# Is there a way to to use Beats (topbeat) to monitor Docker containers in an easy way?

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-there-a-way-to-to-use-beats-topbeat-to-monitor-docker-containers-in-an-easy-way/54325
**Category:** Beats
**Created:** [June 29, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-there-a-way-to-to-use-beats-topbeat-to-monitor-docker-containers-in-an-easy-way/54325 "2016-06-29T18:02:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![marcopas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/marcopas/32/10630_2.png) [@marcopas](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/marcopas)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-there-a-way-to-to-use-beats-topbeat-to-monitor-docker-containers-in-an-easy-way/54325/1 "2016-06-29T18:02:27Z")

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Hi there, we are currently experimenting with Beats to monitor our docker containers. Currently we have a setup so that we need to install Beats in every Docker Container that we create. This gives overhead per container. Is there a way to use Beats (topbeat) in a way that we can install it on a host so it monitors all containers that are running on that host?

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### Author: ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2016, 10:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-there-a-way-to-to-use-beats-topbeat-to-monitor-docker-containers-in-an-easy-way/54325/2 "2016-06-30T10:15:36Z")

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With processes in containers being visible via top, it should be possible to use topbeat. But when running the same service multiple times in containers the meta-data required to identify the correct process are lacking.

Have you checked out [this awesome community beat?](https://github.com/Ingensi/dockerbeat)

There is talks about adding a cgroups module to metricbeat (but implementation hasn't started yet).

Seems like there is some community [effort adding docker support to metricbeat?](https://github.com/Ingensi/metricbeat-docker).

We're aware of monitoring docker containers being a pain (in general) and we're looking for improving support, but right now best choice seems to be [dockerbeat](https://github.com/Ingensi/dockerbeat).

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/is-there-a-way-to-to-use-beats-topbeat-to-monitor-docker-containers-in-an-easy-way/54325/3 "2016-07-20T18:02:31Z")

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