How do we consider dynatrace licensing for container environments?

[kohei-saito]

Hi,

I have some questions about licensing for container environments, especially about Docker.

Basically, Dynatrace licensing is based on each target host's memory size.

When it comes to Docker containers monitoring with Dynatrace, how should we consider assignment of license?

My concern is that there are several ways of installation of OneAgent for Docker environment and licensing differs depending on the way of installation.

I think most simple one of them is the way that we install OneAgent directly into hosts which docker processes are running on.

https://www.dynatrace.com/support/help/shortlink/o...

And another way is to deploy Dynatrace OneAgent as a Docker container.

https://www.dynatrace.com/support/help/shortlink/o...

If we use orchestration tools like Kubernetes or OpenShift, we will choose the following way of installation.

https://www.dynatrace.com/support/help/shortlink/o...

I think there is some difference between these three ways of installation.

If the design of monitoring of containers is different depending on these installation ways, I think necessary license for container monitoring is also different.

Is this assumption correct?

If so, how can we consider licensing for container monitoring?

Regards,

Kohei

[skrystosik]

Hello,

About how memory is detected for licenses purposes there was different answer in the past that has more details about how it works:

https://community.dynatrace.com/questions/187951/cla...

Sebastian

[kohei-saito]

Hi @sebastian k.,

thank you for information!

According to this answer, I'm sure that the consumption of license depends on the memory of hosts which containers are running on when they run in Fullstack mode.

In other words, I think this "Fullstack mode" means that these containers works in the mode as dynatrace can recognize the memory limit of hosts they are running on.

If we use containers in this mode, we can fully monitor them in Fullstack mode and dynatrace licensing is the same as in normal hosts(e.g. EC2 instance, Virtual hosts, physical hosts).

On the other hand, how about "Application-only mode"?

"Application-only mode" means that containers cannot recognize the memory limit of hosts which containers are actually running on, so consumption of dynatrace license seems different from that of Fullstack mode.

https://www.dynatrace.com/support/help/shortlink/kubernetes-hub

In Application-only environments, how can I consider licensing?

Regards,

Kohei

[mpino]

hi @mattew_reider....  to day is 2021.... there were changes?

[mreider · Accepted solution]

"Application-only" mode is licensed based on memory available to the container. If there is a limit on the container, we will use this.

Later in 2021 we will calculate based on memory utilization instead.

[mreider]

We had to push this out a bit to fix some other licensing issues related to DDU's. The fixes there relate back to the fixes here, and will help us make changes in 2022. Apologies for delays. We're working on it 🙂

[Stephen_Schaff]

Any chance for an update on this feature?  

I could really benefit from utilization based monitoring instead of paying for all the (unused) resources in the cluster.