Question 1

How do I send vmstats metrics to StatsD?

Accepted Answer

You need to implement a custom sink module that calls the `vmstats_sink` behavior's collect/3 function to forward metrics to StatsD. The README provides the callback specification, but no pre-built StatsD sink is included, so you'll have to code the integration yourself using a StatsD client library.

Question 2

What's the difference between vmstats and folsom for Erlang monitoring?

Accepted Answer

vmstats is more minimal and focused solely on Erlang VM metrics with custom sink export, while folsom is a broader metrics library with built-in sinks and more features like histograms. Choose vmstats for lightweight, VM-specific tracking; folsom for a richer, all-in-one solution with less coding required.

Question 3

Can vmstats work with Prometheus?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but not directly out-of-the-box. You must implement a custom sink that exposes metrics in Prometheus format, likely via a separate HTTP endpoint. vmstats doesn't include a Prometheus exporter, so this requires additional development to bridge the gap.

Question 4

How to reduce the performance impact of vmstats?

Accepted Answer

Increase the collection interval in the configuration (e.g., set it higher than the default 1000ms) to gather metrics less frequently. Also, disable non-essential metrics like scheduler time by setting `sched_time` to false, and customize memory_metrics to only track necessary fields.

Question 5

Does vmstats support Elixir projects?

Accepted Answer

Yes, since it's an Erlang application, it can be integrated into Elixir projects via Mix or as a dependency. You'll need to handle the configuration and sink implementation in Elixir, but the core metric collection works seamlessly with the Erlang VM running Elixir code.

Question 6

What happens if the error logger queue gets too long?

Accepted Answer

vmstats monitors the error logger queue length as a metric, allowing you to set up alerts in your external monitoring system via a custom sink. However, vmstats itself doesn't provide built-in alerting or automatic remediation; it only reports the data for external analysis.

Question 7

How to handle vmstats updates without breaking changes?

Accepted Answer

Always use tagged releases instead of the master branch, as advised in the README. Check the CHANGELOG.md file for details on version changes and migrate configurations accordingly to avoid instability in production deployments.

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