---
title: Use Metricbeat to send monitoring data
description: In 7.3 and later, you can use Metricbeat to collect data about APM Server and ship it to the monitoring cluster. The benefit of using Metricbeat instead...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/solutions/observability/apm/apm-server/use-metricbeat-to-send-monitoring-data
products:
  - APM
  - Elastic Observability
applies_to:
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Use Metricbeat to send monitoring data
In 7.3 and later, you can use Metricbeat to collect data about APM Server and ship it to the monitoring cluster. The benefit of using Metricbeat instead of internal collection is that the monitoring agent remains active even if the APM Server instance dies.
To collect and ship monitoring data:
1. [Configure the shipper you want to monitor](#apm-configure-shipper)
2. [Install and configure Metricbeat to collect monitoring data](#apm-configure-metricbeat)


## Configure the shipper you want to monitor

1. Enable the HTTP endpoint to allow external collection of monitoring data:
   Add the following setting in the APM Server configuration file (`apm-server.yml`):
   ```yaml
   http.enabled: true
   ```
   By default, metrics are exposed on port 5066. If you need to monitor multiple Beats shippers running on the same server, set `http.port` to expose metrics for each shipper on a different port number:
   ```yaml
   http.port: 5067
   ```
2. Disable the default collection of APM Server monitoring metrics.
   Add the following setting in the APM Server configuration file (`apm-server.yml`):
   ```yaml
   monitoring.enabled: false
   ```
   For more information, see [Monitoring configuration options](/docs/solutions/observability/apm/apm-server/use-internal-collection-to-send-monitoring-data#apm-configuration-monitor).
3. Configure host (optional).
   If you intend to get metrics using Metricbeat installed on another server, you need to bind the APM Server to host’s IP:
   ```yaml
   http.host: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
   ```
4. Configure cluster UUID (optional).
   To see the Beats monitoring section in Kibana if you have a cluster, you need to associate the APM Server with cluster UUID:
   ```yaml
   monitoring.cluster_uuid: "cluster-uuid"
   ```
5. Start APM Server.


## Install and configure Metricbeat to collect monitoring data

1. Install Metricbeat on the same server as APM Server. To learn how, see [Get started with Metricbeat](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/beats/metricbeat/metricbeat-installation-configuration). If you already have Metricbeat installed on the server, skip this step.
2. Enable the `beat-xpack` module in Metricbeat.
   For example, to enable the default configuration in the `modules.d` directory, run the following command, using the correct command syntax for your OS:
   ```sh
   metricbeat modules enable beat-xpack
   ```
   For more information, see [Configure modules](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/beats/metricbeat/configuration-metricbeat) and [beat module](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/beats/metricbeat/metricbeat-module-beat).
3. Configure the `beat-xpack` module in Metricbeat.
   The `modules.d/beat-xpack.yml` file contains the following settings:
   ```yaml
   - module: beat
     metricsets:
       - stats
       - state
     period: 10s
     hosts: ["http://localhost:5066"]
     #username: "user"
     #password: "secret"
     xpack.enabled: true
   ```
   Set the `hosts`, `username`, and `password` settings as required by your environment. For other module settings, it’s recommended that you accept the defaults.
   By default, the module collects APM Server monitoring data from `localhost:5066`. If you exposed the metrics on a different host or port when you enabled the HTTP endpoint, update the `hosts` setting.
   To monitor multiple APM Server instances, specify a list of hosts, for example:
   ```yaml
   hosts: ["http://localhost:5066","http://localhost:5067","http://localhost:5068"]
   ```
   If you configured APM Server to use encrypted communications, you must access it via HTTPS. For example, use a `hosts` setting like `https://localhost:5066`.
   If the Elastic security features are enabled, you must also provide a user ID and password so that Metricbeat can collect metrics successfully:
   1. Create a user on the Elasticsearch cluster that has the `remote_monitoring_collector` [built-in role](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/roles). Alternatively, if it’s available in your environment, use the `remote_monitoring_user` [built-in user](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/users-roles/cluster-or-deployment-auth/built-in-users).
2. Add the `username` and `password` settings to the beat module configuration file.
4. Optional: Disable the system module in the Metricbeat.
   By default, the [system module](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/beats/metricbeat/metricbeat-module-system) is enabled. The information it collects, however, is not shown on the **Stack Monitoring** page in Kibana. Unless you want to use that information for other purposes, run the following command:
   ```sh
   metricbeat modules disable system
   ```
5. Identify where to send the monitoring data.
   <tip>
   In production environments, we strongly recommend using a separate cluster (referred to as the *monitoring cluster*) to store the data. Using a separate monitoring cluster prevents production cluster outages from impacting your ability to access your monitoring data. It also prevents monitoring activities from impacting the performance of your production cluster.
   </tip>
   For example, specify the Elasticsearch output information in the Metricbeat configuration file (`metricbeat.yml`):
   ```yaml
   output.elasticsearch:
     # Array of hosts to connect to.
     hosts: ["<ES_MONITORING_HOST1_URL>:9200", "http://es-mon2:9200"] 

     # Optional protocol and basic auth credentials.
     #protocol: "https"
     #api_key:  "id:api_key" 
     #username: "elastic"
     #password: "changeme"
   ```
   If you configured the monitoring cluster to use encrypted communications, you must access it via HTTPS. For example, use a `hosts` setting like `https://es-mon-1:9200`.
   <important>
   The Elasticsearch monitoring features use ingest pipelines, therefore the cluster that stores the monitoring data must have at least one ingest node.
   </important>
   If the Elasticsearch security features are enabled on the monitoring cluster, you must provide a valid user ID and password so that Metricbeat can send metrics successfully:
   1. Create a user on the monitoring cluster that has the `remote_monitoring_agent` [built-in role](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/roles). Alternatively, if it’s available in your environment, use the `remote_monitoring_user` [built-in user](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/users-roles/cluster-or-deployment-auth/built-in-users).
   <tip>
   If you’re using index lifecycle management, the remote monitoring user requires additional privileges to create and read indices. For more information, see [Use feature roles](https://www.elastic.co/docs/solutions/observability/apm/create-assign-feature-roles-to-apm-server-users).
   </tip>
2. Add the `username` and `password` settings to the Elasticsearch output information in the Metricbeat configuration file.
   For more information about these configuration options, see [Configure the Elasticsearch output](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/beats/metricbeat/elasticsearch-output).
6. [Start Metricbeat](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/beats/metricbeat/metricbeat-starting) to begin collecting monitoring data.
7. [View the monitoring data in Kibana](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/monitor/stack-monitoring/kibana-monitoring-data).