Container infrastructure has never been more diverse. Some teams rely on Docker Swarm to orchestrate services at scale. Others have moved to Podman because it doesn't require a root daemon, which matters in regulated or zero-trust environments. In practice, many organizations run both.
Until now, getting full observability across these environments meant stitching together multiple tools. We're closing that gap with native support for Docker Swarm and Podman monitoring in Applications Manager!
Docker Swarm monitoring: Visibility from cluster to container
Running a Swarm cluster at scale means managing services across many nodes simultaneously. In a cluster of any real size, a problem that goes unnoticed for even a few minutes can affect more services than expected.
Applications Manager's Docker Swarm monitor gives a multi-tier view of your entire cluster, from high-level node health down to per-container resource consumption, without requiring agents on your hosts. It connects via the Swarm REST API and is straightforward to configure.
Podman monitoring: Security-first observability
Podman's daemonless, rootless architecture is its defining strength and its main observability challenge. Traditional monitoring tools that depend on daemon access or privileged APIs don't fit the model. The Podman monitor in Applications Manager is built to work within Podman's security constraints rather than around them.
"Rootless containers in production deserve the same observability as anything else in your stack."
Applications Manager connects via the Podman REST API and collects metrics without requiring elevated permissions, keeping the security setup your team put in place intact.
Monitoring coverage that keeps up with how you build
Container infrastructure rarely follows a single path. Some teams standardize on Swarm for orchestration at scale. Others choose Podman because it doesn't require a persistent daemon, which matters in environments with strict security requirements. Many teams end up running both for different workloads within the same organization.
Applications Manager now monitors both natively, without needing separate tools for each. As container strategies evolve and architectural choices multiply, observability coverage can now keep pace.
How to get started
Docker Swarm and Podman monitoring are available in the latest version of Applications Manager. Upgrade your console to enable both, or download a 30-day, free trial to explore now!
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