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+<!--
+title: "Collect container metrics with Netdata"
+sidebar_label: "Container metrics"
+description: "Use Netdata to collect per-second utilization and application-level metrics from Linux/Docker containers and Kubernetes clusters."
+custom_edit_url: "https://github.com/netdata/netdata/edit/master/docs/collect/container-metrics.md"
+learn_status: "Published"
+learn_topic_type: "Concepts"
+learn_rel_path: "Concepts"
+-->
+
+# Collect container metrics with Netdata
+
+Thanks to close integration with Linux cgroups and the virtual files it maintains under `/sys/fs/cgroup`, Netdata can
+monitor the health, status, and resource utilization of many different types of Linux containers.
+
+Netdata uses [cgroups.plugin](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/cgroups.plugin/README.md) to poll `/sys/fs/cgroup` and convert the raw data
+into human-readable metrics and meaningful visualizations. Through cgroups, Netdata is compatible with **all Linux
+containers**, such as Docker, LXC, LXD, Libvirt, systemd-nspawn, and more. Read more about [Docker-specific
+monitoring](#collect-docker-metrics) below.
+
+Netdata also has robust **Kubernetes monitoring** support thanks to a
+[Helmchart](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/packaging/installer/methods/kubernetes.md) to automate deployment, collectors for k8s agent services, and
+robust [service discovery](https://github.com/netdata/agent-service-discovery/#service-discovery) to monitor the
+services running inside of pods in your k8s cluster. Read more about [Kubernetes
+monitoring](#collect-kubernetes-metrics) below.
+
+A handful of additional collectors gather metrics from container-related services, such as
+[dockerd](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/docker/README.md) or [Docker
+Engine](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/docker_engine/README.md). You can find all
+container collectors in our supported collectors list under the
+[containers/VMs](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/COLLECTORS.md#containers-and-vms) and
+[Kubernetes](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/COLLECTORS.md#containers-and-vms) headings.
+
+## Collect Docker metrics
+
+Netdata has robust Docker monitoring thanks to the aforementioned
+[cgroups.plugin](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/cgroups.plugin/README.md). By polling cgroups every second, Netdata can produce meaningful
+visualizations about the CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization of all running containers on the host system with
+zero configuration.
+
+Netdata also collects metrics from applications running inside of Docker containers. For example, if you create a MySQL
+database container using `docker run --name some-mysql -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=my-secret-pw -d mysql:tag`, it exposes
+metrics on port 3306. You can configure the [MySQL
+collector](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/mysql/README.md) to look at `127.0.0.0:3306` for
+MySQL metrics:
+
+```yml
+jobs:
+ - name: local
+ dsn: root:my-secret-pw@tcp(127.0.0.1:3306)/
+```
+
+Netdata then collects metrics from the container itself, but also dozens [MySQL-specific
+metrics](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/mysql/README.md#charts) as well.
+
+### Collect metrics from applications running in Docker containers
+
+You could use this technique to monitor an entire infrastructure of Docker containers. The same [enable and configure](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/REFERENCE.md) procedures apply whether an application runs on the host system or inside
+a container. You may need to configure the target endpoint if it's not the application's default.
+
+Netdata can even [run in a Docker container](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/packaging/docker/README.md) itself, and then collect metrics about the
+host system, its own container with cgroups, and any applications you want to monitor.
+
+See our [application metrics doc](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/collect/application-metrics.md) for details about Netdata's application metrics
+collection capabilities.
+
+## Collect Kubernetes metrics
+
+We already have a few complementary tools and collectors for monitoring the many layers of a Kubernetes cluster,
+_entirely for free_. These methods work together to help you troubleshoot performance or availability issues across
+your k8s infrastructure.
+
+- A [Helm chart](https://github.com/netdata/helmchart), which bootstraps a Netdata Agent pod on every node in your
+ cluster, plus an additional parent pod for storing metrics and managing alert notifications.
+- A [service discovery plugin](https://github.com/netdata/agent-service-discovery), which discovers and creates
+ configuration files for [compatible
+ applications](https://github.com/netdata/helmchart#service-discovery-and-supported-services) and any endpoints
+ covered by our [generic Prometheus
+ collector](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/prometheus/README.md). With these
+ configuration files, Netdata collects metrics from any compatible applications as they run _inside_ a pod.
+ Service discovery happens without manual intervention as pods are created, destroyed, or moved between nodes.
+- A [Kubelet collector](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/k8s_kubelet/README.md), which runs
+ on each node in a k8s cluster to monitor the number of pods/containers, the volume of operations on each container,
+ and more.
+- A [kube-proxy collector](https://github.com/netdata/go.d.plugin/blob/master/modules/k8s_kubeproxy/README.md), which
+ also runs on each node and monitors latency and the volume of HTTP requests to the proxy.
+- A [cgroups collector](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/cgroups.plugin/README.md), which collects CPU, memory, and bandwidth metrics for
+ each container running on your k8s cluster.
+
+For a holistic view of Netdata's Kubernetes monitoring capabilities, see our guide: [_Monitor a Kubernetes (k8s) cluster
+with Netdata_](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/guides/monitor/kubernetes-k8s-netdata.md).
+
+## What's next?
+
+Netdata is capable of collecting metrics from hundreds of applications, such as web servers, databases, messaging
+brokers, and more. See more in the [application metrics doc](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/collect/application-metrics.md).
+
+If you already have all the information you need about collecting metrics, move into Netdata's meaningful visualizations
+with [seeing an overview of your infrastructure](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/visualize/overview-infrastructure.md) using Netdata Cloud.
+
+