Question 1

How do I group time-series data by hour or day using Influxer?

Accepted Answer

Use the time() method in your metrics class, e.g., Metrics.time(:hour) groups data into one-hour intervals. This translates directly to InfluxDB's GROUP BY time clause, as shown in the README examples with VisitsMetrics.time(:hour).

Question 2

Is Influxer faster than writing raw InfluxQL queries?

Accepted Answer

Influxer adds a small overhead due to its abstraction layer, so raw queries might be slightly faster for complex operations. However, for most use cases, the productivity gain from the familiar interface outweighs the minimal performance cost, especially in Rails applications.

Question 3

Can I use Influxer with InfluxDB 2.0 and its Flux query language?

Accepted Answer

Influxer is designed for InfluxDB 1.x and uses InfluxQL. For InfluxDB 2.0 with Flux, you might need to check for updates or use alternative clients, as Flux support isn't explicitly mentioned in the README, limiting compatibility with newer versions.

Question 4

How to handle write failures or retries when using Influxer?

Accepted Answer

Influxer relies on the underlying InfluxDB client for writes; error handling should be implemented at the application level. The gem doesn't provide built-in retry mechanisms, so you may need to add custom logic for robustness, such as wrapping writes in rescue blocks.

Question 5

What's the best way to associate metrics with multiple ActiveRecord models?

Accepted Answer

Define separate metrics classes for each association and use the has_metrics method in your models. For complex relationships, you can chain scopes or use tags to filter data appropriately, as shown in the Active Record integration examples.

Question 6

Influxer vs the official influxdb-ruby gem: which should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Choose Influxer if you prefer an ActiveRecord-style ORM and are already using Rails for faster development. The official influxdb-ruby gem offers more direct control and might be better for non-Rails applications or when you need low-level access to InfluxDB features.

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