What is a source
A source is anywhere ObserveKit collects data from. Four types:
- Kubernetes — a cluster running the ObserveKit agent as a DaemonSet. Ships logs from
/var/log/containers, metrics from kubelet stats, K8s state metrics (pods, nodes, deployments), and TLS certificate posture. See Install on Kubernetes. - Docker — a host running the ObserveKit agent as a container. Ships logs and metrics for every container on that host. See Install on Docker.
- Linux server / VM — a bare server or cloud VM with no Kubernetes and no Docker, running the agent under systemd. Ships host metrics plus whatever log files, journald units and syslog you point it at. Unlike the container types, log collection here is opt-in — the agent cannot discover your applications, so it tails nothing until you configure it. See Install on a Linux server or VM.
- Service / OpenTelemetry app — an OTel-only app that pushes traces / metrics / logs directly to ObserveKit's OTLP endpoints. No agent runs; the source exists to issue an API key and group OTLP data. Use this when your app runs somewhere the agent can't, or alongside another source type for app-level signals the agent doesn't see (HTTP request rates, queue depth, custom business counters). See Sending data with OpenTelemetry for the SDK setup.
Which one for a cloud VM? Either, and they answer different questions. A Linux server / VM source runs the agent and gives you the machine — its CPU, memory, disks, and the log files on it. A Service source needs no agent and gives you the application — its traces, its request rates, its custom metrics. Many teams run both against the same box.
The Sources list
Five columns:
| Column | Means |
|---|---|
| Name | What you (or whoever installed the agent) named this source. |
| Type | Kubernetes, Docker, Linux server / VM, or Service / OpenTelemetry app. |
| Status | For the three agent types: CONNECTED (green) means the agent has heartbeated recently. For Service: OTLP RECEIVING (green) means the source is receiving OTLP data; OTLP IDLE (gray) means it's been quiet for a while. |
| Agent Version | Pill showing the version the agent reported on its last heartbeat. Green = up to date. Yellow = an older version is running than the latest released agent. Hover the pill for the exact version comparison. |
| Created | When the source first registered with the server. |
Per-row actions (right side of each row)
Three icons:
- Activity (line-chart icon) — opens Infrastructure filtered to this source (
/infrastructure?source_id=...). Use to see what's running on this source right now. - Open detail (external-link icon) — opens the source detail page at
/sources/<id>(see Source detail). - Delete (trash icon) — removes the source. The agent stops being able to ship data; existing historical logs and metrics stay queryable.
Adding a source
Click + Add Source top-right. A 3-step wizard opens:
- Configure — pick a name (e.g.,
production-cluster) and a Type. Click Create Source. - Install — the wizard generates a copy-paste install command for the type you picked.
- Verify — the wizard waits for the agent to heartbeat. When it does, the source flips to
CONNECTED.
You can close the wizard mid-install — the source row exists from step 1 onward and the agent can heartbeat into it whenever you finish the install on the target host.
Outdated agent banner
The Overview page shows a banner when one or more agents are running an older version. Click See Sources → in the banner to come here, then look for yellow Agent Version pills.
To upgrade an agent, re-run the install command from + Add Source on the target host (same flow as a fresh install — the agent self-replaces) or open the source detail page and use Regenerate Install Link.