Deployment Guides
Get Netdata up and running in your infrastructure. Choose a deployment method that fits your needs.
Quick Start
- Testing Netdata? → Docker deployment (2 minutes, easy cleanup)
- Monitoring one server? → Standalone installation (1 minute, upgradeable)
- Production ready? → Parent-Child setup (recommended)
Deployment Methods
Standalone
Single Netdata Agent monitoring one system. Perfect for getting started or monitoring individual servers.
Best for: Testing or simple single-server monitoring
Setup time: < 1 minute
Parent-Child Streaming (Recommended)
The recommended production setup. Stream metrics from Child Agents to centralized Parent nodes for better data persistence and resource optimization.
Best for: Production environments of any size, high availability requirements
Setup time: 10-15 minutes
Kubernetes
Deploy Netdata across your Kubernetes clusters with our Helm chart. Required for proper Kubernetes monitoring.
Best for: Kubernetes environments (required for full K8s observability)
Setup time: 5-10 minutes
Docker
Run Netdata in containers for quick testing. Note: Some features are limited compared to host installation.
Best for: Quick testing, ephemeral environments
Setup time: 2-5 minutes
Which Deployment Should I Choose?
Environment | Recommended Method | Why |
---|---|---|
Production servers | Parent-Child | Best data persistence, resource optimization, and high availability |
Kubernetes | Helm Chart | Required for K8s API access and pod metadata collection |
Testing/Development | Standalone or Docker | Quick setup, easy to remove |
Single server | Standalone (upgrade to Parent-Child later) | Start simple, upgrade when ready for production |
- Kubernetes: Always use our Helm chart. Direct host installation won't have access to K8s API for pod metadata and service discovery.
- Docker: Limited feature set compared to host installation. Best for testing, not recommended for production.
- Production: Parent-Child is recommended regardless of cluster size for better reliability and data persistence.
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