insight//technology
Endpoint & fleet telemetry

FleetWatch

A lightweight telemetry agent and collection system for heterogeneous computer fleets.

Discuss your fleet
fwctl inspectHEL-VM-0421
$ fwctl inspect HEL-VM-0421

status          connected
platform        linux/x86_64
agent           5.8.2
last_event      2026-10-01T19:42:18Z
queue_depth     0
queue_age       0s
sampling_budget 2.0%

collector       hel-collector-03
session         resumable
policy          engineering-linux-v4
status: healthyexit 0
RUNS ASOrdinary system service
CONNECTIVITYContinuous or intermittent
DEPLOYMENTDirect or relayed
CONSOLEOptional
01 / DESIGN PRIORITIES

Monitoring should not become the incident.

FleetWatch collects configured operating-system, hardware, process, and application metrics. What it does under pressure matters as much as what it collects.

01

Low, predictable overhead

Bounded queues and configurable sampling budgets reduce optional telemetry before application workloads are affected.

02

Disconnected operation

Agents journal locally when collectors cannot be reached. Upload resumes when connectivity returns.

03

Boring deployment

No Java runtime, browser engine, database server, or local container environment is required. We consider this a feature.

04

Explicit configuration

Administrators specify what is collected, where it may be sent, and how long it may be retained.

02 / COMPONENTS

Five programs. Each has one job.

The graphical administration console is optional. Nobody on the engineering team considers this unusual.

BINARYROLEWHERE IT RUNS
fw-agent

Endpoint collection daemon

Monitored systems
fw-relay

Store-and-forward relay for isolated networks and large sites

Site or network boundary
fw-collector

Erlang/OTP ingestion service

Backend cluster
fwctl

Command-line administration and diagnostics utility

Operator workstation
fw-export

Batch export for customers who prefer to analyze their own data

Wherever requested
03 / DEPLOYMENT

Online is not a requirement.

Disconnected systems are computers that happen not to have a route at the moment.

SEGMENT AAgents
local→
BOUNDED JOURNALfw-relay
intermittent link⇢
ERLANG / OTPCollectors
COMPATIBILITY

Protocols must survive longer than project schedules.

FleetWatch uses additive protocol changes and resumable sessions. Older agents remain useful because a clean redesign is not a sufficient reason to cause a customer outage.

Read support and compatibility policy →
FLEETWATCH

Tell us about the fleet.

Include platforms, network constraints, retention needs, and the machines nobody is allowed to reboot.

sales@insight-technology.org