﻿---
title: AutoOps for self-managed clusters FAQ
description: Find answers to your questions about AutoOps for ECE, ECK, and self-managed clusters. General questions Why should I use AutoOps for my clusters?Does...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/monitor/autoops/cc-cloud-connect-autoops-faq
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Enterprise
  - Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes
---

# AutoOps for self-managed clusters FAQ

Find answers to your questions about AutoOps for ECE, ECK, and self-managed clusters.
**General questions**
- [Why should I use AutoOps for my clusters?](#why-autoops)
- [Does this feature require additional payment?](#additional-payment)
- [Is there an added cost for shipping metrics data to Elastic Cloud?](#autoops-metrics-cost)
- [Which versions of Elasticsearch does AutoOps support?](#es-versions)
- [Which deployment types can be connected to AutoOps through Cloud Connect?](#deployment-types)

**Questions about setting up**
- [Can I use Cloud Connect to connect my Elastic Cloud Hosted clusters to AutoOps?](#cc-autoops-ech)
- [Can I use AutoOps for my clusters if my environment is air-gapped?](#autoops-air-gapped)
- [Can I use macOS to install Elastic Agent for this feature?](#macos-install)
- [Do I have to define an Elastic IP address to enable the agent to send data to Elastic Cloud?](#elastic-ip-address)

**Questions about collected metrics and data**
- [Where are AutoOps metrics stored?](#autoops-metrics-storage)
- [What information does Elastic Agent extract from my cluster?](#extracted-info)
- [How does AutoOps gather data from my cluster and ensure its security?](#data-gathering)


## General questions

<definitions>
  <definition term="Why should I use AutoOps for my clusters?">
    AutoOps simplifies the operation of your Elasticsearch clusters by providing real-time monitoring, performance insights, and issue detection. It helps you identify and resolve problems like ingestion bottlenecks and unbalanced shards, reducing manual effort and preventing performance issues.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Does this feature require additional payment?">
    Using [AutoOps for ECE, ECK, and self-managed clusters](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/monitor/autoops/cc-autoops-as-cloud-connected) through Cloud Connect is included with your [self-managed Enterprise license](https://www.elastic.co/subscriptions) and self-managed free trials.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Is there an added cost for shipping metrics data to Elastic Cloud?">
    Elastic does not charge extra for this service, but your cloud service provider (CSP) might. When sending metrics data from your cluster in a CSP region to Elastic Cloud, shipping costs will be determined by your agreement with that CSP.
    You can [choose the CSP region where your data is stored](#autoops-metrics-storage).
  </definition>
  <definition term="Which versions of Elasticsearch does AutoOps support?">
    AutoOps is compatible with [supported Elasticsearch versions](https://www.elastic.co/support/eol) (7.17.x and above).
  </definition>
  <definition term="Which deployment types can be connected to AutoOps through Cloud Connect?">
    You can connect to AutoOps on a standalone Elastic Stack, ECE (Elastic Cloud Enterprise), or ECK (Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes) deployment.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Questions about setting up

<definitions>
  <definition term="Can I use Cloud Connect to connect my Elastic Cloud Hosted clusters to AutoOps?">
    This path is not supported. Currently, we only support using Cloud Connect to connect ECE, ECK, and self-managed clusters to AutoOps.
    For Elastic Cloud Hosted clusters, AutoOps is set up and enabled automatically in all supported [regions](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/monitor/autoops/ec-autoops-regions), and can be [accessed](/docs/deploy-manage/monitor/autoops/ec-autoops-how-to-access#ec-autoops-how-to-access) from the deployment overview page.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Can I use AutoOps for my clusters if my environment is air-gapped?">
    Not at this time. AutoOps is currently only available as a cloud service and you need an internet connection to send metrics to Elastic Cloud. For air-gapped environments, we plan to offer a locally deployable version in the future.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Can I use macOS to install Elastic Agent for this feature?">
    macOS is not a supported platform for installing Elastic Agent and connecting your clusters to AutoOps.
  </definition>
  <definition term="Do I have to define an Elastic IP address to enable the agent to send data to Elastic Cloud?">
    You may need to define an IP address if your organization’s settings will block the agent from sending out data.
    To enable IP ranges, Elastic Cloud offers a selection of static IP addresses. All traffic directed to Elastic Cloud deployments, whether originating from the public internet, your private cloud network through the public internet, or your on-premise network through the public internet utilizes Ingress Static IPs as the network destination.
  </definition>
  <definition term="For more information, refer to Elastic Cloud Static IPs.">
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Questions about collected metrics and data

<definitions>
  <definition term="Where are AutoOps metrics stored?">
    You can choose where to store your metrics from the following AWS regions:
    | Region         | Name    |
    |----------------|---------|
    | us-east-2      | Ohio    |
    | eu-west-1      | Ireland |
    | ap-northeast-1 | Tokyo   |
    More regions are coming soon.
  </definition>
  <definition term="What information does Elastic Agent extract from my cluster?">
    Elastic Agent only extracts and sends cluster metrics to Elastic Cloud, not the underlying data within your cluster. The following metrics are collected:
    | API                                                                                                                                            | Description                                                                               | Collected data                                                             |
    |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    | [_cat/shards](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cat-shards)_cat/shards                                     | Returns detailed information about the shards within the cluster                          | Shard states, node allocation, index names, sizes, and replica information |
    | [_nodes/stats](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-nodes-stats)_nodes/stats                                  | Retrieves statistics from cluster nodes including JVM, OS, process, and transport metrics | CPU usage, memory utilization, thread pools, file system stats             |
    | [_cluster/settings](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cluster-get-settings)_cluster/settings               | Returns the settings configured for the cluster                                           | Persistent and transient settings such as cluster-wide configurations      |
    | [_cluster/health](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cluster-health)_cluster/health                         | Provides information about the overall health of the cluster                              | Status (green/yellow/red), number of nodes, number of shards               |
    | [_cat/template](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cat-templates)_cat/template                              | Lists all index templates in the cluster                                                  | Template names, patterns, and basic settings                               |
    | [_index_template](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/data-store/templates)_index_template                                                 | Retrieves composable index templates                                                      | Index settings, mappings, and aliases                                      |
    | [_component_template](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cluster-get-component-template)_component_template | Fetches component templates used for building index templates                             | Metadata for re-usable mappings and settings                               |
    | [_tasks](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/group/endpoint-tasks)_tasks                                                         | Displays information about currently running tasks on the cluster                         | Task descriptions, start times, running nodes, and execution details       |
    | [_template](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-get-template)_template                               | Retrieves legacy index templates                                                          | Similar to composable index templates but in older format                  |
    | [_resolve/index/*](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-resolve-index)_resolve/index/*                | Resolves index, data stream, and alias names to their current definitions                 | Mappings between names and underlying data objects                         |
  </definition>
  <definition term="How does AutoOps gather data from my cluster and ensure its security?">
    AutoOps gathers data from your cluster using two protocols:
    - **HTTP request**: Made to our Cloud Connected API to register your cluster with Elastic Cloud and gather registration-related data.
    - **OpenTelemetry Protocol (OTLP)**: Used to gather all other operational data.
    Each channel is authenticated through an API key or token to ensure your data's security. The following table offers more details:
    | Protocol       | Data extracted                                                                                     | Port                            | Authentication method                                                           |
    |----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    | HTTP           | Basic cluster information from the `/` endpoint  License information from the `/_license` endpoint | **443**443: standard HTTPS port | Uses an Elastic Cloud API key which is limited for use with Cloud Connect only. |
    | OTLP over HTTP | Operational information                                                                            | **443**443: standard HTTPS port | Uses an AutoOps token which is functionally equivalent to an API key.           |
  </definition>
</definitions>
