---
title: "Set up Database Observability | Database Observability documentation"
description: "Set up Database Observability for MySQL and PostgreSQL with Grafana Alloy and Grafana Cloud."
---

# Set up Database Observability

Set up Database Observability with Grafana Cloud for MySQL and PostgreSQL. You configure your databases and Grafana Alloy to collect metrics and logs and send them to Grafana Cloud.

## Get started

Get visibility into database performance across your infrastructure and diagnose incidents quickly. First-time setup typically takes 30-60 minutes.

1. [Review requirements](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/requirements-overhead/) to plan your deployment.
2. [Set up](#set-up-by-database-type) database monitoring with appropriate permissions.
3. [Configure](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/configure/) Alloy for multi-database or Kubernetes deployments.
4. [Monitor](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/monitor/) your database query performance.
5. [Investigate](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/investigate/) any performance anomalies.

**Key features:**

- **Query-level performance insights** with RED metrics (rate, errors, duration) to identify slow and failing queries.
- **Query samples to inspect individual** query executions with timing and parameter details.
- **Visual explain plans to see exactly** how your database executes each query and where time is spent.
- **Table schema details so you can spot** missing indexes or schema issues affecting performance.

## Before you begin

Review the [requirements and overhead](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/requirements-overhead/) to understand:

- System requirements for Alloy and your databases
- Required database permissions
- Performance overhead of monitoring
- Resource sizing for your deployment

## Set up by database type

- [**MySQL setup**](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/mysql/): Configure MySQL, Aurora MySQL, RDS MySQL, Cloud SQL MySQL, or Azure MySQL.
- [**PostgreSQL setup**](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/postgres/): Configure PostgreSQL, Aurora PostgreSQL, RDS PostgreSQL, Cloud SQL PostgreSQL, or Azure PostgreSQL.

## Explore next steps

- [Requirements and overhead](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/requirements-overhead/)  
  System requirements and performance overhead for Database Observability.
- [Set up MySQL](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/mysql/)  
  Set up Database Observability for MySQL and managed MySQL services using Grafana Alloy and Grafana Cloud.
- [Set up PostgreSQL](/docs/grafana-cloud/monitor-applications/database-observability/set-up/postgres/)  
  Set up Database Observability for PostgreSQL and managed PostgreSQL services using Grafana Alloy and Grafana Cloud.