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.

This way of enabling OTEL capabilities is available in Aidbox versions 2503 and later. On previous AIdbox versions it was possible to enable OTEL with Aidbox configuration project.

Prerequisites

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

How to enable metrics export to the OTEL collector

To enable exporting metrics to the OTEL collector set the OTEL collector metrics receiver endpoint to the environment variable BOX_OBSERVABILITY_OTEL_METRICS_URL

How to check the OTEL collector receives metrics

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

receivers:
receivers:
  otlp:
    protocols:
      http:
        endpoint: <your-collector-resiever-endpoint>

exporters:
  debug:
    verbosity: detailed

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

See Aidbox metrics in the OTEL collector stdout

Open OTEL collector stdout and see the logs.

Check all available Aidbox OTEL metrics exporter configuration options are here:

OTEL metrics exporter parameters