Watchlog Agent

Installable system agent that collects server metrics, logs, and performance data from any environment — Linux, Windows, Docker, or Kubernetes.

Get started freeRead docs

30‑day trial on paid features. No credit card to start.

Why use Watchlog Agent?

  • Monitor CPU, memory, disk, network, and process health in real time.
  • Tail, parse, and stream logs from files or journald with filters.
  • Threshold‑based alerts to Webhook, Slack, or Telegram.
  • Drop‑in APM & Custom Events integration with normalized routes.
Agent Dashboard

Available for every environment

Ubuntu / Debian

One‑liner install script

Windows

Service with auto‑start

Docker

Sidecar container

Kubernetes

DaemonSet on all nodes

Agent schematic

Get started in seconds

# 1) Replace your API-Key & Server
sudo apiKey="API-Key" server="Server" bash -c "$(curl -L https://watchlog.io/ubuntu/watchlog-script.sh)"
Need a different OS? See the full docs.Open docs

What it collects

  • CPU, memory, disk, network, load, process stats
  • Log tailing from files, directories, journald
  • Service health and port checks
  • Custom events and APM traces

Key environment variables

WATCHLOG_SERVER_URL
Your Watchlog endpoint (e.g., https://app.watchlog.io or your Enterprise URL)
WATCHLOG_API_KEY
Authentication token used by the agent to send data
WATCHLOG_LOG_PATHS
Comma‑separated file globs to tail (e.g., /var/log/*.log,/var/log/nginx/*.log)
WATCHLOG_TAGS
Optional tags applied to this host (e.g., env=prod,region=eu)

Security & privacy

  • TLS in transit; optional IP allowlist and signed payloads
  • Local buffering with backpressure; no credential scraping
  • Least‑privilege service user; root not required for most collectors
  • Transparent integrations and auditable configs

Resource footprint

  • CPU: ~1–3% on typical hosts; adaptive sampling under load.
  • Memory: ~60–120MB depending on enabled collectors.
  • Disk: minimal; uses streaming and backpressure buffers.
  • Network: compressed, batched, and TLS‑encrypted.

Troubleshooting

  • Service not running? systemctl status watchlog-agent (Linux) or Services panel (Windows).
  • No data? Check WATCHLOG_SERVER_URL, WATCHLOG_API_KEY, and egress firewall rules.
  • Logs not streaming? Verify file paths, permissions, and log rotation settings.
  • K8s nodes missing? Confirm DaemonSet is scheduled on all nodes and ServiceAccount permissions.

Frequently asked questions

What is Watchlog Agent?

Watchlog Agent is a lightweight monitoring client that collects system metrics, logs, and performance data from your servers and sends them securely to the Watchlog platform.

Which platforms are supported?

It works on Linux, Windows, Docker, and Kubernetes. The Agent is optimized for minimal resource usage.

Is my data secure?

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit using TLS, and we never store sensitive credentials or raw logs unless explicitly configured.

How often does it send metrics?

By default, metrics are collected every 60 seconds, but you can adjust the interval in the configuration file.

Can I run multiple agents?

Yes, you can deploy multiple agents across different servers or environments and monitor them all from a single Watchlog dashboard.

Need help installing?

We’ll guide you through setup, configuration, and best practices for your stack.

Contact us