A network analytics controller in a computer network receives specification of a network analysis task. The controller creates maplets. Each maplet corresponds to an agent executing on a network node in the computer network. Each maplet specifies the network data collection configuration, collected data processing, and processed data reporting to be performed to support the network analysis task at the node executing the corresponding agent. The controller communicates the maplet corresponding to the agent over the computer network to each agent. Each agent receiving a maplet configures its corresponding network node for network data collection, collected data processing, and processed data reporting in accordance with the received maplet. Each agent receiving a maplet collects and processes network data, and reports the processed data to the controller, in accordance with the configuration. The controller aggregates, as the result of the network analysis task, the data reported from each agent.