PluginBench
MCP Server
Active
GPL-3.0

Netdata MCP Server

io.github.netdata/mcp-server

Real-time infrastructure monitoring with per-second metrics, logs, alerts, and ML-powered anomaly detection.

What is the Netdata MCP server?

The Netdata MCP server provides access to Netdata's real-time infrastructure monitoring platform. It enables per-second metric collection, visualization, ML-based anomaly detection, and alerting across servers, containers, and applications with zero-configuration auto-discovery.

Netdata is an open-source monitoring platform that collects and visualizes infrastructure metrics in real-time with minimal resource overhead. It auto-discovers system resources, applications, and services, applies machine-learning models to detect anomalies at the edge, and integrates with alerting systems—all without centralized data collection or complex configuration.

How to install Netdata

Copy-paste configuration for popular MCP clients.

transport: http
Config generated by PluginBench — verify against the source before use.
Environment / auth
  • Authorization
    required
    secret

    Netdata Cloud API token with scope:mcp

~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://app.netdata.cloud/api/v1/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Tools & capabilities

Tools this server exposes to the agent.

  • Real-time metrics collection — Per-second data collection from system resources, storage, network, hardware sensors, processes, containers, VMs, and applications
  • ML-powered anomaly detection — Unsupervised machine-learning models trained per metric at the edge to detect anomalies and predict issues
  • Alert integration — Built-in alerts with integration to email, Slack, Telegram, PagerDuty, Discord, Microsoft Teams, and more
  • Log monitoring — System and application log collection from systemd-journal, Windows Event Log, and ETW
  • Visualization and dashboards — Interactive, real-time dashboards with rich visualizations and no query language required
  • Data streaming and centralization — Parent-Child architecture for centralized dashboards, longer retention, and multi-node scaling
  • Multi-platform monitoring — Support for Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud providers

Use cases

  • Monitor system CPU, memory, disk, and network performance in real-time across all infrastructure
  • Detect infrastructure anomalies and performance issues automatically using ML models without manual threshold configuration
  • Centralize monitoring dashboards and alerts across multiple servers and cloud environments using Netdata Parents
  • Track application and container performance metrics alongside system metrics for complete visibility
  • Set up automated alerts via email, Slack, or PagerDuty when anomalies are detected

Netdata MCP server FAQ

What is the Netdata MCP server?

It's a Model Context Protocol server that exposes Netdata's real-time infrastructure monitoring capabilities, allowing AI agents to query metrics, logs, alerts, and anomaly detection data from your monitored infrastructure.

Is Netdata free?

Yes, Netdata Agent is open-source under GPL v3+. Netdata Cloud offers a free community tier with optional enterprise features for user management, RBAC, and horizontal scaling.

How do I install Netdata in Cursor or Claude?

Add the remote MCP server endpoint https://app.netdata.cloud/api/v1/mcp to your MCP configuration. Netdata Cloud account and connected nodes are required.

Does Netdata require authentication?

Netdata Agent runs locally with no authentication by default. Netdata Cloud requires a free account to connect nodes and access cloud features.

What platforms does Netdata support?

Netdata runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud providers. It auto-discovers and monitors system resources, applications, containers, and VMs.

Can I use Netdata without sending data to the cloud?

Yes, Netdata is edge-based and keeps data local by default. Netdata Cloud is optional; you can use the local UI at http://localhost:19999 without any cloud connection.

README (reference)

Source of truth, from the repository.

<p align="center"> <a href="https://www.netdata.cloud#gh-light-mode-only"> <img src="https://www.netdata.cloud/img/readme-images/netdata_readme_logo_light.png" alt="Netdata" width="300"/> </a> <a href="https://www.netdata.cloud#gh-dark-mode-only"> <img src="https://www.netdata.cloud/img/readme-images/netdata_readme_logo_dark.png" alt="Netdata" width="300"/> </a> </p> <h3 align="center">X-Ray Vision for your infrastructure!</h3> <h4 align="center">Every Metric, Every Second. No BS.</h4> <br /> <p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/netdata/netdata/"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/netdata/netdata?style=social" alt="GitHub Stars"></a> <br /> <a href="https://app.netdata.cloud/spaces/netdata-demo?utm_campaign=github_readme_demo_badge"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Live%20Demo-green" alt="Live Demo"></a> <a href="https://github.com/netdata/netdata/releases/latest"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/release/netdata/netdata.svg" alt="Latest release"></a> <a href="https://github.com/netdata/netdata-nightlies/releases/latest"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/release/netdata/netdata-nightlies.svg" alt="Latest nightly build"></a> <br/> <a href="https://community.netdata.cloud"><img alt="Discourse topics" src="https://img.shields.io/discourse/topics?server=https%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.netdata.cloud%2F&logo=discourse&label=discourse%20forum"></a> <a href="https://github.com/netdata/netdata/discussions"><img alt="GitHub Discussions" src="https://img.shields.io/github/discussions/netdata/netdata?logo=github&label=github%20discussions"></a> <br/> <a href="https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/2231"><img src="https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/2231/badge" alt="CII Best Practices"></a> <a href="https://scan.coverity.com/projects/netdata-netdata?tab=overview"><img alt="Coverity Scan" src="https://img.shields.io/coverity/scan/netdata"></a> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://registry.my-netdata.io/#menu_netdata_submenu_registry"><img src="https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v3/badge.svg?chart=netdata.registry_entries&dimensions=persons&label=user%20base&units=M&value_color=blue&precision=2&divide=1000000&options=unaligned&tier=1&v44" alt="User base"></a> <a href="https://registry.my-netdata.io/#menu_netdata_submenu_registry"><img src="https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v3/badge.svg?chart=netdata.registry_entries&dimensions=machines&label=servers%20monitored&units=M&divide=1000000&value_color=orange&precision=2&options=unaligned&tier=1&v44" alt="Servers monitored"></a> <a href="https://registry.my-netdata.io/#menu_netdata_submenu_registry"><img src="https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v3/badge.svg?chart=netdata.registry_sessions&label=sessions%20served&units=M&value_color=yellowgreen&precision=2&divide=1000000&options=unaligned&tier=1&v44" alt="Sessions served"></a> <a href="https://hub.docker.com/r/netdata/netdata"><img src="https://registry.my-netdata.io/api/v3/badge.svg?chart=dockerhub.pulls_sum&divide=1000000&precision=1&units=M&label=docker+hub+pulls&options=unaligned&tier=1&v44" alt="Docker Hub pulls"></a> </p> <p align="center"><b>Visit our <a href="https://www.netdata.cloud">Home Page</a></b></p> <hr class="solid">

MENU: WHO WE ARE | KEY FEATURES | GETTING STARTED | HOW IT WORKS | FAQ | DOCS | COMMUNITY | CONTRIBUTE | LICENSE

[!WARNING] People get addicted to Netdata. Once you use it on your systems, there's no going back.

Platforms


WHO WE ARE

Netdata is an open-source, real-time infrastructure monitoring platform. Monitor, detect, and act across your entire infrastructure.

Core Advantages:

  • Instant Insights – With Netdata you can access per-second metrics and visualizations.
  • Zero Configuration – You can deploy immediately without complex setup.
  • ML-Powered – You can detect anomalies, predict issues, and automate analysis.
  • Efficient – You can monitor with minimal resource usage and maximum scalability.
  • Secure & Distributed – You can keep your data local with no central collection needed.

With Netdata, you get real-time, per-second updates. Clear insights at a glance, no complexity.

<details> <summary><strong>All heroes have a great origin story. Click to discover ours.</strong></summary> <br/>

In 2013, at the company where Costa Tsaousis was COO, a significant percentage of their cloud-based transactions failed silently, severely impacting business performance.

Costa and his team tried every troubleshooting tool available at the time. None could identify the root cause. As Costa later wrote:

“I couldn’t believe that monitoring systems provide so few metrics and with such low resolution, scale so badly, and cost so much to run.”

Frustrated, he decided to build his own monitoring tool, starting from scratch.

That decision led to countless late nights and weekends. It also sparked a fundamental shift in how infrastructure monitoring and troubleshooting are approached, both in method and in cost.

</details>

Most Energy-Efficient Monitoring Tool

<p align="center"> <a href="https://www.ivanomalavolta.com/files/papers/ICSOC_2023.pdf#gh-dark-mode-only"> <img src="https://github.com/netdata/netdata/assets/139226121/7118757a-38fb-48d7-b12a-53e709a8e8c0" alt="Energy Efficiency" width="800"/> </a> <a href="https://www.ivanomalavolta.com/files/papers/ICSOC_2023.pdf#gh-light-mode-only"> <img src="https://github.com/netdata/netdata/assets/139226121/4f64cbb6-05e4-48e3-b7c0-d1b79e37e219" alt="Energy efficiency" width="800"/> </a> </p>

According to the University of Amsterdam study, Netdata is the most energy-efficient tool for monitoring Docker-based systems. The study also shows Netdata excels in CPU usage, RAM usage, and execution time compared to other monitoring solutions.


Key Features

FeatureDescriptionWhat Makes It Unique
Real-TimePer-second data collection and processingWorks in a beat – click and see results instantly
Zero-ConfigurationAutomatic detection and discoveryAuto-discovers everything on the nodes it runs
ML-PoweredUnsupervised anomaly detectionTrains multiple ML models per metric at the edge
Long-Term RetentionHigh-performance storage~0.5 bytes per sample with tiered storage for archiving
Advanced VisualizationRich, interactive dashboardsSlice and dice data without query language
Extreme ScalabilityNative horizontal scalingParent-Child centralization with multi-million samples/s
Complete VisibilityFrom infrastructure to applicationsSimplifies operations and eliminates silos
Edge-BasedProcessing at your premisesDistributes code instead of centralizing data

[!NOTE]
Want to put Netdata to the test against Prometheus? Explore the full comparison.


Netdata Ecosystem

This three-part architecture enables you to scale from single nodes to complex multi-cloud environments:

ComponentDescriptionLicense
Netdata Agent• Core monitoring engine<br>• Handles collection, storage, ML, alerts, exports<br>• Runs on servers, cloud, K8s, IoT<br>• Zero production impactGPL v3+
Netdata Cloud• Enterprise features<br>• User management, RBAC, horizontal scaling<br>• Centralized alerts<br>• Free community tier<br>• No metric storage centralization
Netdata UI• Dashboards and visualizations<br>• Free to use<br>• Included in standard packages<br>• Latest version via CDNNCUL1

What You Can Monitor

With Netdata you can monitor all these components across platforms:

ComponentLinuxFreeBSDmacOSWindows
System Resources<small><br/>CPU, Memory and system shared resources</small>FullYesYesYes
Storage<small><br/>Disks, Mount points, Filesystems, RAID arrays</small>FullYesYesYes
Network<small><br/>Network Interfaces, Protocols, Firewall, etc</small>FullYesYesYes
Hardware & Sensors<small><br/>Fans, Temperatures, Controllers, GPUs, etc</small>FullSomeSomeSome
O/S Services<small><br/>Resources, Performance and Status</small>Yes<small><br/>systemd</small>---
Processes<small><br/>Resources, Performance, OOM, and more</small>YesYesYesYes
System and Application LogsYes<small><br/>systemd-journal--Yes<small><br/>Windows Event Log, ETW</small>
Network Connections<small><br/>Live TCP and UDP sockets per PID</small>Yes---
Containers<small><br/>Docker/containerd, LXC/LXD, Kubernetes, etc</small>Yes---
VMs (from the host)<small><br/>KVM, qemu, libvirt, Proxmox, etc</small>Yes<small><br/>cgroups</small>--Yes<small><br/>Hyper-V</small>
Synthetic Checks<small><br/>Test APIs, TCP ports, Ping, Certificates, etc</small>YesYesYesYes
Packaged Applications<small><br/>nginx, apache, postgres, redis, mongodb,<br/>and hundreds more</small>YesYesYesYes
Cloud Provider Infrastructure<small><br/>AWS, GCP, Azure, and more</small>YesYesYesYes
Custom Applications<small><br/>OpenMetrics, StatsD and soon OpenTelemetry</small>YesYesYesYes

On Linux, you can continuously monitor all kernel features and hardware sensors for errors, including Intel/AMD/Nvidia GPUs, PCI AER, RAM EDAC, IPMI, S.M.A.R.T, Intel RAPL, NVMe, fans, power supplies, and voltage readings.


Getting Started

You can install Netdata on all major operating systems. To begin:

1. Install Netdata

Choose your platform and follow the installation guide:

[!NOTE] You can access the Netdata UI at http://localhost:19999 (or http://NODE:19999 if remote).

2. Configure Collectors

Netdata auto-discovers most metrics, but you can manually configure some collectors:

3. Configure Alerts

You can use hundreds of built-in alerts and integrate with:

email, Slack, Telegram, PagerDuty, Discord, Microsoft Teams, and more.

[!NOTE]
Email alerts work by default if there's a configured MTA.

4. Configure Parents

You can centralize dashboards, alerts, and storage with Netdata Parents:

[!NOTE]
You can use Netdata Parents for central dashboards, longer retention, and alert configuration.

5. Connect to Netdata Cloud

Sign in to Netdata Cloud and connect your nodes for:

  • Access from anywhere
  • Horizontal scalability and multi-node dashboards
  • UI configuration for alerts and data collection
  • Role-based access control
  • Free tier available

[!NOTE]
Netdata Cloud is optional. Your data stays in your infrastructure.

Live Demo Sites

<p align="center"> <b>See Netdata in action</b><br/> <a href="https://frankfurt.netdata.rocks"><b>FRANKFURT</b></a> | <a href="https://newyork.netdata.rocks"><b>NEWYORK</b></a> | <a href="https://atlanta.netdata.rocks"><b>ATLANTA</b></a> | <a href="https://sanfrancisco.netdata.rocks"><b>SANFRANCISCO</b></a> | <a href="https://toronto.netdata.rocks"><b>TORONTO</b></a> | <a href="https://singapore.netdata.rocks"><b>SINGAPORE</b></a> | <a href="https://bangalore.netdata.rocks"><b>BANGALORE</b></a> <br/> <i>These demo clusters run with default configuration and show real monitoring data.</i> <br/> <i>Choose the instance closest to you for the best performance.</i> </p>

How It Works

With Netdata you can run a modular pipeline for metrics collection, processing, and visualization.

flowchart TB
  A[Netdata Agent]:::mainNode
  A1(Collect):::green --> A
  A2(Store):::green --> A
  A3(Learn):::green --> A
  A4(Detect):::green --> A
  A5(Check):::green --> A
  A6(Stream):::green --> A
  A7(Archive):::green --> A
  A8(Query):::green --> A
  A9(Score):::green --> A

  classDef green fill:#bbf3bb,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
  classDef mainNode fill:#f0f0f0,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,color:#333

With each Agent you can:

  1. Collect – Gather metrics from systems, containers, apps, logs, APIs, and synthetic checks.
  2. Store – Save metrics to a high-efficiency, tiered time-series database.
  3. Learn – Train ML models per metric using recent behavior.
  4. Detect – Identify anomalies using trained ML models.
  5. Check – Evaluate metrics against pre-set or custom alert rules.
  6. Stream – Send metrics to Netdata Parents in real time.
  7. Archive – Export metrics to Prometheus, InfluxDB, OpenTSDB, Graphite, and others.
  8. Query – Access metrics via an API for dashboards or third-party tools.
  9. Score – Use a scoring engine to find patterns and correlations across metrics.

[!NOTE]
Learn more: Netdata's architecture

Agent Capabilities

With the Netdata Agent, you can use these core capabilities out-of-the-box:

CapabilityDescription
Comprehensive Collection• 800+ integrations<br>• Systems, containers, VMs, hardware sensors<br>• OpenMetrics, StatsD, and logs<br>• OpenTelemetry support coming soon
Performance & Precision• Per-second collection<br>• Real-time visualization with 1-second latency<br>• High-resolution metrics
Edge-Based ML• ML models trained at the edge<br>• Automatic anomaly detection per metric<br>• Pattern recognition based on historical behavior
Advanced Log Management• Direct systemd-journald and Windows Event Log integration<br>• Process logs at the edge<br>• Rich log visualization
Observability Pipeline• Parent-Child relationships<br>• Flexible centralization<br>• Multi-level replication and retention
Automated Visualization• NIDL data model<br>• Auto-generated dashboards<br>• No query language needed
Smart Alerting• Pre-configured alerts<br>• Multiple notification methods<br>• Proactive detection
Low Maintenance• Auto-detection<br>• Zero-touch ML<br>• Easy scalability<br>• CI/CD friendly
Open & Extensible• Modular architecture<br>• Easy to customize<br>• Integrates with existing tools

CNCF Membership

<p align="center"> <picture> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cncf/artwork/master/other/cncf/horizontal/white/cncf-white.svg"> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cncf/artwork/master/other/cncf/horizontal/color/cncf-color.svg"> <img alt="CNCF Logo" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cncf/artwork/master/other/cncf/horizontal/color/cncf-color.svg" width="300"> </picture> <br /> Netdata actively supports and is a member of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).<br /> It is one of the most starred projects in the <a href="https://landscape.cncf.io/?item=observability-and-analysis--observability--netdata">CNCF landscape</a>. </p>

FAQ

<details> <summary><strong>Is Netdata secure?</strong></summary> <br/>

Yes. Netdata follows OpenSSF best practices, has a security-first design, and is regularly audited by the community.

</details> <details> <summary><strong>Does Netdata use a lot of resources?</strong></summary> <br/>

No. Even with ML and per-second metrics, Netdata uses minimal resources.

  • ~5% CPU and 150MiB RAM by default on production systems
  • <1% CPU and ~100MiB RAM when ML and alerts are disabled and using ephemeral storage
  • Parents scale to millions of metrics per second with appropriate hardware

You can use the Netdata Monitoring section in the dashboard to inspect its resource usage.

</details> <details> <summary><strong>How much data retention is possible?</strong></summary> <br/>

As much as your disk allows.

With Netdata you can use tiered retention:

  • Tier 0: per-second resolution
  • Tier 1: per-minute resolution
  • Tier 2: per-hour resolution

These are queried automatically based on the zoom level.

</details> <details> <summary><strong>Can Netdata scale to many servers?</strong></summary> <br/>

Yes. With Netdata you can:

  • Scale horizontally with many Agents
  • Scale vertically with powerful Parents
  • Scale infinitely via Netdata Cloud

You can use Netdata Cloud to merge many independent infrastructures into one logical view.

</details> <details> <summary><strong>Is disk I/O a concern?</strong></summary> <br/>

No. Netdata minimizes disk usage:

  • Metrics are flushed to disk every 17 minutes, spread out evenly
  • Uses direct I/O and compression (ZSTD)
  • Can run entirely in RAM or stream to a Parent

You can use alloc or ram mode for no disk writes.

</details> <details> <summary><strong>How is Netdata different from Prometheus + Grafana?</strong></summary> <br/>

With Netdata you get a complete monitoring solution—not just tools.

  • No manual setup or dashboards needed
  • Built-in ML, alerts, dashboards, and correlations
  • More efficient and easier to deploy

Performance comparison

</details> <details> <summary><strong>How is Netdata different from commercial SaaS tools?</strong></summary> <br/>

With Netdata you can store all metrics on your infrastructure—no sampling, no aggregation, no loss.

  • High-resolution metrics by default
  • ML per metric, not shared models
  • Unlimited scalability without skyrocketing cost
</details> <details> <summary><strong>Can Netdata run alongside Nagios, Zabbix, etc.?</strong></summary> <br/>

Yes. You can use Netdata together with traditional tools.

With Netdata you get:

  • Real-time, high-resolution monitoring
  • Zero configuration and auto-generated dashboards
  • Anomaly detection and advanced visualization
</details> <details> <summary><strong>What if I feel overwhelmed?</strong></summary> <br/>

You can start small:

  • Use the dashboard's table of contents and search
  • Explore anomaly scoring ("AR" toggle)
  • Create custom dashboards in Netdata Cloud

Docs and guides

</details> <details> <summary><strong>Do I have to use Netdata Cloud?</strong></summary> <br/>

No. Netdata Cloud is optional.

Netdata works without it, but with Cloud you can:

  • Access remotely with SSO
  • Save dashboard customizations
  • Configure alerts centrally
  • Collaborate with role-based access
</details> <details> <summary><strong>What telemetry does Netdata collect?</strong></summary> <br/>

Anonymous telemetry helps improve the product. You can disable it:

  • Add --disable-telemetry to the installer, or
  • Create /etc/netdata/.opt-out-from-anonymous-statistics and restart Netdata

Telemetry helps us understand usage, not track users. No private data is collected.

</details> <details> <summary><strong>Who uses Netdata?</strong></summary> <br/>

You'll join users including:

  • Major companies (Amazon, ABN AMRO Bank, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Netflix, Samsung)
  • Universities (NYU, Columbia, Seoul National, UCL)
  • Government organizations worldwide
  • Infrastructure-intensive organizations
  • Technology operators
  • Startups and freelancers
  • SysAdmins and DevOps professionals
</details>

:book: Documentation

Visit Netdata Learn for full documentation and guides.

[!NOTE]
Includes deployment, configuration, alerting, exporting, troubleshooting, and more.


:tada: Community

Join the Netdata community:

[!NOTE]
Code of Conduct

Follow us on: Twitter | Reddit | YouTube | LinkedIn


:pray: Contribute

We welcome your contributions.

Ways you help us stay sharp:

  • Share best practices and monitoring insights
  • Report issues or missing features
  • Improve documentation
  • Develop new integrations or collectors
  • Help users in forums and chats

[!NOTE]
Contribution guide


:scroll: License

The Netdata ecosystem includes:

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