How to export metrics to the OTEL collector

This guide explains how to export Aidbox metrics in OpenTelemetry format

Aidbox supports exporting metrics using the Protobuf protocol in line with the OTEL specification. This guide configures Aidbox to export metrics to the OpenTelemetry collector, but the setup can also be modified to export to other metrics consumers that adhere to this specification.

Prerequisites

1. OTEL collector should be deployed and configured to receive metrics.

2. Aidbox should be configured with Aidbox configuration project.

How to enable export metrics to the OTEL collector

To enable exporting metrics to the OTEL collector:

1. Import aidbox.telemetry.metrics

2. Define open-telemetry-metrics-exporter

3. Restart Adibox

{:ns     main
 :import #{aidbox
           aidbox.telemetry.metrics} ; import aidbox.telemetry.metrics

 open-telemetry-metrics-exporter
 {:zen/tags #{aidbox.telemetry.metrics/otlp-exporter}
  :url "http://url-to-otel-collector/v1/metrics" ; metrics consumer endpoint
  :period 5 #_"sec"}} ; period in seconds to send metrics 

How to check the OTEL collector receives metrics

Set up logging exporter and metrics pipeline in the OTEL collector configuration:

receivers:
  otlp:
    protocols:
      http:

exporters:
  logging:
    loglevel: debug

service:
  pipelines:
    metrics:
      receivers: [otlp]
      exporters: [logging] # OTEL prints metrics to the stdout

See Aidbox metrics in the OTEL collector stdout

Open OTEL collector stdout and see the metrics.