Grafana and Netdata are great options for server monitoring, but they often require a significant amount of setup time and technical expertise. Beszel takes a different approach. With its Docker Compose-based setup, you can get started with monitoring your virtual machines, containers, and servers quickly and easily. This uncomplicated approach makes it accessible to anyone looking to keep tabs on their systems.
What is Beszel?
Beszel is a lightweight platform that provides real-time insights into your system's performance. With Beszel, you'll have access to historical data on CPU and memory usage, as well as Docker container metrics like container-specific CPU and memory statistics. You'll also receive customizable alert notifications for potential issues, so you can take proactive steps to optimize your server performance.
Beszel Core Features
- Lightweight : Much smaller and less demanding than leading solutions.
- Docker stats : CPU and memory usage history for each container.
- Alerts : Configurable alerts for CPU, memory, and disk usage, and system status.
- Multi-user : Each user has their own systems. Admins can share systems across users.
- Simple : Easy setup and doesn't require anything to be publicly available online.
- OAuth / OIDC : Supports many OAuth2 providers. Password auth can be disabled.
- Automatic backups : Save and restore your data to / from disk or S3-compatible storage.
- REST API : Use your metrics in your own scripts and applications.
Getting Started with Beszel
Beszel consists of two parts: the Hub and the Agent. The Hub is a web application that lets you view and manage your monitored systems in one place. Meanwhile, the Agent runs on each system you're monitoring, collecting metrics and sending them to the Hub through a secure connection. For ease of use, you can deploy both components using Docker Compose or install Beszel's single binary package.
Adding a New System/Agent in Beszel
To add a new system to Beszel, simply follow these steps: Start by clicking the 'Add System' button and filling out the required information, including the system's name and IP address. Once you've completed the form, copy the Docker Compose configuration to your clipboard, then deploy it on the machine you want to monitor using a single command. Beszel will automatically detect the new system and begin collecting data.
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Keep in mind the web interface must be secured behind SSL for copy to clipboard to work. It will not work locally in most cases.
Beszel uses PocketBase, a powerful backend platform, to provide advanced features such as automated backups, SMTP alerting, file storage, user management, log viewing, and authentication integration. With PocketBase, Beszel can seamlessly handle these tasks without requiring users to set up complex infrastructure or manage multiple tools.
Final Notes and Thoughts
I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the setup process was when I first got started with Bezszel. The Docker Compose configuration made it easy to get both the Hub and Agent running, and before long I was collecting valuable metrics on my system's performance. It's been great having this insight into what's going on under the hood. If you're looking for a similar solution, Beszel is definitely worth considering.
Read more about Beszel and contribute to the project over on the Beszel Github repo. Give it a star if you find it useful!
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