How do I set up Exometer to send metrics to Graphite?

Configure the graphite reporter in your app.config with host, port, and optional API key, then create subscriptions using exometer_report:subscribe(). The README provides specific examples for connecting to hosted services like hostedgraphite.com.

Exometer vs folsom for Erlang monitoring – which should I use?

Exometer offers more flexibility with custom probes and multiple reporter integrations, while folsom is simpler but less extensible. Exometer includes folsom integration as a backup, but for new projects, Exometer's native probes are recommended for broader capabilities.

What's the performance impact of Exometer's caching?

Caching reduces load by storing metric values for a configurable lifetime, minimizing synchronous calls to probes. However, it can introduce stale data if not tuned properly, especially for high-frequency updates.

How can I create a custom probe in Exometer?

Implement the exometer_probe behavior with functions like probe_sample/1, and register it via configuration. The README points to detailed documentation for creating custom probes and entries.

Is Exometer still actively maintained after the split?

The core functionality moved to exometer_core, but the monolithic version is outdated (2015). Check the GitHub repositories for recent activity; maintenance may be fragmented across split modules.

Can Exometer handle SNMP reporting for legacy systems?

Yes, it includes an SNMP reporter that integrates with Erlang/OTP's snmp application, but setup requires configuring MIB templates and static subscriptions, which can be complex for non-experts.

exometer — Erlang System Performance Monitoring

What is exometer?

Exometer is an Erlang instrumentation package that provides a framework for monitoring system performance by creating, updating, and exporting metrics. It solves the problem of efficiently instrumenting Erlang code to gather crucial data on system behavior and export it to external monitoring systems like Graphite or OpenTSDB.

Target Audience

Erlang developers and system administrators who need to monitor the performance and health of distributed Erlang applications, especially those requiring integration with existing monitoring infrastructure.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Exometer for its flexibility in defining custom metrics, its built-in support for various reporters, and its efficient design that minimizes overhead while providing comprehensive instrumentation capabilities for Erlang systems.

Basic measurement objects and probe behavior

Use Cases

Best For

Monitoring transaction rates and system throughput in Erlang applications
Exporting performance metrics to Graphite or OpenTSDB for visualization
Implementing custom probes for specialized hardware or network monitoring
Setting up SNMP-based monitoring for legacy infrastructure integration
Creating histograms and statistical analysis of runtime data
Building real-time dashboards with AMQP-based metric streaming

Not Ideal For

Simple, standalone Erlang applications that only need basic logging without external monitoring integration
Projects requiring rapid deployment with minimal configuration and zero dependency management
Teams without deep Erlang/OTP expertise who need out-of-the-box, pre-configured monitoring solutions
Real-time systems demanding sub-millisecond latency where caching or probe sampling introduces unacceptable delays

Pros & Cons

Pros

Flexible Metric Framework

Supports a wide range of built-in types like counters, gauges, histograms, and spirals, with the ability to create custom entries and probes for specialized monitoring needs, as detailed in the built-in entries section.

Extensive Reporter Integration

Includes native reporters for Graphite, OpenTSDB, AMQP, and SNMP, enabling seamless data export to external monitoring systems without additional coding, as shown in the built-in reporters documentation.

Dynamic Runtime Control

Allows metrics to be created, updated, and subscribed to at runtime via API calls like exometer:new() and exometer_report:subscribe(), facilitating adaptive monitoring without system restarts.

Performance Optimization via Caching

Reduces load on probes with configurable cache lifetimes, improving efficiency for frequent metric reads, as explained in the caching mechanism section.

Cons

Complex Dependency Management

Requires manual handling of optional packages via EXOMETER_PACKAGES environment variables and conditional compilation, adding setup overhead and potential compatibility headaches.

Legacy and Fragmented Codebase

The project was split into exometer_core and separate reporter applications, with the last monolithic version from 2015, indicating potential maintenance issues and learning curve for new users.

Steep Configuration Learning Curve

Demands deep understanding of Erlang/OTP and detailed app.config setups for static subscriptions and reporters, making initial adoption time-consuming.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is exometer?

Target Audience

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

Monitoring transaction rates and system throughput in Erlang applications
Exporting performance metrics to Graphite or OpenTSDB for visualization
Implementing custom probes for specialized hardware or network monitoring
Setting up SNMP-based monitoring for legacy infrastructure integration
Creating histograms and statistical analysis of runtime data
Building real-time dashboards with AMQP-based metric streaming

Not Ideal For

Simple, standalone Erlang applications that only need basic logging without external monitoring integration
Projects requiring rapid deployment with minimal configuration and zero dependency management
Teams without deep Erlang/OTP expertise who need out-of-the-box, pre-configured monitoring solutions
Real-time systems demanding sub-millisecond latency where caching or probe sampling introduces unacceptable delays

Pros & Cons

Pros

Flexible Metric Framework

Extensive Reporter Integration

Dynamic Runtime Control

Allows metrics to be created, updated, and subscribed to at runtime via API calls like exometer:new() and exometer_report:subscribe(), facilitating adaptive monitoring without system restarts.

Performance Optimization via Caching

Reduces load on probes with configurable cache lifetimes, improving efficiency for frequent metric reads, as explained in the caching mechanism section.

Cons

Complex Dependency Management

Requires manual handling of optional packages via EXOMETER_PACKAGES environment variables and conditional compilation, adding setup overhead and potential compatibility headaches.

Legacy and Fragmented Codebase

The project was split into exometer_core and separate reporter applications, with the last monolithic version from 2015, indicating potential maintenance issues and learning curve for new users.

Steep Configuration Learning Curve

Demands deep understanding of Erlang/OTP and detailed app.config setups for static subscriptions and reporters, making initial adoption time-consuming.

Frequently Asked Questions

exometer

What is exometer?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

exometer

What is exometer?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?