Install Agents on Standalone VM

You can install Pulse Agents on a standalone virtual machine to collect system-level and service-level data.

Standalone VM (Non-Kubernetes / Non-Hadoop)

A standalone VM is a virtual machine that is not part of a Kubernetes cluster or a Hadoop cluster. Workloads on these VMs run directly on the operating system and are not orchestrated by Kubernetes.

Hybrid Deployment Scenario

In a hybrid deployment, some platform components run on Kubernetes, while others run on standalone VMs. In certain setups, for example, certain Spark workloads may run in client mode on standalone VMs, outside the Kubernetes control plane.

To enable observability and operational control in such environments, standalone agents are installed on the VM.

Pulse Agents on Standalone VM

PulseNode (Standalone Agent)

• Installed directly on the standalone VM
• Collects host-level metrics such as CPU and memory utilization
• Enables infrastructure monitoring for non-Kubernetes, non-clustered nodes

PulseAXN (Standalone Agent)

• Installed on the same standalone VM
• Provides action and control capabilities, such as terminating Spark jobs running in *client mode *
• Enables operational governance for workloads running outside Kubernetes

Spark Execution Modes

• Cluster Mode

  • Spark jobs run inside the Kubernetes cluster.
  • The Spark driver and executors run as pods in the Spark namespace and are fully managed by Kubernetes.

• Client Mode

  • Spark jobs run on a standalone VM.
  • The Spark driver runs on the VM and is outside Kubernetes control.

For details, access the following pages.

• Install PulseNode Agent on Standalone VM
• Install PulseAXN Agent on Standalone VM
• Deploy PulseAXN Agent on Kubernetes
• Post-Installation Steps for Pulseaxn Agent