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+<!--
+title: "Using Netdata with Prometheus"
+custom_edit_url: https://github.com/netdata/netdata/edit/master/backends/prometheus/README.md
+-->
+
+# Using Netdata with Prometheus
+
+> IMPORTANT: the format Netdata sends metrics to prometheus has changed since Netdata v1.7. The new prometheus backend
+> for Netdata supports a lot more features and is aligned to the development of the rest of the Netdata backends.
+
+Prometheus is a distributed monitoring system which offers a very simple setup along with a robust data model. Recently
+Netdata added support for Prometheus. I'm going to quickly show you how to install both Netdata and prometheus on the
+same server. We can then use grafana pointed at Prometheus to obtain long term metrics Netdata offers. I'm assuming we
+are starting at a fresh ubuntu shell (whether you'd like to follow along in a VM or a cloud instance is up to you).
+
+## Installing Netdata and prometheus
+
+### Installing Netdata
+
+There are number of ways to install Netdata according to [Installation](/packaging/installer/README.md). The suggested way
+of installing the latest Netdata and keep it upgrade automatically. Using one line installation:
+
+```sh
+bash <(curl -Ss https://my-netdata.io/kickstart.sh)
+```
+
+At this point we should have Netdata listening on port 19999. Attempt to take your browser here:
+
+```sh
+http://your.netdata.ip:19999
+```
+
+_(replace `your.netdata.ip` with the IP or hostname of the server running Netdata)_
+
+### Installing Prometheus
+
+In order to install prometheus we are going to introduce our own systemd startup script along with an example of
+prometheus.yaml configuration. Prometheus needs to be pointed to your server at a specific target url for it to scrape
+Netdata's api. Prometheus is always a pull model meaning Netdata is the passive client within this architecture.
+Prometheus always initiates the connection with Netdata.
+
+#### Download Prometheus
+
+```sh
+cd /tmp && curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/prometheus/prometheus/releases/latest \
+| grep "browser_download_url.*linux-amd64.tar.gz" \
+| cut -d '"' -f 4 \
+| wget -qi -
+```
+
+#### Create prometheus system user
+
+```sh
+sudo useradd -r prometheus
+```
+
+#### Create prometheus directory
+
+```sh
+sudo mkdir /opt/prometheus
+sudo chown prometheus:prometheus /opt/prometheus
+```
+
+#### Untar prometheus directory
+
+```sh
+sudo tar -xvf /tmp/prometheus-*linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /opt/prometheus --strip=1
+```
+
+#### Install prometheus.yml
+
+We will use the following `prometheus.yml` file. Save it at `/opt/prometheus/prometheus.yml`.
+
+Make sure to replace `your.netdata.ip` with the IP or hostname of the host running Netdata.
+
+```yaml
+# my global config
+global:
+ scrape_interval: 5s # Set the scrape interval to every 5 seconds. Default is every 1 minute.
+ evaluation_interval: 5s # Evaluate rules every 5 seconds. The default is every 1 minute.
+ # scrape_timeout is set to the global default (10s).
+
+ # Attach these labels to any time series or alerts when communicating with
+ # external systems (federation, remote storage, Alertmanager).
+ external_labels:
+ monitor: 'codelab-monitor'
+
+# Load rules once and periodically evaluate them according to the global 'evaluation_interval'.
+rule_files:
+ # - "first.rules"
+ # - "second.rules"
+
+# A scrape configuration containing exactly one endpoint to scrape:
+# Here it's Prometheus itself.
+scrape_configs:
+ # The job name is added as a label `job=<job_name>` to any timeseries scraped from this config.
+ - job_name: 'prometheus'
+
+ # metrics_path defaults to '/metrics'
+ # scheme defaults to 'http'.
+
+ static_configs:
+ - targets: ['0.0.0.0:9090']
+
+ - job_name: 'netdata-scrape'
+
+ metrics_path: '/api/v1/allmetrics'
+ params:
+ # format: prometheus | prometheus_all_hosts
+ # You can use `prometheus_all_hosts` if you want Prometheus to set the `instance` to your hostname instead of IP
+ format: [prometheus]
+ #
+ # sources: as-collected | raw | average | sum | volume
+ # default is: average
+ #source: [as-collected]
+ #
+ # server name for this prometheus - the default is the client IP
+ # for Netdata to uniquely identify it
+ #server: ['prometheus1']
+ honor_labels: true
+
+ static_configs:
+ - targets: ['{your.netdata.ip}:19999']
+```
+
+#### Install nodes.yml
+
+The following is completely optional, it will enable Prometheus to generate alerts from some NetData sources. Tweak the
+values to your own needs. We will use the following `nodes.yml` file below. Save it at `/opt/prometheus/nodes.yml`, and
+add a _- "nodes.yml"_ entry under the _rule_files:_ section in the example prometheus.yml file above.
+
+```yaml
+groups:
+- name: nodes
+
+ rules:
+ - alert: node_high_cpu_usage_70
+ expr: avg(rate(netdata_cpu_cpu_percentage_average{dimension="idle"}[1m])) by (job) > 70
+ for: 1m
+ annotations:
+ description: '{{ $labels.job }} on ''{{ $labels.job }}'' CPU usage is at {{ humanize $value }}%.'
+ summary: CPU alert for container node '{{ $labels.job }}'
+
+ - alert: node_high_memory_usage_70
+ expr: 100 / sum(netdata_system_ram_MB_average) by (job)
+ * sum(netdata_system_ram_MB_average{dimension=~"free|cached"}) by (job) < 30
+ for: 1m
+ annotations:
+ description: '{{ $labels.job }} memory usage is {{ humanize $value}}%.'
+ summary: Memory alert for container node '{{ $labels.job }}'
+
+ - alert: node_low_root_filesystem_space_20
+ expr: 100 / sum(netdata_disk_space_GB_average{family="/"}) by (job)
+ * sum(netdata_disk_space_GB_average{family="/",dimension=~"avail|cached"}) by (job) < 20
+ for: 1m
+ annotations:
+ description: '{{ $labels.job }} root filesystem space is {{ humanize $value}}%.'
+ summary: Root filesystem alert for container node '{{ $labels.job }}'
+
+ - alert: node_root_filesystem_fill_rate_6h
+ expr: predict_linear(netdata_disk_space_GB_average{family="/",dimension=~"avail|cached"}[1h], 6 * 3600) < 0
+ for: 1h
+ labels:
+ severity: critical
+ annotations:
+ description: Container node {{ $labels.job }} root filesystem is going to fill up in 6h.
+ summary: Disk fill alert for Swarm node '{{ $labels.job }}'
+```
+
+#### Install prometheus.service
+
+Save this service file as `/etc/systemd/system/prometheus.service`:
+
+```sh
+[Unit]
+Description=Prometheus Server
+AssertPathExists=/opt/prometheus
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/prometheus
+User=prometheus
+Group=prometheus
+ExecStart=/opt/prometheus/prometheus --config.file=/opt/prometheus/prometheus.yml --log.level=info
+ExecReload=/bin/kill -SIGHUP $MAINPID
+ExecStop=/bin/kill -SIGINT $MAINPID
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+```
+
+##### Start Prometheus
+
+```sh
+sudo systemctl start prometheus
+sudo systemctl enable prometheus
+```
+
+Prometheus should now start and listen on port 9090. Attempt to head there with your browser.
+
+If everything is working correctly when you fetch `http://your.prometheus.ip:9090` you will see a 'Status' tab. Click
+this and click on 'targets' We should see the Netdata host as a scraped target.
+
+---
+
+## Netdata support for prometheus
+
+> IMPORTANT: the format Netdata sends metrics to prometheus has changed since Netdata v1.6. The new format allows easier
+> queries for metrics and supports both `as collected` and normalized metrics.
+
+Before explaining the changes, we have to understand the key differences between Netdata and prometheus.
+
+### understanding Netdata metrics
+
+#### charts
+
+Each chart in Netdata has several properties (common to all its metrics):
+
+- `chart_id` - uniquely identifies a chart.
+
+- `chart_name` - a more human friendly name for `chart_id`, also unique.
+
+- `context` - this is the template of the chart. All disk I/O charts have the same context, all mysql requests charts
+ have the same context, etc. This is used for alarm templates to match all the charts they should be attached to.
+
+- `family` groups a set of charts together. It is used as the submenu of the dashboard.
+
+- `units` is the units for all the metrics attached to the chart.
+
+#### dimensions
+
+Then each Netdata chart contains metrics called `dimensions`. All the dimensions of a chart have the same units of
+measurement, and are contextually in the same category (ie. the metrics for disk bandwidth are `read` and `write` and
+they are both in the same chart).
+
+### Netdata data source
+
+Netdata can send metrics to prometheus from 3 data sources:
+
+- `as collected` or `raw` - this data source sends the metrics to prometheus as they are collected. No conversion is
+ done by Netdata. The latest value for each metric is just given to prometheus. This is the most preferred method by
+ prometheus, but it is also the harder to work with. To work with this data source, you will need to understand how
+ to get meaningful values out of them.
+
+ The format of the metrics is: `CONTEXT{chart="CHART",family="FAMILY",dimension="DIMENSION"}`.
+
+ If the metric is a counter (`incremental` in Netdata lingo), `_total` is appended the context.
+
+ Unlike prometheus, Netdata allows each dimension of a chart to have a different algorithm and conversion constants
+ (`multiplier` and `divisor`). In this case, that the dimensions of a charts are heterogeneous, Netdata will use this
+ format: `CONTEXT_DIMENSION{chart="CHART",family="FAMILY"}`
+
+- `average` - this data source uses the Netdata database to send the metrics to prometheus as they are presented on
+ the Netdata dashboard. So, all the metrics are sent as gauges, at the units they are presented in the Netdata
+ dashboard charts. This is the easiest to work with.
+
+ The format of the metrics is: `CONTEXT_UNITS_average{chart="CHART",family="FAMILY",dimension="DIMENSION"}`.
+
+ When this source is used, Netdata keeps track of the last access time for each prometheus server fetching the
+ metrics. This last access time is used at the subsequent queries of the same prometheus server to identify the
+ time-frame the `average` will be calculated.
+
+ So, no matter how frequently prometheus scrapes Netdata, it will get all the database data.
+ To identify each prometheus server, Netdata uses by default the IP of the client fetching the metrics.
+
+ If there are multiple prometheus servers fetching data from the same Netdata, using the same IP, each prometheus
+ server can append `server=NAME` to the URL. Netdata will use this `NAME` to uniquely identify the prometheus server.
+
+- `sum` or `volume`, is like `average` but instead of averaging the values, it sums them.
+
+ The format of the metrics is: `CONTEXT_UNITS_sum{chart="CHART",family="FAMILY",dimension="DIMENSION"}`. All the
+ other operations are the same with `average`.
+
+ To change the data source to `sum` or `as-collected` you need to provide the `source` parameter in the request URL.
+ e.g.: `http://your.netdata.ip:19999/api/v1/allmetrics?format=prometheus&help=yes&source=as-collected`
+
+ Keep in mind that early versions of Netdata were sending the metrics as: `CHART_DIMENSION{}`.
+
+### Querying Metrics
+
+Fetch with your web browser this URL:
+
+`http://your.netdata.ip:19999/api/v1/allmetrics?format=prometheus&help=yes`
+
+_(replace `your.netdata.ip` with the ip or hostname of your Netdata server)_
+
+Netdata will respond with all the metrics it sends to prometheus.
+
+If you search that page for `"system.cpu"` you will find all the metrics Netdata is exporting to prometheus for this
+chart. `system.cpu` is the chart name on the Netdata dashboard (on the Netdata dashboard all charts have a text heading
+such as : `Total CPU utilization (system.cpu)`. What we are interested here in the chart name: `system.cpu`).
+
+Searching for `"system.cpu"` reveals:
+
+```sh
+# COMMENT homogeneous chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", units "percentage"
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "guest_nice", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="guest_nice"} 0.0000000 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "guest", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="guest"} 1.7837326 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "steal", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="steal"} 0.0000000 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "softirq", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="softirq"} 0.5275442 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "irq", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="irq"} 0.2260836 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "user", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="user"} 2.3362762 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "system", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="system"} 1.7961062 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "nice", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="nice"} 0.0000000 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "iowait", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="iowait"} 0.9671802 1500066662000
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average: dimension "idle", value is percentage, gauge, dt 1500066653 to 1500066662 inclusive
+netdata_system_cpu_percentage_average{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="idle"} 92.3630770 1500066662000
+```
+
+_(Netdata response for `system.cpu` with source=`average`)_
+
+In `average` or `sum` data sources, all values are normalized and are reported to prometheus as gauges. Now, use the
+'expression' text form in prometheus. Begin to type the metrics we are looking for: `netdata_system_cpu`. You should see
+that the text form begins to auto-fill as prometheus knows about this metric.
+
+If the data source was `as collected`, the response would be:
+
+```sh
+# COMMENT homogeneous chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", units "percentage"
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "guest_nice", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="guest_nice"} 0 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "guest", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="guest"} 63945 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "steal", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="steal"} 0 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "softirq", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="softirq"} 8295 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "irq", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="irq"} 4079 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "user", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="user"} 116488 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "system", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="system"} 35084 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "nice", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="nice"} 505 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "iowait", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="iowait"} 23314 1500066716438
+# COMMENT netdata_system_cpu_total: chart "system.cpu", context "system.cpu", family "cpu", dimension "idle", value * 1 / 1 delta gives percentage (counter)
+netdata_system_cpu_total{chart="system.cpu",family="cpu",dimension="idle"} 918470 1500066716438
+```
+
+_(Netdata response for `system.cpu` with source=`as-collected`)_
+
+For more information check prometheus documentation.
+
+### Streaming data from upstream hosts
+
+The `format=prometheus` parameter only exports the host's Netdata metrics. If you are using the parent-child
+functionality of Netdata this ignores any upstream hosts - so you should consider using the below in your
+**prometheus.yml**:
+
+```yaml
+ metrics_path: '/api/v1/allmetrics'
+ params:
+ format: [prometheus_all_hosts]
+ honor_labels: true
+```
+
+This will report all upstream host data, and `honor_labels` will make Prometheus take note of the instance names
+provided.
+
+### Timestamps
+
+To pass the metrics through prometheus pushgateway, Netdata supports the option `&timestamps=no` to send the metrics
+without timestamps.
+
+## Netdata host variables
+
+Netdata collects various system configuration metrics, like the max number of TCP sockets supported, the max number of
+files allowed system-wide, various IPC sizes, etc. These metrics are not exposed to prometheus by default.
+
+To expose them, append `variables=yes` to the Netdata URL.
+
+### TYPE and HELP
+
+To save bandwidth, and because prometheus does not use them anyway, `# TYPE` and `# HELP` lines are suppressed. If
+wanted they can be re-enabled via `types=yes` and `help=yes`, e.g.
+`/api/v1/allmetrics?format=prometheus&types=yes&help=yes`
+
+Note that if enabled, the `# TYPE` and `# HELP` lines are repeated for every occurrence of a metric, which goes against the Prometheus documentation's [specification for these lines](https://github.com/prometheus/docs/blob/master/content/docs/instrumenting/exposition_formats.md#comments-help-text-and-type-information).
+
+### Names and IDs
+
+Netdata supports names and IDs for charts and dimensions. Usually IDs are unique identifiers as read by the system and
+names are human friendly labels (also unique).
+
+Most charts and metrics have the same ID and name, but in several cases they are different: disks with device-mapper,
+interrupts, QoS classes, statsd synthetic charts, etc.
+
+The default is controlled in `netdata.conf`:
+
+```conf
+[backend]
+ send names instead of ids = yes | no
+```
+
+You can overwrite it from prometheus, by appending to the URL:
+
+- `&names=no` to get IDs (the old behaviour)
+- `&names=yes` to get names
+
+### Filtering metrics sent to prometheus
+
+Netdata can filter the metrics it sends to prometheus with this setting:
+
+```conf
+[backend]
+ send charts matching = *
+```
+
+This settings accepts a space separated list of patterns to match the **charts** to be sent to prometheus. Each pattern
+can use `*` as wildcard, any number of times (e.g `*a*b*c*` is valid). Patterns starting with `!` give a negative match
+(e.g `!*.bad users.* groups.*` will send all the users and groups except `bad` user and `bad` group). The order is
+important: the first match (positive or negative) left to right, is used.
+
+### Changing the prefix of Netdata metrics
+
+Netdata sends all metrics prefixed with `netdata_`. You can change this in `netdata.conf`, like this:
+
+```conf
+[backend]
+ prefix = netdata
+```
+
+It can also be changed from the URL, by appending `&prefix=netdata`.
+
+### Metric Units
+
+The default source `average` adds the unit of measurement to the name of each metric (e.g. `_KiB_persec`). To hide the
+units and get the same metric names as with the other sources, append to the URL `&hideunits=yes`.
+
+The units were standardized in v1.12, with the effect of changing the metric names. To get the metric names as they were
+before v1.12, append to the URL `&oldunits=yes`
+
+### Accuracy of `average` and `sum` data sources
+
+When the data source is set to `average` or `sum`, Netdata remembers the last access of each client accessing prometheus
+metrics and uses this last access time to respond with the `average` or `sum` of all the entries in the database since
+that. This means that prometheus servers are not losing data when they access Netdata with data source = `average` or
+`sum`.
+
+To uniquely identify each prometheus server, Netdata uses the IP of the client accessing the metrics. If however the IP
+is not good enough for identifying a single prometheus server (e.g. when prometheus servers are accessing Netdata
+through a web proxy, or when multiple prometheus servers are NATed to a single IP), each prometheus may append
+`&server=NAME` to the URL. This `NAME` is used by Netdata to uniquely identify each prometheus server and keep track of
+its last access time.
+
+[![analytics](https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&aip=1&t=pageview&_s=1&ds=github&dr=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fnetdata%2Fnetdata&dl=https%3A%2F%2Fmy-netdata.io%2Fgithub%2Fbackends%2Fprometheus%2FREADME&_u=MAC~&cid=5792dfd7-8dc4-476b-af31-da2fdb9f93d2&tid=UA-64295674-3)](<>)