Metrics Dictionary Guide

Service Ping metrics are defined in individual YAML files definitions from which the Metrics Dictionary is built. Currently, the metrics dictionary is built automatically once a day. When a change to a metric is made in a YAML file, you can see the change in the dictionary within 24 hours. This guide describes the dictionary and how it's implemented.

Metrics Definition and validation

We are using JSON Schema to validate the metrics definition.

This process is meant to ensure consistent and valid metrics defined for Service Ping. All metrics must:

• Comply with the defined JSON schema.
• Have a unique key_path .
• Have an owner.

All metrics are stored in YAML files:

• config/metrics

WARNING: Only metrics with a metric definition YAML and whose status is not removed are added to the Service Ping JSON payload.

Each metric is defined in a separate YAML file consisting of a number of fields:

Metric key_path

The key_path of the metric is the location in the JSON Service Ping payload.

The key_path could be composed from multiple parts separated by . and it must be unique.

We recommend to add the metric in one of the top-level keys:

• settings: for settings related metrics.
• counts_weekly: for counters that have data for the most recent 7 days.
• counts_monthly: for counters that have data for the most recent 28 days.
• counts: for counters that have data for all time.

NOTE: We can't control what the metric's key_path is, because some of them are generated dynamically in usage_data.rb. For example, see Redis HLL metrics.

Metric name

To improve metric discoverability by a wider audience, each metric with instrumentation added at an appointed key_path receives a name attribute filled with the name suggestion, corresponding to the metric data_source and instrumentation. Metric name suggestions can contain two types of elements:

1. User input prompts: enclosed by angle brackets (< >), these pieces should be replaced or removed when you create a metrics YAML file.
2. Fixed suggestion: plaintext parts generated according to well-defined algorithms. They are based on underlying instrumentation, and must not be changed.

For a metric name to be valid, it must not include any prompt, and fixed suggestions must not be changed.

Generate a metric name suggestion

The metric YAML generator can suggest a metric name for you. To generate a metric name suggestion, first instrument the metric at the provided key_path. Then, generate the metric's YAML definition and return to the instrumentation and update it.

1. Add the metric instrumentation class to lib/gitlab/usage/metrics/instrumentations/.
2. Add the metric logic in the instrumentation class.
3. Run the metrics YAML generator.
4. Use the metric name suggestion to select a suitable metric name.
5. Update the metric's YAML definition with the correct key_path.

Metric statuses

Metric definitions can have one of the following statuses:

• active: Metric is used and reports data.
• broken: Metric reports broken data (for example, -1 fallback), or does not report data at all. A metric marked as broken must also have the repair_issue_url attribute.
• removed: Metric was removed, but it may appear in Service Ping payloads sent from instances running on older versions of GitLab.

Metric value_type

Metric definitions can have one of the following values for value_type:

• boolean
• number
• string
• object: A metric with value_type: object must have value_json_schema with a link to the JSON schema for the object. In general, we avoid complex objects and prefer one of the boolean, number, or string value types. An example of a metric that uses value_type: object is topology (/config/metrics/settings/20210323120839_topology.yml), which has a related schema in /config/metrics/objects_schemas/topology_schema.json.

Metric time_frame

A metric's time frame is calculated based on the time_frame field and the data_source of the metric. For redis_hll metrics, the type of aggregation is also taken into consideration. In this context, the term "aggregation" refers to chosen events data storage interval, and is NOT related to the Aggregated Metrics feature. For more information about the aggregation type of each feature, see the common.yml file. Weeks run from Monday to Sunday.

Data category

We use the following categories to classify a metric:

• operational: Required data for operational purposes.
• optional: Default value for a metric. Data that is optional to collect. This can be enabled or disabled in the Admin Area.
• subscription: Data related to licensing.
• standard: Standard set of identifiers that are included when collecting data.

An aggregate metric is a metric that is the sum of two or more child metrics. Service Ping uses the data category of the aggregate metric to determine whether or not the data is included in the reported Service Ping payload.

Metric name suggestion examples

Metric with data_source: database

For a metric instrumented with SQL:

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT user_id) FROM clusters WHERE clusters.management_project_id IS NOT NULL

• Suggested name: count_distinct_user_id_from_<adjective describing: '(clusters.management_project_id IS NOT NULL)'>_clusters
• Prompt: <adjective describing: '(clusters.management_project_id IS NOT NULL)'> should be replaced with an adjective that best represents filter conditions, such as project_management
• Final metric name: For example, count_distinct_user_id_from_project_management_clusters

For metric instrumented with SQL:

SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT clusters.user_id)
FROM clusters_applications_helm
INNER JOIN clusters ON clusters.id = clusters_applications_helm.cluster_id
WHERE clusters_applications_helm.status IN (3, 5)

• Suggested name: count_distinct_user_id_from_<adjective describing: '(clusters_applications_helm.status IN (3, 5))'>_clusters_<with>_<adjective describing: '(clusters_applications_helm.status IN (3, 5))'>_clusters_applications_helm
• Prompt: <adjective describing: '(clusters_applications_helm.status IN (3, 5))'> should be replaced with an adjective that best represents filter conditions
• Final metric name: count_distinct_user_id_from_clusters_with_available_clusters_applications_helm

In the previous example, the prompt is irrelevant, and user can remove it. The second occurrence corresponds with the available scope defined in Clusters::Concerns::ApplicationStatus. It can be used as the right adjective to replace prompt.

The <with> represents a suggested conjunction for the suggested name of the joined relation. The person documenting the metric can use it by either:

• Removing the surrounding <>.
• Using a different conjunction, such as having or including.

Metric with data_source: redis or redis_hll

For metrics instrumented with a Redis-based counter, the suggested name includes only the single prompt to be replaced by the person working with metrics YAML.

• Prompt: <please fill metric name, suggested format is: {subject}_{verb}{ing|ed}_{object} eg: users_creating_epics or merge_requests_viewed_in_single_file_mode>
• Final metric name: We suggest the metric name should follow the format of {subject}_{verb}{ing|ed}_{object}, such as user_creating_epics, users_triggering_security_scans, or merge_requests_viewed_in_single_file_mode

Metric with data_source: prometheus or system

For metrics instrumented with Prometheus or coming from the operating system, the suggested name includes only the single prompt by person working with metrics YAML.

• Prompt: <please fill metric name>
• Final metric name: Due to the variety of cases that can apply to this kind of metric, no naming convention exists. Each person instrumenting a metric should use their best judgment to come up with a descriptive name.

Example YAML metric definition

The linked uuid YAML file includes an example metric definition, where the uuid metric is the GitLab instance unique identifier.

key_path: uuid
description: GitLab instance unique identifier
product_section: analytics
product_stage: analytics
product_group: product_intelligence
value_type: string
status: active
milestone: 9.1
instrumentation_class: UuidMetric
introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/1521
time_frame: none
data_source: database
distribution:
- ce
- ee
tier:
- free
- premium
- ultimate

Create a new metric definition

The GitLab codebase provides a dedicated generator to create new metric definitions.

For uniqueness, the generated files include a timestamp prefix in ISO 8601 format.

The generator takes a list of key paths and 3 options as arguments. It creates metric YAML definitions in the corresponding location:

• --ee, --no-ee Indicates if metric is for EE.
• --dir=DIR Indicates the metric directory. It must be one of: counts_7d, 7d, counts_28d, 28d, counts_all, all, settings, license.
• --class_name=CLASS_NAME Indicates the instrumentation class. For example UsersCreatingIssuesMetric, UuidMetric

Single metric example

bundle exec rails generate gitlab:usage_metric_definition counts.issues --dir=7d --class_name=CountIssues
// Creates 1 file
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/issues.yml

Multiple metrics example

bundle exec rails generate gitlab:usage_metric_definition counts.issues counts.users --dir=7d --class_name=CountUsersCreatingIssues
// Creates 2 files
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/issues.yml
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/users.yml

NOTE: To create a metric definition used in EE, add the --ee flag.

bundle exec rails generate gitlab:usage_metric_definition counts.issues --ee --dir=7d --class_name=CountUsersCreatingIssues
// Creates 1 file
// create  ee/config/metrics/counts_7d/issues.yml

Metrics added dynamic to Service Ping payload

The Redis HLL metrics are added automatically to Service Ping payload.

A YAML metric definition is required for each metric. A dedicated generator is provided to create metric definitions for Redis HLL events.

The generator takes category and events arguments, as the root key is redis_hll_counters, and creates two metric definitions for each of the events (for weekly and monthly time frames):

Single metric example

bundle exec rails generate gitlab:usage_metric_definition:redis_hll issues count_users_closing_issues
// Creates 2 files
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/count_users_closing_issues_weekly.yml
// create  config/metrics/counts_28d/count_users_closing_issues_monthly.yml

Multiple metrics example

bundle exec rails generate gitlab:usage_metric_definition:redis_hll issues count_users_closing_issues count_users_reopening_issues
// Creates 4 files
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/count_users_closing_issues_weekly.yml
// create  config/metrics/counts_28d/count_users_closing_issues_monthly.yml
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/count_users_reopening_issues_weekly.yml
// create  config/metrics/counts_28d/count_users_reopening_issues_monthly.yml

To create a metric definition used in EE, add the --ee flag.

bundle exec rails generate gitlab:usage_metric_definition:redis_hll issues users_closing_issues --ee
// Creates 2 files
// create  config/metrics/counts_7d/i_closed_weekly.yml
// create  config/metrics/counts_28d/i_closed_monthly.yml

Metrics Dictionary

Metrics Dictionary is a separate application.

All metrics available in Service Ping are in the Metrics Dictionary.

Copy query to clipboard

To check if a metric has data in Sisense, use the copy query to clipboard feature. This copies a query that's ready to use in Sisense. The query gets the last five service ping data for GitLab.com for a given metric. For information about how to check if a Service Ping metric has data in Sisense, see this demo.