Architecture
Datasentinel offers the flexibility to be used either On-Premises or in SaaS mode, with or without agents, enabling you to choose an architecture that best fits your needs.
Components
Platform
The platform is composed of several components, including:
The timeseries database InfluxDB, responsible for storing metrics.
Grafana, a visualization software equipped with an embedded PostgreSQL v14 cluster.
Datasentinel frontend and backend applications, accompanied by an API and agents.
During the platform installation, all components are seamlessly embedded and set up.
PostgreSQL Clusters
Prerequisites for Monitored PostgreSQL Clusters:
Version >= 9.4
Extension pg_stat_statements
On-premises
You have the flexibility to choose between using either the Agent-based, Agentless, or a combination of both methods to monitor the metrics of your PostgreSQL clusters.
Install on as many platforms as you'd like—there are no limitations.
Agent-based vs. Agentless
Datasentinel ships with a built-in pool of internal agents (functionally identical to the local agents installed in agent-based deployments). This pool is dynamic: it automatically scales up or down based on the number of monitored instances and the platform's backend configuration.
Whether you use local agents, internal agents (agentless), or both in a hybrid setup, the collected metrics are processed and displayed identically across the platform.
Collection method
PUSH — the local agent pushes metrics to the platform
PULL — the platform connects remotely to clusters via internal agents
Component to install
One agent per server (one agent monitors multiple clusters on the same host)
Nothing to install on the database host
Deployment effort
Requires installation, startup configuration, and upgrades on each server
Configured centrally from the platform UI or Connection API
Target environments
Self-managed PostgreSQL clusters on physical or virtual servers (on-premises or cloud)
Agent-based environments + Cloud-managed and containerized PostgreSQL services.
System / OS metrics
Collected natively by the agent
Not collected by default — requires the system_stats extension installed on the cluster. Not available for managed services such as RDS where OS-level access is restricted
Connectivity direction
Agent → platform (outbound from the database host)
Platform → cluster (outbound from the platform to the database endpoint)
Proxy support
Supported — agents can be configured to route through a proxy
N/A — connections are issued from the platform
Configuration interface
Agent CLI and Agent API
Platform UI (Agentless settings) and Connection API
Table / query monitoring limits
Configurable per agent via CLI or API (defaults: 1000 tables, 15000 queries)
Configurable centrally since v2025.11; applies to all agentless instances
Upgrade scope
Upgrade each agent independently from the platform
Upgrade the platform only — internal agents follow automatically
Best suited for
On-premises and self-managed deployments requiring complete OS-level visibility
Large fleets where installing agents per host is impractical. Cloud-managed databases, containerized environments, and
SaaS
With SaaS, Datasentinel hosts a dedicated machine, allowing users to access the software via the internet without the need for infrastructure or hardware investments.
Agents need to be installed. The agents can be configured to use a proxy server if needed.
Last updated