What is AtherOps?
AtherOps is a managed observability platform built on OpenTelemetry. You install one small agent on each Linux host; AtherOps collects that host's metrics, logs, and traces and stores them in a multi-tenant backend you can query and alert on.
The agent (atherops-otel-agent) is a thin wrapper around the unmodified
upstream OpenTelemetry Collector
(otelcol-contrib). The wrapper supervises the collector, signs everything that
leaves the host, and lets AtherOps manage your whole fleet centrally.
Why AtherOps (the short version)
- OTel-native, no lock-in. The collector is the unmodified open-source binary. Your collection configs are standard OpenTelemetry; you can take them elsewhere if you ever leave.
- One-line, integrity-verified install. The installer downloads the collector and verifies its SHA-256 checksum against a signed manifest before it ever runs. A tampered or corrupt binary is never executed. See Supply-chain trust.
- Managed fleet, easy upgrades. AtherOps tracks which collector version each host runs (via heartbeat) and can roll a new version to the fleet through a single manifest. No editing install scripts on every box. See Versioning & updates.
- True multi-tenant isolation. Every signal is stored under an
org_idthat the server derives from your API key. An agent can never write into another tenant's data. See Multi-tenant isolation.
What the agent collects
| Signal | Source on the host | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| Metrics | host CPU / memory / disk / filesystem / network / load | VictoriaMetrics (PromQL) |
| Logs | systemd journal (journald) + log files you list | ClickHouse |
| Traces | your apps send OTLP spans to the agent (:4317 / :4318) | ClickHouse |
Scope of these docs
These docs cover the Linux agent (atherops-otel-agent). The following are
documented separately or not yet in this release:
- Kubernetes agent (
atherops-k8s-otel-agent): a DaemonSet OTel agent for Kubernetes clusters. See Kubernetes agent for an overview. Full install/configure docs are in progress. - Traces / APM query UI. Traces are collected and stored (ClickHouse), but there is no in-product trace explorer in this release. Plan accordingly if you are evaluating AtherOps as a tracing backend.
- Windows hosts.
Where to go next
- New here? Start with the Install on Linux tutorial. It takes you from zero to your first telemetry in about five minutes.
- Looking up a field or port? See the Reference.
- Want to know how it works? Read the Concepts.
- Something broken? Jump to Troubleshooting.