  Anomaly detection is a crucial task in complex distributed systems. A
thorough understanding of the requirements and challenges of anomaly detection
is pivotal to the security of such systems, especially for real-world
deployment. While there are many works and application domains that deal with
this problem, few have attempted to provide an in-depth look at such systems.
In this survey, we explore the potentials of graph-based algorithms to identify
anomalies in distributed systems. These systems can be heterogeneous or
homogeneous, which can result in distinct requirements. One of our objectives
is to provide an in-depth look at graph-based approaches to conceptually
analyze their capability to handle real-world challenges such as heterogeneity
and dynamic structure. This study gives an overview of the State-of-the-Art
(SotA) research articles in the field and compare and contrast their
characteristics. To facilitate a more comprehensive understanding, we present
three systems with varying abstractions as use cases. We examine the specific
challenges involved in anomaly detection within such systems. Subsequently, we
elucidate the efficacy of graphs in such systems and explicate their
advantages. We then delve into the SotA methods and highlight their strength
and weaknesses, pointing out the areas for possible improvements and future
works.
