How Ellona unifies the monitoring of its environmental IoT platform with Bleemeo
Since 2021, Ellona has used Bleemeo to monitor a hybrid infrastructure comprising virtual machines, Docker containers and managed Kubernetes clusters on AWS. This unified monitoring enables its teams to track the status of more than 50 servers and receive reliable alerts in the event of an incident.
“We previously operated our own monitoring stack, comprising Telegraf, InfluxDB and Grafana. It worked well, but we gradually realised that it was an additional platform to maintain. With Bleemeo, monitoring is no longer our responsibility, and we receive alerts reliably.”
Ellona's main uses of Bleemeo
Server monitoring
Real-time monitoring of the availability, load and performance of the servers hosting Ellona's services.
Learn moreContainer monitoring
Monitoring the operation and performance of the Docker containers deployed across the infrastructure.
Learn moreKubernetes monitoring
Monitoring Kubernetes clusters, nodes, workloads and the various components of the environment.
Learn moreAvailability monitoring
Continuous monitoring of the availability of services, interfaces and key public endpoints.
Learn moreAbout Ellona
Ellona is a French deep-tech company specialising in Environmental Intelligence. Founded in 2016 and based in Toulouse, it develops solutions combining IoT sensors, advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to monitor environmental quality and nuisance factors in real time.
Its solutions measure parameters including gases, particulate matter, odours and noise. They can also identify emission sources, track their evolution and alert operators when an event occurs. Ellona's solutions are deployed by industrial companies, local authorities, ports, airports and infrastructure operators.
At the heart of this offering, the EllonaSoft platform centralises, processes and displays data collected by devices deployed in the field. Its availability and monitoring are therefore essential to ensure that customers have uninterrupted access to their environmental data, analytical tools and alerts.
Visit ellona.ioThe challenge: monitoring a distributed infrastructure without maintaining an additional platform
Ellona's cloud platform is built on a scalable hybrid infrastructure. It combines virtual machines, Docker containers and managed Kubernetes clusters in the cloud.
Before adopting Bleemeo, Ellona's teams operated their own monitoring environment using several open-source components, including Telegraf, InfluxDB and Grafana.
Although this architecture fulfilled its purpose, it also created several challenges.
- An additional platform to operate. The monitoring environment itself had to be installed, configured, updated and monitored. It therefore required time and expertise that could otherwise have been dedicated to developing the EllonaSoft platform.
- An increasingly heavy maintenance burden. Updates to the various components, storage management, dashboards and alerting rules required regular intervention. As Ellona's infrastructure grew, so did the associated maintenance workload.
- Alerts dependent on the monitored infrastructure. When an incident affects the infrastructure that also hosts the monitoring system, that system may no longer be able to send an alert. Ellona therefore needed an external solution capable of remaining operational even when some of its own services were unavailable.
- Increasingly diverse environments. The infrastructure combined several technologies and deployment models: virtual machines, Docker and Kubernetes. Ellona was looking for a solution that could centralise their monitoring without multiplying the number of tools and interfaces.
From five separate tools to a single monitoring platform
The previous architecture relied on several components that had to be maintained separately:
With Bleemeo, these functions are combined within a single platform. Ellona therefore benefits from a consolidated view of its infrastructure without having to maintain the entire monitoring chain itself.
The solution implemented with Bleemeo
Ellona has used Bleemeo since 2021. The objective was not simply to replace one tool with another, but to outsource infrastructure monitoring in order to improve reliability and reduce the internal maintenance workload.
Monitoring independent of the EllonaSoft platform
Bleemeo operates outside Ellona's application infrastructure. Monitoring therefore remains available even when an incident affects a server, service or platform component. This independence makes it possible to detect issues more quickly and send alerts to the relevant teams.
One less monitoring stack to maintain
Ellona no longer has to operate its own monitoring chain based on Telegraf, InfluxDB and Grafana. Bleemeo handles the maintenance, updates and development of the monitoring platform. Ellona's technical teams can therefore focus on EllonaSoft and the services delivered directly to customers.
Alerts sent outside the monitored infrastructure
Alerts are generated and sent by an independent platform. They can therefore reach Ellona's teams even when an incident affects the main infrastructure or its internal communication systems. The teams receive more reliable information and can respond more quickly.
Monitoring designed for containerised environments
Bleemeo can monitor the Docker containers and Kubernetes environments used by Ellona. The platform provides a centralised view of component status, availability and performance. Teams can monitor the evolution of the infrastructure from a single interface, regardless of the environments involved.
External probes monitoring key public endpoints
External checks regularly verify the availability of services accessible from the Internet. They can detect an issue as it would be experienced by a user or customer, independently of the status reported by internal components. This complements server and container monitoring by providing a view focused on the actual availability of services.
Unified monitoring for three types of infrastructure
The EllonaSoft platform has evolved over the years. Bleemeo supports this evolution by monitoring the different environments through a single interface.
- 1
Virtual machines
Ellona's historical virtual machines continue to host certain platform components and services. Bleemeo monitors their availability, load, resource usage and the status of essential services.
- 2
Docker containers
Some applications are deployed as Docker containers. Bleemeo monitors their operation and quickly identifies containers that are unavailable, unstable or consuming an abnormal level of resources.
- 3
Managed Kubernetes on AWS
The most recent services are gradually being deployed on managed Kubernetes clusters in AWS. Bleemeo provides visibility into clusters, nodes and workloads while integrating this information into the same interface as the other environments.
Ellona therefore benefits from consistent monitoring despite the diversity and evolution of its architecture.
The results
Moving to Bleemeo has enabled Ellona to simplify its infrastructure monitoring while improving its reliability.
More than 50 servers monitored. The platform centralises the monitoring of more than 50 servers and the various services that make up the EllonaSoft infrastructure.
A hybrid infrastructure monitored from a single interface. Virtual machines, Docker containers and Kubernetes environments are all monitored from the same platform.
Alerts independent of the EllonaSoft platform. Teams are alerted even when an incident directly affects Ellona's internal infrastructure or one of its critical services.
“With Docker, followed by Kubernetes on AWS, we have gradually transformed our infrastructure. Bleemeo has enabled us to maintain consistent monitoring throughout these changes without having to rebuild or maintain new tools at every stage. We now have monitoring that is independent of our infrastructure and backed by genuine expertise. This approach allows us to remain focused on our platform and on the value we deliver to our customers.”Laurent Chartouni — CTO, Ellona
Key benefits for Ellona
An external view of the infrastructure
Because monitoring is hosted outside the EllonaSoft platform, it remains available when an incident affects Ellona's internal systems.
Less maintenance
The teams no longer have to administer and develop a complete monitoring stack. They can devote more time to their core business.
A solution designed for hybrid environments
Bleemeo supports the evolution of Ellona's architecture, from its historical virtual machines to its Docker and Kubernetes deployments on AWS.
Truly operational alerts
Alerts are managed independently of the monitored infrastructure and sent to the relevant teams, enabling them to respond quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Which Bleemeo solution does Ellona use?
Ellona uses the Bleemeo monitoring platform to centralise the monitoring of its virtual machines, Docker containers, Kubernetes clusters and key service availability.
Why did Ellona replace its Telegraf, InfluxDB and Grafana stack?
The stack performed its role effectively, but it represented an additional platform that had to be operated and maintained. By choosing Bleemeo, Ellona reduced its maintenance workload while gaining monitoring that is independent of its own infrastructure.
How does Bleemeo monitor both Linux and Windows?
Bleemeo's agents and data collection mechanisms can monitor different operating systems from a single interface. Ellona can therefore monitor heterogeneous environments without multiplying the number of tools it uses.
What happens to monitoring during the transition to Kubernetes?
Bleemeo integrates Kubernetes clusters into the existing monitoring environment. Ellona therefore retains a centralised view of its infrastructure while transitioning towards more extensively containerised architectures.
Why does Ellona use external probes?
External probes check the actual availability of services from outside the infrastructure. They can detect an incident even when internal monitoring or communication components are unavailable.
Simplify your infrastructure monitoring
Like Ellona, centralise the monitoring of your servers, containers and Kubernetes clusters on a single platform. Reduce the maintenance burden associated with your monitoring tools, gain a consolidated view of your infrastructure and receive reliable alerts — even when an incident affects your own systems.
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