Collector — Dynatrace Extension
The collector ships in three deployment variants:
| Standalone v1 | Standalone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaging | Binary (.exe / .bin) | Binary (.exe / .bin) | Dynatrace EF2 extension (ZIP) |
| Configuration | YAML file on disk | YAML file on disk | Dynatrace UI |
| Process management | systemd / Task Scheduler / manual | systemd / Task Scheduler / manual | Managed by Dynatrace |
| License | .lic / .json file on disk | .json file on disk | JSON string pasted in the UI |
| Supported outputs | Dynatrace, Splunk, Console | Dynatrace, Splunk, Console, OTel | Dynatrace only |
| State | JSON file (state_<tenant>.json) | SQLite (state.db) | Managed by ActiveGate |
| Monitoring | Manual log inspection | Manual log inspection | Dynatrace Extension health monitoring |
The Extension wraps the same agent code as the standalone binaries and covers the same data collection capabilities.
When to Use the Extension
Section titled “When to Use the Extension”- You already run a Dynatrace ActiveGate and want Dynatrace to manage the collector lifecycle.
- You prefer configuring the collector via the Dynatrace UI rather than a YAML file.
- You do not need Splunk or console output.
Installation Upload the extension, configure it in the Dynatrace UI, and verify data collection.
Upgrade Routine patch/minor update procedure for the extension package.
Migrate from Standalone Stop the existing standalone agent and switch to the extension without data loss.