Install collectors
Bring collectors online from a fleet's deploy dialog.
You install a server fleet's collectors from its deploy dialog. Every install option is preconfigured with the fleet's connection endpoint and install token, so a collector connects to the right fleet.
Collectors run on Linux, on arm64 or amd64 (x86_64), as a container or directly on a host. To manage collectors inside a Kubernetes cluster, use a Kubernetes fleet instead; this page covers server fleets.
Open the deploy dialog
Open the fleet and select Deploy. The Deploy supervisor bundle dialog opens. Select the Platform that matches how you run the collector:
| Target | Use for |
|---|---|
| Container image (GHCR) | Pull Telflo's prebuilt collector image and run it with the fleet's credentials. No build step. |
| Docker: Build your own image | Build the collector image locally from a bundle. |
| Server: All In One | Install the supervisor and the collector on a Linux host. |
| Server | Add the supervisor to a Linux host that already runs a collector. |
| Server: Import Configuration | Adopt the configuration of a collector you already run. |
Every install starts with a placeholder configuration and pulls the fleet's published configuration once the collector connects.
Container image (GHCR) is selected by default and works on both architectures; if a bundle was generated for the fleet before, the dialog opens on that platform instead. The bundle targets combine an architecture, arm64 or amd64 (x86_64), with the target. The Server: Import Configuration targets appear when the fleet has no published configuration yet, for adopting an existing collector; the other targets appear once the fleet has a published configuration to deploy.
Container image
The container image target runs Telflo's prebuilt collector image, published for each supported collector version on both architectures. There is nothing to build or download: the dialog shows a run command for the fleet.
- Optionally enter a Collector display name. It is shown in Fleet management; left empty, a name is generated.
- Select Reveal & copy command. The command is completed with the fleet's endpoint and token and copied to your clipboard. Each reveal is recorded in the fleet's token audit log, the same as viewing a token.
- Run the command on a host with Docker.
The command mounts a named volume that preserves the collector's identity across restarts and upgrades. Without the volume, every restart enrolls a new collector. No ports are published by default; add port mappings to the command when a receiver listens on a port your applications need to reach.
To upgrade, reveal the command again once the fleet's configuration targets a new collector version, and re-run it: the image tag follows the configuration's collector version, and the volume keeps the collector's identity. If the configuration's collector version is deprecated, the command is refused; select a supported collector version in the editor and publish again.
The revealed run command contains the fleet's install token, which is a credential. Treat the command like a secret, and keep it out of shared logs and source control.
Quick Deploy
For the bundle targets, Quick Deploy generates a single command, unique to your fleet, that you paste on the target host. It downloads the bundle and starts the collector in one step; on Docker platforms it builds the supervisor image, and on Server platforms it extracts the bundle and runs its start script. Copy the command from the dialog. The Quick Deploy URL it contains expires, so generate a fresh one for each host. Active Quick Deploy URLs can be extended or revoked from the fleet's Deployment Tokens tab. See Tokens & security.
Download
For the bundle targets, Download generates a zip with the minimal set of files to run the collector and a README. The Docker bundle includes a Dockerfile and the supporting files. Unzip it, build the image, and run the container, following the README in the bundle for the exact steps.
For Docker bundles, you can set Port mappings (optional): comma-separated host:container pairs, such as 4318:4318, 27018:27018. Each adds an EXPOSE line in the Dockerfile and a -p flag on docker run.
The supervisor bundle and the Quick Deploy URL both contain the fleet's install token, which is a credential. Share them over a secure channel and keep them out of shared logs. The install token cannot be rotated or revoked; if one leaks, revoke the Quick Deploy URL from the Deployment Tokens tab and re-create the fleet. See Tokens & security.
After installation
A collector connects to Telflo and appears as an instance on the fleet's detail page, usually within a minute. It pulls its assigned configuration and applies it. Track its progress on the fleet detail page.
Last updated on