Setting up a Collector
HOME > SNOWPLOW SETUP GUIDE > Step 1: setup a Collector
The SnowPlow collector receives data from SnowPlow trackers and logs that data to S3 for storage and further processing. Setting up a collector is the first step in the SnowPlow setup process.
## 1. Choose a CollectorThere are currently three collectors available:
| Collector | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| [Cloudfront Collector] cloudfront-collector | A simple, robust and scalable collector powered by AWS Cloudfront | Production-ready |
| [Clojure Collector] clojure-collector | A Clojure-based collector that enables user tracking across domains. Powered by Amazon Elastic Beanstalk | Beta |
| [SnowCannon (node.js)] snowcannon | A real-time, node.js based collector that enables user tracking across domains | Beta |
If you are tracking users across a single domain, we recommend setting up the [Cloudfront collector] cloudfront-collector.
If you are tracking users across multiple domains, we recommending setting up the [Clojure collector] clojure-collector. This sets user_ids server side, so you can reliably track user journeys across multiple domains. (In contrast, the [Cloudfront collector] cloudfront-collector sets them client side, so users get assigned different user_ids on different domains.)
Like the [Clojure Collector] clojure-collector, SnowCannon snowcannon supports user tracking across multiple domains. It also generates logs in real-time. Currently, however, the log file format is not supported by the EmrEtlRunner emretlrunner, making integrating SnowCannon snowcannon with downstream data processing modules tricky. We will be addressing this in the next few months.
## 2. Setup your Collector- [Setup the Cloudfront Collector now!] cloudfront-collector
- [Setup the Clojure Collector now!] clojure-collector
- [Setup SnowCannon now!] snowcannon
Setup your collector? Then proceed to [step 2: setup a tracker] tracker-setup.
[Return to the setup guide] setup-guide.