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diff --git a/docs/guides/configure/performance.md b/docs/guides/configure/performance.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..2e5e105f --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/guides/configure/performance.md @@ -0,0 +1,224 @@ +# How to optimize the Netdata Agent's performance + +We designed the Netdata Agent to be incredibly lightweight, even when it's collecting a few thousand dimensions every +second and visualizing that data into hundreds of charts. However, the default settings of the Netdata Agent are not +optimized for performance, but for a simple, standalone setup. We want the first install to give you something you can +run without any configuration. Most of the settings and options are enabled, since we want you to experience the full thing. + +By default, Netdata will automatically detect applications running on the node it is installed to start collecting metrics in +real-time, has health monitoring enabled to evaluate alerts and trains Machine Learning (ML) models for each metric, to detect anomalies. + +This document describes the resources required for the various default capabilities and the strategies to optimize Netdata for production use. + +## Summary of performance optimizations + +The following table summarizes the effect of each optimization on the CPU, RAM and Disk IO utilization in production. + +Optimization | CPU | RAM | Disk IO +-- | -- | -- |-- +[Use streaming and replication](#use-streaming-and-replication) | :heavy_check_mark: | :heavy_check_mark: | :heavy_check_mark: +[Disable unneeded plugins or collectors](#disable-unneeded-plugins-or-collectors) | :heavy_check_mark: | :heavy_check_mark: | :heavy_check_mark: +[Reduce data collection frequency](#reduce-collection-frequency) | :heavy_check_mark: | | :heavy_check_mark: +[Change how long Netdata stores metrics](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md) | | :heavy_check_mark: | :heavy_check_mark: +[Use a different metric storage database](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/database/README.md) | | :heavy_check_mark: | :heavy_check_mark: +[Disable machine learning](#disable-machine-learning) | :heavy_check_mark: | | +[Use a reverse proxy](#run-netdata-behind-a-proxy) | :heavy_check_mark: | | +[Disable/lower gzip compression for the agent dashboard](#disablelower-gzip-compression-for-the-dashboard) | :heavy_check_mark: | | + +## Resources required by a default Netdata installation + +Netdata's performance is primarily affected by **data collection/retention** and **clients accessing data**. + +You can configure almost all aspects of data collection/retention, and certain aspects of clients accessing data. + +### CPU consumption + +Expect about: + - 1-3% of a single core for the netdata core + - 1-3% of a single core for the various collectors (e.g. go.d.plugin, apps.plugin) + - 5-10% of a single core, when ML training runs + +Your experience may vary depending on the number of metrics collected, the collectors enabled and the specific environment they +run on, i.e. the work they have to do to collect these metrics. + +As a general rule, for modern hardware and VMs, the total CPU consumption of a standalone Netdata installation, including all its components, +should be below 5 - 15% of a single core. For example, on 8 core server it will use only 0.6% - 1.8% of a total CPU capacity, depending on +the CPU characteristics. + +The Netdata Agent runs with the lowest possible [process scheduling policy](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/daemon/README.md#netdata-process-scheduling-policy), which is `nice 19`, and uses the `idle` process scheduler. +Together, these settings ensure that the Agent only gets CPU resources when the node has CPU resources to space. If the +node reaches 100% CPU utilization, the Agent is stopped first to ensure your applications get any available resources. + +To reduce CPU usage you can [disable machine learning](#disable-machine-learning), +[use streaming and replication](#use-streaming-and-replication), +[reduce the data collection frequency](#reduce-collection-frequency), [disable unneeded plugins or collectors](#disable-unneeded-plugins-or-collectors), [use a reverse proxy](#run-netdata-behind-a-proxy), and [disable/lower gzip compression for the agent dashboard](#disablelower-gzip-compression-for-the-dashboard). + +### Memory consumption + +The memory footprint of Netdata is mainly influenced by the number of metrics concurrently being collected. Expect about 150MB of RAM for a typical 64-bit server collecting about 2000 to 3000 metrics. + +To estimate and control memory consumption, you can [disable unneeded plugins or collectors](#disable-unneeded-plugins-or-collectors), [change how long Netdata stores metrics](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md), or [use a different metric storage database](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/database/README.md). + + +### Disk footprint and I/O + +By default, Netdata should not use more than 1GB of disk space, most of which is dedicated for storing metric data and metadata. For typical installations collecting 2000 - 3000 metrics, this storage should provide a few days of high-resolution retention (per second), about a month of mid-resolution retention (per minute) and more than a year of low-resolution retention (per hour). + +Netdata spreads I/O operations across time. For typical standalone installations there should be a few write operations every 5-10 seconds of a few kilobytes each, occasionally up to 1MB. In addition, under heavy load, collectors that require disk I/O may stop and show gaps in charts. + +To configure retention, you can [change how long Netdata stores metrics](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md). +To control disk I/O [use a different metric storage database](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/database/README.md), avoid querying the +production system [using streaming and replication](#use-streaming-and-replication), [reduce the data collection frequency](#reduce-collection-frequency), and [disable unneeded plugins or collectors](#disable-unneeded-plugins-or-collectors). + +## Use streaming and replication + +For all production environments, parent Netdata nodes outside the production infrastructure should be receiving all +collected data from children Netdata nodes running on the production infrastructure, using [streaming and replication](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/metrics-storage-management/enable-streaming.md). + +### Disable health checks on the child nodes + +When you set up streaming, we recommend you run your health checks on the parent. This saves resources on the children +and makes it easier to configure or disable alerts and agent notifications. + +The parents by default run health checks for each child, as long as the child is connected (the details are in `stream.conf`). +On the child nodes you should add to `netdata.conf` the following: + +```conf +[health] + enabled = no +``` + +### Use memory mode ram or save for the child nodes + +See [using a different metric storage database](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/database/README.md). + +## Disable unneeded plugins or collectors + +If you know that you don't need an [entire plugin or a specific +collector](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/README.md#collector-architecture-and-terminology), you can disable any of them. +Keep in mind that if a plugin/collector has nothing to do, it simply shuts down and does not consume system resources. +You will only improve the Agent's performance by disabling plugins/collectors that are actively collecting metrics. + +Open `netdata.conf` and scroll down to the `[plugins]` section. To disable any plugin, uncomment it and set the value to +`no`. For example, to explicitly keep the `proc` and `go.d` plugins enabled while disabling `python.d` and `charts.d`. + +```conf +[plugins] + proc = yes + python.d = no + charts.d = no + go.d = yes +``` + +Disable specific collectors by opening their respective plugin configuration files, uncommenting the line for the +collector, and setting its value to `no`. + +```bash +sudo ./edit-config go.d.conf +sudo ./edit-config python.d.conf +sudo ./edit-config charts.d.conf +``` + +For example, to disable a few Python collectors: + +```conf +modules: + apache: no + dockerd: no + fail2ban: no +``` + +## Reduce collection frequency + +The fastest way to improve the Agent's resource utilization is to reduce how often it collects metrics. + +### Global + +If you don't need per-second metrics, or if the Netdata Agent uses a lot of CPU even when no one is viewing that node's +dashboard, [configure the Agent](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/configure/nodes.md) to collect metrics less often. + +Open `netdata.conf` and edit the `update every` setting. The default is `1`, meaning that the Agent collects metrics +every second. + +If you change this to `2`, Netdata enforces a minimum `update every` setting of 2 seconds, and collects metrics every +other second, which will effectively halve CPU utilization. Set this to `5` or `10` to collect metrics every 5 or 10 +seconds, respectively. + +```conf +[global] + update every = 5 +``` + +### Specific plugin or collector + +Every collector and plugin has its own `update every` setting, which you can also change in the `go.d.conf`, +`python.d.conf`, or `charts.d.conf` files, or in individual collector configuration files. If the `update +every` for an individual collector is less than the global, the Netdata Agent uses the global setting. See the [collectors configuration reference](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/REFERENCE.md) for details. + +To reduce the frequency of an [internal +plugin/collector](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/README.md#collector-architecture-and-terminology), open `netdata.conf` and +find the appropriate section. For example, to reduce the frequency of the `apps` plugin, which collects and visualizes +metrics on application resource utilization: + +```conf +[plugin:apps] + update every = 5 +``` + +To [configure an individual collector](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/collectors/REFERENCE.md#configure-a-collector), open its specific configuration file with +`edit-config` and look for the `update_every` setting. For example, to reduce the frequency of the `nginx` collector, +run `sudo ./edit-config go.d/nginx.conf`: + +```conf +# [ GLOBAL ] +update_every: 10 +``` + +## Lower memory usage for metrics retention + +See how to [change how long Netdata stores metrics](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md). + +## Use a different metric storage database + +Consider [using a different metric storage database](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/database/README.md) when running Netdata on IoT devices, +and for children in a parent-child set up based on [streaming and replication](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/metrics-storage-management/enable-streaming.md). + +## Disable machine learning + +Automated anomaly detection may be a powerful tool, but we recommend it to only be enabled on Netdata parents +that sit outside your production infrastructure, or if you have cpu and memory to spare. You can disable ML +with the following: + +```conf +[ml] + enabled = no +``` + +## Run Netdata behind a proxy + +A dedicated web server like nginx provides more robustness than the Agent's internal [web server](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/web/README.md). +Nginx can handle more concurrent connections, reuse idle connections, and use fast gzip compression to reduce payloads. + +For details on installing another web server as a proxy for the local Agent dashboard, see [reverse proxies](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/category-overview-pages/reverse-proxies.md). + +## Disable/lower gzip compression for the dashboard + +If you choose not to run the Agent behind Nginx, you can disable or lower the Agent's web server's gzip compression. +While gzip compression does reduce the size of the HTML/CSS/JS payload, it does use additional CPU while a user is +looking at the local Agent dashboard. + +To disable gzip compression, open `netdata.conf` and find the `[web]` section: + +```conf +[web] + enable gzip compression = no +``` + +Or to lower the default compression level: + +```conf +[web] + enable gzip compression = yes + gzip compression level = 1 +``` + |