# Should filebeat be installed on all the clients

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-filebeat-be-installed-on-all-the-clients/205635
**Category:** Beats
**Tags:** filebeat
**Created:** [October 29, 2019, 10:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-filebeat-be-installed-on-all-the-clients/205635 "2019-10-29T10:09:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Joseph\_John](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/joseph_john/32/53907_2.png) [@Joseph\_John](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Joseph_John)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 10:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-filebeat-be-installed-on-all-the-clients/205635/1 "2019-10-29T10:09:18Z")

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Hi All,  
I have a doubt.  
For getting information from the client machines ( 5 separate different machines) Should I install filebeat on all this 5 machines or I install filebeat on the elasticserver and enable the modules which I need to monitor.?  
`I feel it should be installed on the each of the client and configure filbeat.yml to communicate to elastissearch host,` but

> because of the developer/production setupcheck I am not able to make this 5 different machines to communicate with elasticsearch ip:9200

Guidance requested to clear this doubt  
thanks  
Joseph John

**Kibana version** :  
7.4.1   
**Elasticsearch version** :  
7.4.1  
**APM Server version** :  
7.4.1  
**filebeat version**  
7.4.1

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### Author: ![rugenl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rugenl/32/12887_2.png) [@rugenl](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rugenl)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2019, 12:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-filebeat-be-installed-on-all-the-clients/205635/2 "2019-10-29T12:28:27Z")

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If you are processing files on these 5 machines, you need the filebeat agent on them. Other attempts to work around that bring more problems (like trying to read logs off a file share).

What will they allow? A different port? A 3rd system between the clients and elasticsearch (like logstash).

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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: [November 26, 2019, 12:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/should-filebeat-be-installed-on-all-the-clients/205635/3 "2019-11-26T12:28:28Z")

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