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InfluxDB

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InfluxDB is an open source time series database platform that lets users collect, process, and analyze data to optimize their infrastructure.

InfluxDB parameters and supported features in Nobl9
General support:
Release channel: Stable, Beta
Connection method: Agent, Direct
Replay and SLI Analyzer: Not supported
Event logs: Supported
Query checker: Not supported
Query parameters retrieval: Not supported
Timestamp cache persistence: Supported
Query parameters:
Query interval: 1 min
Query delay: 1 min
Jitter: 15 sec
Timeout: 60 sec
Agent details and minimum required versions for supported features:
Environment variable: INFLUXDB_QUERY_DELAY
Plugin name: n9influxdb
Timestamp cache persistence: 0.65.0
Additional notes:
No support for InfluxQL.
Write queries in Flux instead. Flux queries are only validated against bucket name, params.n9time_start, params.n9time_stop

Authentication​

When configuring a Nobl9 agent or direct connection to InfluxDB, you need to provide the API Token and Organization ID.

You can create the API Token using the InfluxDB user interface (UI), the command-line interface (CLI), or the InfluxDB API. For detailed instructions, refer to the Create an API Token | InfluxDB documentation.

You can get your Organization ID from:

  • The URL in the InfluxDB UI by looking for the orgs value, for example, http://localhost:8086/orgs/03a2bbf46249a000/...
  • The Organization Settings in InfluxDB’s UI
    • Click the organization name icon in your InfluxDB panel and go to the Organization Settings. You can copy the Organization ID to the clipboard.

For more details, refer to the View Organizations | InfluxDB documentation.

Adding InfluxDB as a data source​

To ensure data transmission between Nobl9 and InfluxDB, it may be necessary to list Nobl9 IP addresses as trusted.

💻ip allowlist
IP addresses to include in your allowlist for secure access:

If you're using app.nobl9.com instance:
  • 18.159.114.21
  • 18.158.132.186
  • 3.64.154.26
If you're using us1.nobl9.com instance:
  • 34.121.54.120
  • 34.123.193.191
  • 34.134.71.10
  • 35.192.105.150
  • 35.225.248.37
  • 35.226.78.175
  • 104.198.44.161

You can add the InfluxDB data source using the direct or agent connection methods.

Direct connection method​

A direct connection to InfluxDB requires users to enter their credentials which Nobl9 stores safely.

Nobl9 Web​

To set up this type of connection:

  1. Navigate to Integrations > Sources.
  2. Click .
  3. Click the required Source button.
  4. Choose Direct.
  1. Select one of the following Release Channels:
    • The stable channel is fully tested by the Nobl9 team. It represents the final product; however, this channel does not contain all the new features of a beta release. Use it to avoid crashes and other limitations.
    • The beta channel is under active development. Here, you can check out new features and improvements without the risk of affecting any viable SLOs. Remember that features in this channel can change.

  2. Enter an InfluxDB URL (mandatory).
    This is the Cluster URL which you can get by clicking the Account settings icon in the InfluxDB panel, and navigating to the Organization Settings. You can also copy and paste it from the address line of your browser after logging in to your InfluxDB account.

  3. Enter your InfluxDB API Token (mandatory).
    For more details, refer to the Create an API Token | InfluxDB documentation.

  4. Enter your InfluxDB Organization ID (mandatory).
    For more details, refer to the Authentication section above.

  1. Select a Project.
    Specifying a project is helpful when multiple users are spread across multiple teams or projects. When the Project field is left blank, Nobl9 uses the default project.
  2. Enter a Display Name.
    You can enter a user-friendly name with spaces in this field.
  3. Enter a Name.
    The name is mandatory and can only contain lowercase, alphanumeric characters, and dashes (for example, my-project-1). Nobl9 duplicates the display name here, transforming it into the supported format, but you can edit the result.
  4. Enter a Description.
    Here you can add details such as who is responsible for the integration (team/owner) and the purpose of creating it.
  5. Specify the Query delay to set a customized delay for queries when pulling the data from the data source.
    • The default value in InfluxDB integration for Query delay is 1 minute.
    info
    Changing the Query delay may affect your SLI data. For more details, check the Query delay documentation.
  6. Click Add Data Source.

sloctl​

The YAML for setting up a direct connection to InfluxDB looks like this:

apiVersion: n9/v1alpha
kind: Direct
metadata:
  name: influxdb-direct
  displayName: InfluxDB direct
  project: influxdb-direct
spec:
  description: direct integration with InfluxDB
  sourceOf: # One or many values from this list are allowed: Metrics, Services
    - Metrics
    - Services
  queryDelay:
      unit: Minute # string, one of: Second || Minute
      value: 720 # numeric, must be a number less than 1440 minutes (24 hours)
  logCollectionEnabled: false # boolean, defaults to 'false'. Set to true if you'd like your source to collect logs. Available for data sources connected using the direct method only. Reach out to support@nobl9.com to activate it.
  influxdb:
    url: https://instance-example.influxdata.com
    organizationID: "1234567" # secret
    apiToken: "" # secret
FieldTypeDescription
queryDelay.unit
mandatory
enumSpecifies the unit for the query delay. Possible values: Second | Minute.
• Check query delay documentation for default unit of query delay for each source.
queryDelay.value
mandatory
numericSpecifies the value for the query delay.
• Must be a number less than 1440 minutes (24 hours).
• Check query delay documentation for default unit of query delay for each source.
logCollectionEnabled
optional
booleanOptional. Defaults to false. Set to true if you'd like your direct to collect event logs. Contact us to activate it.
releaseChannel
mandatory
enumSpecifies the release channel. Accepted values: beta | stable.
Source-specific fields
influxDB.url
mandatory
stringThe Cluster URL which you can get by clicking the Account settings icon in the InfluxDB panel, and navigating to the Organization settings. You can also copy and paste it from the address line of your browser after logging in to your InfluxDB account.
influxDB.organizationID
mandatory
string, secretSee authentication section above for more details.
influxDB.apiToken
mandatory
string, secretSee authentication section above for more details.

Agent connection method​

Nobl9 Web​

Follow the instructions below to set up an agent connection.

  1. Navigate to Integrations > Sources.
  2. Click .
  3. Click the required Source button.
  4. Choose Agent.
  1. Select one of the following Release Channels:
    • The stable channel is fully tested by the Nobl9 team. It represents the final product; however, this channel does not contain all the new features of a beta release. Use it to avoid crashes and other limitations.
    • The beta channel is under active development. Here, you can check out new features and improvements without the risk of affecting any viable SLOs. Remember that features in this channel can change.

  2. Add the InfluxDB URL to connect to your data source.

  1. Select a Project.
    Specifying a project is helpful when multiple users are spread across multiple teams or projects. When the Project field is left blank, Nobl9 uses the default project.
  2. Enter a Display Name.
    You can enter a user-friendly name with spaces in this field.
  3. Enter a Name.
    The name is mandatory and can only contain lowercase, alphanumeric characters, and dashes (for example, my-project-1). Nobl9 duplicates the display name here, transforming it into the supported format, but you can edit the result.
  4. Enter a Description.
    Here you can add details such as who is responsible for the integration (team/owner) and the purpose of creating it.
  5. Specify the Query delay to set a customized delay for queries when pulling the data from the data source.
    • The default value in InfluxDB integration for Query delay is 1 minute.
    info
    Changing the Query delay may affect your SLI data. For more details, check the Query delay documentation.
  6. Click Add Data Source.

sloctl​

The YAML for setting up an agent connection to InfluxDB looks like this:

apiVersion: n9/v1alpha
kind: Agent
metadata:
  name: influxdb
  displayName: InfluxDB Agent # optional
  project: influxdb
spec:
  sourceOf:
    - Metrics
    - Services
  releaseChannel: stable # string, one of: beta || stable
  queryDelay:
      unit: Minute # string, one of: Second || Minute
      value: 720 # numeric, must be a number less than 1440 minutes (24 hours)
  influxdb:
    url: https://instance-example.influxdata.com
FieldTypeDescription
queryDelay.unit
mandatory
enumSpecifies the unit for the query delay. Possible values: Second | Minute.
• Check query delay documentation for default unit of query delay for each source.
queryDelay.value
mandatory
numericSpecifies the value for the query delay.
• Must be a number less than 1440 minutes (24 hours).
• Check query delay documentation for default unit of query delay for each source.
logCollectionEnabled
optional
booleanOptional. Defaults to false. Set to true if you'd like your direct to collect event logs. Contact us to activate it.
releaseChannel
mandatory
enumSpecifies the release channel. Accepted values: beta | stable.
Source-specific fields
influxDB.url
mandatory
stringThe Cluster URL which you can get by clicking the Account settings icon in the InfluxDB panel, and navigating to the Organization settings. You can also copy and paste it from the address line of your browser after logging in to your InfluxDB account.
warning

You can deploy only one agent in one YAML file by using the sloctl apply command.

Agent deployment​

When you add the data source, Nobl9 automatically generates a Kubernetes configuration and a Docker command line for you to use to deploy the agent. Both of these are available in the web UI, under the Agent Configuration section. Be sure to swap in your credentials (e.g., replace <INFLUXDB_API_TOKEN> and <INFLUXDB_ORG_ID> with your organization’s credentials). For more information, refer to the Authentication section above.

If you use Kubernetes, you can apply the supplied YAML config file to a Kubernetes cluster to deploy the agent.

# DISCLAIMER: This deployment description contains only the fields necessary for the purpose of this demo.
# It is not a ready-to-apply k8s deployment description, and the client_id and client_secret are only exemplary values.

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: nobl9-agent-nobl9-dev-influxdbproject-influxdb-agent
  namespace: default
type: Opaque
stringData:
  influxdb_api_token: <INFLUXDB_API_TOKEN>
  influxdb_org_id: <INFLUXDB_ORG_ID>
  client_id: "unique_client_id"
  client_secret: "unique_client_secret"
---
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: nobl9-agent-nobl9-dev-influxdbproject-influxdb-agent
  namespace: default
spec:
  replicas: 1
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      nobl9-agent-name: influxdb-agent
      nobl9-agent-project: influxdbproject
      nobl9-agent-organization: nobl9-dev
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        nobl9-agent-name: influxdb-agent
        nobl9-agent-project: influxdbproject
        nobl9-agent-organization: nobl9-dev
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: agent-container
          image: nobl9/agent:0.82.2
          resources:
            requests:
              memory: "350Mi"
              cpu: "0.1"
          env:
            - name: N9_CLIENT_ID
              valueFrom:
                secretKeyRef:
                  key: client_id
                  name: nobl9-agent-nobl9-dev-influxdbproject-influxdb-agent
            - name: INFLUXDB_API_TOKEN
              valueFrom:
                secretKeyRef:
                  key: influxdb_api_token
                  name: nobl9-agent-nobl9-dev-influxdbproject-influxdb-agent
            - name: INFLUXDB_ORG_ID
              valueFrom:
                secretKeyRef:
                  key: influxdb_org_id
                  name: nobl9-agent-nobl9-dev-influxdbproject-influxdb-agent
            # The N9_METRICS_PORT is a variable specifying the port to which the /metrics and /health endpoints are exposed.
            # The 9090 is the default value and can be changed.
            # If you don’t want the metrics to be exposed, comment out or delete the N9_METRICS_PORT variable.
            - name: N9_METRICS_PORT
              value: "9090"

Creating SLOs with InfluxDB​

Nobl9 Web​

Follow the instructions below to create an SLO with InfluxDB in the UI:

  1. Navigate to Service Level Objectives.

  2. Click .

  3. In step 1 of the SLO wizard, select the Service the SLO will be associated with.

  4. In step 2, select InfluxDB as the Data Source for your SLO, then specify the Metric. You can choose either a Threshold Metric, where a single time series is evaluated against a threshold or a Ratio Metric, which allows you to enter two time series to compare (for example, a count of good requests and total requests).

    1. Choose the Data Count Method for your ratio metric:
    • Non-incremental: counts incoming metric values one-by-one. So the resulting SLO graph is pike-shaped.
    • Incremental: counts the incoming metric values incrementally, adding every next value to previous values. It results in a constantly increasing SLO graph.

  5. Paste the Flux query in the Query, or Good query and Total query fields for the metric you selected. An InfluxDB query must contain:

    • A bucket value that points to a bucket in your organization that you want to query. A bucket is a named location where time series data is stored in InfluxDB. For more details, refer to the Manage Buckets in InfluxDB | InfluxDB documentation.

    • params.n9time_start and params.n9time_stop placeholders that define the time range of the query.

      • When generating a Flux query in the InfluxDB UI, replace InfluxDB v.timeRangeStart and v.timeRangeStop variables with Nobl9 params.n9time_start and params.n9time_stop placeholders. For more information, refer to the Predefined dashboard variables | InfluxDB documentation.

      • When creating a Flux query in the Nobl9 UI, append the query with range(start: time(v: params.n9time_start), stop: time(v: params.n9time_stop)) function. For query examples, refer to the section below.

note

Do not add a time frame to the query, as Nobl9 appends the query times as needed.

For more information on the Flux query language, refer to the Get Started with Flux | InfluxDB documentation.

SLI values for good and total
When choosing the query for the ratio SLI (countMetrics), keep in mind that the values ​​resulting from that query for both good and total:
  • Must be positive.
  • While we recommend using integers, fractions are also acceptable.
    • If using fractions, we recommend them to be larger than 1e-4 = 0.0001.
  • Shouldn't be larger than 1e+20.
  1. In step 3 of the SLO wizard, define a Time Window for the SLO.

  • Rolling time windows are better for tracking the recent user experience of a service.

  • Calendar-aligned windows are best suited for SLOs that are intended to map to business metrics measured on a calendar-aligned basis, such as every calendar month or every quarter.

  1. In step 4, specify the Error Budget Calculation Method and your Objective(s).

    • Occurrences method counts good attempts against the count of total attempts.
    • Time Slicesmethod measures how many good minutes were achieved (when a system operates within defined boundaries) during a time window.
    • You can define up to 12 objectives for an SLO.

    See the use case example and the SLO calculations guide for more information on the error budget calculation methods.

  2. In step 5, add the Display name, Name, and other settings for your SLO:

    • Create a composite SLO
    • Set notification on data, if this option is available for your data source.
      When activated, Nobl9 notifies you if your SLO hasn't received data or received incomplete data for more than 15 minutes.
    • Add alert policies, labels, and links, if required.
      You can add up to 20 links per SLO.

  3. Click Create SLO.

sloctl​

Here’s an example of InfluxDB using rawMetric (threshold metric):

apiVersion: n9/v1alpha
  kind: SLO
  metadata:
    displayName: influxdb-calendar-occurrences-threshold
    name: influxdb-calendar-occurrences-threshold
    project: influxdb
  spec:
    budgetingMethod: Occurrences
    description: ""
    indicator:
      metricSource:
        name: influxdb
      rawMetric:
        influxdb:
          query: 'from(bucket: "integrations")
            |> range(start: time(v: params.n9time_start), stop: time(v: params.n9time_stop))
            |> aggregateWindow(every: 15s, fn: mean, createEmpty: false)
            |> filter(fn: (r) => r["_measurement"] == "internal_write")
            |> filter(fn: (r) => r["_field"] == "write_time_ns")'
    service: influxdb-service
    objectives:
      - target: 0.8
        op: lte
        displayName: average
        value: 300000000
      - target: 0.5
        op: lte
        displayName: so-so
        value: 250000000
    timeWindows:
      - calendar:
          startTime: "2020-11-14 12:10:00"
          timeZone: Etc/UTC
        count: 1
        isRolling: false
        unit: Day

Notes:

  • query:

    • query - must contain range(start: time(v: params.n9time_start), stop: time(v: params.n9time_stop)) placeholders and a bucket name.

    • aggregateWindow () - applies an aggregate or selector function to fixed windows of time. If you need to aggregate points when there are more than 4 points per minute, group the data using this function.

    • yield () - a function that indicates what input data will be provided as a result of the query. yield() is required when using multiple sources in a query. Each query result is then identified by the name provided to the yield().

    • For more information, refer to the Flux universe package | InfluxDB documentation.

Query examples​

The following are Flux query examples:

Threshold metric
Query:

'from(bucket: "integrations")
|> range(start: time(v: params.n9time_start), stop: time(v: params.n9time_stop))
|> aggregateWindow(every: 15s, fn: mean, createEmpty: false)
|> filter(fn: (r) => r["_measurement"] == "internal_write")
|> filter(fn: (r) => r["_field"] == "write_time_ns")'

Ratio metric:
Good query:

'from(bucket: "integrations")
|> range(start: time(v: params.n9time_start), stop: time(v: params.n9time_stop))
|> aggregateWindow(every: 15s, fn: mean, createEmpty: false)
|> filter(fn: (r) => r["_measurement"] == "internal_write")
|> filter(fn: (r) => r["_field"] == "write_time_ns")'

Total query:

'from(bucket: "integrations")
|> range(start: time(v: params.n9time_start), stop: time(v: params.n9time_stop))
|> aggregateWindow(every: 15s, fn: mean, createEmpty: false)
|> filter(fn: (r) => r["_measurement"] == "internal_write")
|> filter(fn: (r) => r["_field"] == "write_time_ns")'

Querying the InfluxDB server​

Nobl9 queries the InfluxDB server leveraging the /api/v2/query REST API on a per-minute basis with a maximum resolution of 4 data points.

InfluxDB API rate limits​

The API rate limits apply to the point density for the agent. If the point density fetched from database per one minute is greater than 4, an error occurs. Then, you must rewrite the query with point aggregation.

For a more in-depth look, consult additional resources:
InfluxDB API referenceInfluxDB docsCreate an API tokenInfluxDB docsView organizationsInfluxDB docsInflux query languageInfluxDB docsGet started with FluxInfluxDB docsFlux universe packageInfluxDB docsManage bucketsInfluxDB docsPredefined dashboard variablesInfluxDB docsAgent metricsAgentCreating SLOs via TerraformTerraformCreating agents via TerraformTerraform
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