Differences Between Pull and Push Approaches in Monitoring Systems

This article was originally published on bmf-tech.com . Overview This post summarizes the differences between pull and push approaches in monitoring systems. Pull Approach In the pull approach, the monitoring server is configured with the target hosts, and it retrieves data from the monitoring hosts. Examples include Prometheus, Nagios, and Zabbix. Prometheus has a mechanism called an exporter, which acts like a push approach to compensate for the drawbacks of the pull approach. The exporter is installed on the target host, and the monitoring server retrieves data from it. Push Approach In the push approach, an agent is installed on the target host. The agent sends data to the monitoring server. Examples include Datadog and Mackerel. Differences Between Pull and Push Approaches The following table compares the two approaches from various perspectives, but it may vary depending on the service. Aspect Pull Approach Push Approach Installation Cost Requires configuration for each target ho