> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.logfleet.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> Edge-first observability for distributed fleets. Ship metrics, stream logs on-demand.

## What is LogFleet?

LogFleet is an edge observability platform for distributed fleets. Deploy lightweight agents at edge locations that store logs locally and send only metrics to the cloud—reducing bandwidth by 100-1000x.

**Key value props:**

* **Edge-first**: Works offline, stores logs locally
* **Bandwidth efficient**: Only metrics sent to cloud by default
* **On-demand streaming**: Request full logs when you need them
* **Open source agent**: [github.com/sadhiappan/logfleet](https://github.com/sadhiappan/logfleet)

## Core Capabilities

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Edge-First Design" icon="microchip" href="/guides/edge-agent-setup">
    All functionality works offline. Logs stored locally at the edge with configurable retention and ring buffer semantics.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Metric Extraction" icon="chart-line" href="/guides/custom-metrics">
    Define regex patterns to extract counters, gauges, and histograms from logs at the edge before sending to cloud.
  </Card>

  <Card title="On-Demand Streaming" icon="satellite-dish" href="/guides/log-streaming">
    Stream real-time logs from any edge agent via WebSocket. Automatic timeout prevents runaway streams.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enterprise Security" icon="shield-halved" href="/authentication">
    Multi-tenant isolation with JWT auth for dashboard and API keys for edge agents. Full RBAC support.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Architecture

Each edge location runs a self-contained observability stack:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TB
    subgraph edge["Edge Location"]
        devices["Devices"]
        vector["Vector<br/>(Collector)"]
        loki["Loki<br/>(Storage)"]

        devices -->|logs| vector
        vector -->|store| loki
    end

    subgraph cloud["LogFleet Cloud"]
        platform["Platform API"]
        dashboard["Dashboard"]
    end

    vector -->|"Metrics"| platform
    platform <-->|"On-demand<br/>Logs"| loki
    platform --> dashboard
```

<Steps>
  <Step title="Collect">
    Devices send logs to Vector via syslog, HTTP, or file tailing
  </Step>

  <Step title="Store">
    Vector stores logs in Loki with ring buffer retention
  </Step>

  <Step title="Extract">
    Vector extracts metrics and sends to LogFleet cloud
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stream">
    Dashboard can request on-demand log streams for debugging
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Use Cases

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="IoT Fleets" icon="robot">
    Monitor thousands of devices with limited or intermittent connectivity. Edge agents buffer logs locally and extract key metrics.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Retail Locations" icon="store">
    Observability for POS systems, kiosks, and edge servers. Each location runs independently with centralized metrics.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Manufacturing Sites" icon="industry">
    Real-time visibility into factory floor systems. Stream logs on-demand for troubleshooting production issues.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="CDN/Edge Computing" icon="globe">
    Monitor edge computing nodes and CDN points of presence. Aggregate metrics centrally while keeping logs local.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Get Started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Deploy your first edge agent in 5 minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="E2E Setup" icon="map" href="/guides/e2e-setup">
    Complete cloud → agent → dashboard walkthrough
  </Card>

  <Card title="Project Structure" icon="folder-tree" href="/concepts/project-structure">
    Understand the multi-repo architecture
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/api-reference/overview">
    Complete REST API documentation
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Authentication

LogFleet uses two authentication methods depending on the client type:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Dashboard (JWT)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST https://api.logfleet.io/api/v1/auth/login \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{"email": "user@example.com", "password": "secret"}'

    # Use the returned token
    curl https://api.logfleet.io/api/v1/agents \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Edge Agent (API Key)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Edge agents use API keys generated from the dashboard
    curl https://api.logfleet.io/api/v1/edge/heartbeat \
      -H "X-API-Key: lf_..."
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Support

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="GitHub" icon="github" href="https://github.com/sadhiappan/logfleet">
    Source code and issues
  </Card>

  <Card title="Enterprise" icon="building" href="mailto:enterprise@logfleet.io">
    Custom deployments
  </Card>
</CardGroup>