Kernel and AWS Timestream Integration

Input and output integration overview

<p>The Kernel plugin collects various statistics about the Linux kernel, including context switches, page usage, and entropy availability.</p>

<p>The AWS Timestream Telegraf plugin enables users to send metrics directly to Amazon’s Timestream service, which is designed for time series data management. This plugin offers a variety of configuration options for authentication, data organization, and retention settings.</p> <p>With the coming End of Life of AWS Timestream for LiveAnalytics, you can easily switch to AWS Timestream for InfluxDB or other verions of InfluxDB hosted on AWS by using the <a href="https://www.influxdata.com/integrations/influxdb/">InfluxDB Telegraf plugin</a>. Learn more about <a href="https://www.influxdata.com/influxdb-cloud-on-aws/">AWS and InfluxDB</a></p>

Integration details

Kernel

<p>The Kernel plugin is designed exclusively for Linux systems and gathers essential kernel statistics that are not covered by other plugins. It primarily focuses on the metrics available in <code>/proc/stat</code>, as well as the entropy available from <code>/proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail</code>. Additional functionalities include the capture of Kernel Samepage Merging (KSM) data and Pressure Stall Information (PSI), requiring Linux kernel version 4.20 or later. This plugin provides a comprehensive look into system behaviors, enabling better understanding and optimization of resource management and usage. The metrics it collects are critical for monitoring system health and performance.</p>

AWS Timestream

<p>This plugin is designed to efficiently write metrics to Amazon’s Timestream for LiveAnalytics service. With AWS no longer accepting new users for their LiveAnalytics service, consider using the <a href="https://www.influxdata.com/integrations/influxdb/">InfluxDB plugin</a> with AWS Timestream for InfluxDB or other <a href="https://www.influxdata.com/influxdb-cloud-on-aws/">InfluxDB options available on AWS</a>. This plugin Telegraf can send data collected from various sources and supports a flexible configuration for authentication, data organization, and retention management. It utilizes a credential chain for authentication, allowing various methods such as web identity, assumed roles, and shared profiles. Users can define how metrics are organized in Timestream—whether to use a single table or multiple tables, alongside control over aspect such as retention periods for both magnetic and memory stores. A key feature is its ability to handle multi-measure records, enabling efficient data ingestion and helping to reduce the overhead of multiple writes. In terms of error handling, the plugin includes mechanisms for addressing common issues related to AWS errors during data writes, such as retry logic for throttling and the ability to create tables as needed.</p>

Configuration

Kernel

AWS Timestream

Input and output integration examples

Kernel

<ol> <li> <p><strong>Memory Optimization through KSM</strong>: Utilize the KSM capabilities of this plugin to monitor memory usage patterns in your applications and dynamically adjust the memory allocation strategy based on shared page usage metrics. By analyzing the data collected, you can identify opportunities for consolidating memory and optimizing performance without manual intervention.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Real-time System Health Monitoring</strong>: Integrate the metrics collected by the Kernel plugin into a real-time dashboard that visualizes key kernel statistics including context switches, interrupts, and entropy availability. This setup allows system administrators to proactively respond to performance issues before they escalate into critical failures, ensuring smooth operation of Linux servers.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Enhanced Anomaly Detection</strong>: Combine the data from this plugin with machine learning models to predict and detect anomalies in kernel behavior. By continuously monitoring metrics like process forking rates and entropy levels, you can implement an adaptive alerting system that triggers on performance anomalies, allowing for quick responses to potential issues.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Resource Usage Patterns Analysis</strong>: Use the Pressure Stall Information collected by the plugin to analyze resource usage patterns over time and identify potential bottlenecks under load conditions. By adjusting application performance based on the PSI metrics, you can improve overall resource management and maintain service reliability under varying workloads.</p> </li> </ol>

AWS Timestream

<ol> <li> <p><strong>IoT Data Metrics</strong>: Use the Timestream plugin to send real-time metrics from IoT devices to Timestream, allowing for quick analysis and visualization of sensor data. By organizing device readings into a time series format, users can track trends, identify anomalies, and streamline operational decisions based on device performance.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Application Performance Monitoring</strong>: Leverage Timestream alongside application monitoring tools to send metrics about service performance over time. This integration enables engineers to perform historical analysis of application performance, correlate it with business metrics, and optimize resource allocation based on usage patterns viewed over time.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Automated Data Archiving</strong>: Configure the Timestream plugin to write data to Timestream while simultaneously managing retention periods. This setup can automate archiving strategies, ensuring that older data is preserved according to predefined criteria. This is especially useful for compliance and historical analysis, allowing businesses to maintain their data lifecycle with minimal manual intervention.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Multi-Application Metrics Aggregation</strong>: Utilize the Timestream plugin to aggregate metrics from multiple applications into Timestream. By creating a unified database of performance metrics, organizations can gain holistic insights across various services, improving visibility into system-wide performance and facilitating cross-application troubleshooting.</p> </li> </ol>

Feedback

Thank you for being part of our community! If you have any general feedback or found any bugs on these pages, we welcome and encourage your input. Please submit your feedback in the InfluxDB community Slack.