Query Logs Where They Live

Zero pipeline means eliminating traditional log aggregation infrastructure entirely. Instead of shipping logs through agents → aggregators → processors → storage → query engines, Netdata queries logs directly where they live using native system formats (systemd-journal on Linux, Windows Event Log on Windows). No data movement, no intermediate processing, no pipeline components to manage.

Direct-to-backend still requires centralized storage infrastructure (Elasticsearch clusters) and suffers from performance bottlenecks during traffic spikes. Netdata leverages systemd-journal’s native capabilities - which already provides indexing, compression, and querying - eliminating the need for separate storage infrastructure. This delivers better performance, lower costs, and zero operational overhead.

systemd-journal provides native structured logging with automatic field indexing. For applications generating text logs, our log2journal tool converts any format (text, JSON, logfmt) into fully structured journal entries. Most ‘complex transformations’ exist to compensate for poor indexing - with native journal support, 90% become unnecessary.

Yes. Netdata supports distributed (logs on each node), centralized (Netdata Parents aggregate logs), and hybrid architectures. Use systemd-journal-upload for native centralization, or configure Netdata Parents to aggregate logs from multiple agents. All approaches maintain edge processing advantages while satisfying compliance requirements. Your data never leaves your infrastructure.

Netdata ingests OpenTelemetry logs via otelcol.plugin and otel-plugin, writes them to systemd-journal format for native indexing, and can export to any OpenTelemetry backend. This provides standards-based interoperability while maintaining edge processing advantages. Use OTel for standardization, Netdata for zero-pipeline architecture.

systemd-journal handles 80-90% of operational log use cases brilliantly - structured logging, native indexing, compliance (FSS), retention, and performance. For specialized needs like complex cross-system analytics or years of hot centralized storage, integrate Netdata with your existing backend. We support OpenTelemetry export, Grafana integration, and REST API access.

Netdata provides sub-2-second query latency through direct file access and OS disk caching. Elasticsearch requires network round-trips, query planning, and aggregation across cluster nodes. For operational troubleshooting (recent logs, specific nodes), Netdata is significantly faster. For complex analytics across years of data, specialized backends may be more appropriate.

Netdata queries Windows Event Log, Event Tracing for Windows (ETW), and TraceLogging directly via native Windows APIs. The Netdata Agent queries logs in place - no additional log shipping agents, no exporters, no data movement to external systems. Monitor Application, Security, System, and custom channels with full metadata and real-time streaming. Learn more about Windows monitoring.

Each Netdata Agent operates independently - adding nodes doesn’t create central bottlenecks. Netdata Cloud federates queries across distributed agents in parallel, returning aggregated results in milliseconds. The architecture is proven at 100,000+ node deployments with consistent performance. See Infinite Scalability for details.

Yes. Netdata provides multiple access methods: native Netdata UI (zero-configuration), Grafana integration via datasource plugin, REST API for custom tools, and systemd-journal CLI (journalctl). Most teams run Netdata alongside existing tools initially, then gradually shift high-volume operational logs to Netdata while keeping specialized tools for specific use cases.

Organizations typically achieve 90% cost reduction by eliminating per-GB ingestion charges, storage multiplication, and pipeline infrastructure. Netdata uses flat per-node pricing with volume discounts - no charges for log volume, queries, or users. Traditional centralized log management solutions with per-GB pricing create unpredictable costs that grow exponentially with scale, while Netdata’s predictable per-node model keeps budgets under control. See Pricing for details.

60 seconds from installation to full log visibility. Single-command installation automatically discovers systemd-journal on Linux and Windows Event Logs on Windows. Zero configuration required - logs appear immediately with full-text search, field statistics, and real-time streaming. No schemas to define, no indexes to build, no pipelines to configure. See Installation Guide.

All logs stay on your infrastructure in native formats. systemd-journal provides Forward Secure Sealing (FSS) for tamper detection. Access control uses native OS filesystem permissions - no additional authentication layers. Export anywhere using standard tools or OpenTelemetry. SOC 2 Type 2 certified. See Security Design for details.

Netdata’s ML-based anomaly detection runs on metrics, and logs appear alongside metrics for the same timeframe. Anomaly Advisor automatically correlates unusual log patterns with metric anomalies, surfacing root cause in top 30-50 results. AI Co-Engineer provides natural language troubleshooting across both logs and metrics.

Yes. Most organizations run Netdata alongside existing tools initially, moving high-volume operational logs to Netdata while keeping specialized tools for specific use cases. This phased approach minimizes disruption while immediately reducing costs. Netdata integrates with existing infrastructure via OpenTelemetry, Grafana, and REST API. Contact sales for migration assistance.

Linux (systemd-journal), Windows (Event Log, ETW, TraceLogging), Kubernetes (container logs), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and hybrid environments. Netdata runs on physical servers, VMs, containers, and edge devices. See Integrations for complete list.

Observability pipelines process data in transit between sources and destinations - adding complexity, latency, and cost. Netdata eliminates the pipeline entirely by processing at the edge and querying in place. No intermediate infrastructure, no data movement, no processing delays. Different architectural philosophy optimized for operational simplicity and cost efficiency.

Netdata Agent uses <5% CPU and 150-200MB RAM while collecting thousands of metrics per second AND querying logs. systemd-journal is already running on every Linux system - Netdata simply queries it. No additional daemons, no separate log collectors, no performance impact. See Resource Utilization for details.

Start with a free trial or install the open-source agent with a single command. Logs appear automatically within 60 seconds. No configuration required. See Getting Started or contact sales for enterprise deployments.