--- title: Settings for internal collection description: Use the following settings to configure internal collection when you are not using Metricbeat to collect monitoring data. You specify these settings in... url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/configuration-monitor products: - Beats - Filebeat applies_to: - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available - Elastic Stack: Generally available --- # Settings for internal collection Use the following settings to configure internal collection when you are not using Metricbeat to collect monitoring data. You specify these settings in the X-Pack monitoring section of the `filebeat.yml` config file. This example shows the expected structure for `monitoring` settings: ```yaml monitoring: enabled: true cluster_uuid: ES_CLUSTER_UUID elasticsearch: hosts: [":", ":"] api_key: "id:api_key" # Or use username/password instead of api_key. # username: "YOUR_USERNAME" # password: "YOUR_PASSWORD" ``` Refer to [Use internal collection to send monitoring data](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/monitoring-internal-collection) for usage examples. ## `monitoring.enabled` The `monitoring.enabled` config is a boolean setting that controls whether X-Pack monitoring is enabled. If set to `true`, monitoring is enabled. The default value is `false`. ## `monitoring.cluster_uuid` The `monitoring.cluster_uuid` config identifies the Elasticsearch cluster under which the monitoring data will appear in the Stack Monitoring UI. ## `monitoring.elasticsearch` The Elasticsearch instances that you want to ship your Filebeat metrics to. This configuration option contains the following fields: ### `api_key` The detail of the API key to be used to send monitoring information to Elasticsearch. See [*Grant access using API keys*](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/beats-api-keys) for more information. ### `bulk_max_size` The maximum number of metrics to bulk in a single Elasticsearch bulk API index request. The default is `50`. For more information, see [Elasticsearch](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/elasticsearch-output). ### `backoff.init` The number of seconds to wait before trying to reconnect to Elasticsearch after a network error. After waiting `backoff.init` seconds, Filebeat tries to reconnect. If the attempt fails, the backoff timer is increased exponentially up to `backoff.max`. After a successful connection, the backoff timer is reset. The default is 1s. ### `backoff.max` The maximum number of seconds to wait before attempting to connect to Elasticsearch after a network error. The default is 60s. ### `compression_level` The gzip compression level. Setting this value to `0` disables compression. The compression level must be in the range of `1` (best speed) to `9` (best compression). The default value is `0`. Increasing the compression level reduces the network usage but increases the CPU usage. ### `headers` Custom HTTP headers to add to each request. For more information, see [Elasticsearch](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/elasticsearch-output). ### `hosts` The list of Elasticsearch nodes to connect to. Monitoring metrics are distributed to these nodes in round robin order. For more information, see [Elasticsearch](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/elasticsearch-output). ### `max_retries` The number of times to retry sending the monitoring metrics after a failure. After the specified number of retries, the metrics are typically dropped. The default value is `3`. For more information, see [Elasticsearch](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/elasticsearch-output). ### `parameters` Dictionary of HTTP parameters to pass within the url with index operations. ### `password` The password that Filebeat uses to authenticate with the Elasticsearch instances for shipping monitoring data. ### `metrics.period` The time interval (in seconds) when metrics are sent to the Elasticsearch cluster. A new snapshot of Filebeat metrics is generated and scheduled for publishing each period. The default value is 10 * time.Second. ### `state.period` The time interval (in seconds) when state information are sent to the Elasticsearch cluster. A new snapshot of Filebeat state is generated and scheduled for publishing each period. The default value is 60 * time.Second. ### `protocol` The name of the protocol to use when connecting to the Elasticsearch cluster. The options are: `http` or `https`. The default is `http`. If you specify a URL for `hosts`, however, the value of protocol is overridden by the scheme you specify in the URL. ### `proxy_url` The URL of the proxy to use when connecting to the Elasticsearch cluster. For more information, see [Elasticsearch](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/elasticsearch-output). ### `timeout` The HTTP request timeout in seconds for the Elasticsearch request. The default is `90`. ### `ssl` Configuration options for Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) parameters like the certificate authority (CA) to use for HTTPS-based connections. If the `ssl` section is missing, the host CAs are used for HTTPS connections to Elasticsearch. For more information, see [SSL](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3028/reference/beats/filebeat/configuration-ssl). ### `username` The user ID that Filebeat uses to authenticate with the Elasticsearch instances for shipping monitoring data.