sys` and other Linux kernel sources. + They are written in `C`, and run as threads within the Netdata daemon. + + - **External** plugins organize collectors that gather metrics from external processes, such as a MySQL database or + Nginx web server. They can be written in any language, and the `netdata` daemon spawns them as long-running + independent processes. They communicate with the daemon via pipes. All external plugins are managed by + [plugins.d](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/plugins.d/README.md), which provides additional management options. + +- **Orchestrators** are external plugins that run and manage one or more modules. They run as independent processes. + The Go orchestrator is in active development. + + - [go.d.plugin](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/README.md): An orchestrator for data + collection modules written in `go`. + + - [python.d.plugin](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/python.d.plugin/README.md): + An orchestrator for data collection modules written in `python` v2/v3. + + - [charts.d.plugin](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/charts.d.plugin/README.md): + An orchestrator for data collection modules written in`bash` v4+. + +- **Modules** are the individual programs controlled by an orchestrator to collect data from a specific application, or type of endpoint. |