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diff --git a/collectors/README.md b/collectors/README.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..b7fc73286 --- /dev/null +++ b/collectors/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,118 @@ +# Data Collection Plugins + +netdata supports **internal** and **external** data collection plugins: + +- **internal** plugins are written in `C` and run as threads inside the netdata daemon. + +- **external** plugins may be written in any computer language and are spawn as independent long-running processes by the netdata daemon. + They communicate with the netdata daemon via `pipes` (`stdout` communication). + +To minimize the number of processes spawn for data collection, netdata also supports **plugin orchestrators**. + +- **plugin orchestrators** are external plugins that do not collect any data by themeselves. + Instead they support data collection **modules** written in the language of the orchestrator. + Usually the orchestrator provides a higher level abstraction, making it ideal for writing new + data collection modules with the minimum of code. + + Currently netdata provides plugin orchestrators + BASH v4+ [charts.d.plugin](charts.d.plugin), + node.js [node.d.plugin](node.d.plugin) and + python v2+ (including v3) [python.d.plugin](python.d.plugin). + +## Netdata Plugins + +plugin|lang|O/S|runs as|modular|description +:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:--- +[apps.plugin](apps.plugin/)|`C`|linux, freebsd|external|-|monitors the whole process tree on Linux and FreeBSD and breaks down system resource usage by **process**, **user** and **user group**. +[cgroups.plugin](cgroups.plugin/)|`C`|linux|internal|-|collects resource usage of **Containers**, libvirt **VMs** and **systemd services**, on Linux systems +[charts.d.plugin](charts.d.plugin/)|`BASH` v4+|any|external|yes|a **plugin orchestrator** for data collection modules written in `BASH` v4+. +[checks.plugin](checks.plugin/)|`C`|any|internal|-|a debugging plugin (by default it is disabled) +[diskspace.plugin](diskspace.plugin/)|`C`|linux|internal|-|collects disk space usage metrics on Linux mount points +[fping.plugin](fping.plugin/)|`C`|any|external|-|measures network latency, jitter and packet loss between the monitored node and any number of remote network end points. +[freebsd.plugin](freebsd.plugin/)|`C`|freebsd|internal|yes|collects resource usage and performance data on FreeBSD systems +[freeipmi.plugin](freeipmi.plugin/)|`C`|linux, freebsd|external|-|collects metrics from enterprise hardware sensors, on Linux and FreeBSD servers. +[idlejitter.plugin](idlejitter.plugin/)|`C`|any|internal|-|measures CPU latency and jitter on all operating systems +[macos.plugin](macos.plugin/)|`C`|macos|internal|yes|collects resource usage and performance data on MacOS systems +[nfacct.plugin](nfacct.plugin/)|`C`|linux|internal|-|collects netfilter firewall, connection tracker and accounting metrics using `libmnl` and `libnetfilter_acct` +[node.d.plugin](node.d.plugin/)|`node.js`|any|external|yes|a **plugin orchestrator** for data collection modules written in `node.js`. +[plugins.d](plugins.d/)|`C`|any|internal|-|implements the **external plugins** API and serves external plugins +[proc.plugin](proc.plugin/)|`C`|linux|internal|yes|collects resource usage and performance data on Linux systems +[python.d.plugin](python.d.plugin/)|`python` v2+|any|external|yes|a **plugin orchestrator** for data collection modules written in `python` v2 or v3 (both are supported). +[statsd.plugin](statsd.plugin/)|`C`|any|internal|-|implements a high performance **statsd** server for netdata +[tc.plugin](tc.plugin/)|`C`|linux|internal|-|collects traffic QoS metrics (`tc`) of Linux network interfaces + +## Enabling and Disabling plugins + +Each plugin can be enabled or disabled via `netdata.conf`, section `[plugins]`. + +At this section there a list of all the plugins with a boolean setting to enable them or disable them. + +The exception is `statsd.plugin` that has its own `[statsd]` section. + +Once a plugin is enabled, consult the page of each plugin for additional configuration options. + +All **external plugins** are managed by [plugins.d](plugins.d/), which provides additional management options. + +### Internal Plugins + +Each of the internal plugins runs as a thread inside the netdata daemon. +Once this thread has started, the plugin may spawn additional threads according to its design. + +#### Internal Plugins API + +The internal data collection API consists of the following calls: + +```c +collect_data() { + // collect data here (one iteration) + + collected_number collected_value = collect_a_value(); + + // give the metrics to netdata + + static RRDSET *st = NULL; // the chart + static RRDDIM *rd = NULL; // a dimension attached to this chart + + if(unlikely(!st)) { + // we haven't created this chart before + // create it now + st = rrdset_create_localhost( + "type" + , "id" + , "name" + , "family" + , "context" + , "Chart Title" + , "units" + , "plugin-name" + , "module-name" + , priority + , update_every + , chart_type + ); + + // attach a metric to it + rd = rrddim_add(st, "id", "name", multiplier, divider, algorithm); + } + else { + // this chart is already created + // let netdata know we start a new iteration on it + rrdset_next(st); + } + + // give the collected value(s) to the chart + rrddim_set_by_pointer(st, rd, collected_value); + + // signal netdata we are done with this iteration + rrdset_done(st); +} +``` + +Of course netdata has a lot of libraries to help you also in collecting the metrics. +The best way to find your way through this, is to examine what other similar plugins do. + + +### External Plugins + +**External plugins** use the API and are managed by [plugins.d](plugins.d/). + |