---
title: "Configure dataset for Host Monitoring | Grafana Cloud documentation"
description: "Learn how to manage Host Monitoring dataset configuration"
---

> For a curated documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). For the complete documentation index, see [llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt).

# Configure dataset for Host Monitoring

Configure how the knowledge graph processes Host Monitoring metrics from Node Exporters and process metrics. This configuration enables entity discovery for non-Kubernetes hosts and processes running on physical or virtual machines.

For background on dataset configurations, environment labels, and cloud region labels, refer to [Manage dataset configurations](../).

> Note
> 
> Activating the knowledge graph using Host Monitoring is in private preview. To request access, contact your Grafana account representative or Grafana Support.

## Before you begin

Host Monitoring discovers entities from the following exporters and metric sources:

- Node Exporter metrics (`node_uname_info`, `node_exporter_build_info`)
- Windows Exporter metrics (`windows_os_info`)
- Process Exporter metrics for process discovery (`namedprocess_.+`)
- OpenTelemetry process metrics using semantic conventions (`process_.+`)
- Windows process metrics (`windows_process_.+`)

The Host Monitoring dataset is considered healthy when either `node_exporter_build_info` or `windows_os_info` metrics are present in your stack.

Complete the following steps to edit a dataset configuration for Host Monitoring:

1. Sign into Grafana Cloud and click **Observability > Configuration**.
2. Click **Connect knowledge graph**.
3. Next to Host Monitoring, click **Edit**.
4. Complete the following fields:
   
   Expand table
   
   | Field              | Description                                                                                                                                              |
   |--------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
   | Environment label  | Select the source environment you want to monitor with the knowledge graph.                                                                              |
   | Environments       | Deselect the environments you want to exclude from the knowledge graph.                                                                                  |
   | Cloud region label | Optional. If you selected a different environment label, choose `cluster` as the cloud region label. You can select a different site label, as required. |
   | Cloud regions      | Deselect the regions you want to exclude from the knowledge graph.                                                                                       |
5. If you want to add additional filters, complete the following steps:
   
   1. Click **+ Add filter**.
   2. Populate the fields with filter values and an operator.
      
      You can add multiple filters.
6. To manage framework selection, toggle **Advanced options** and deselect any frameworks you want to exclude from the knowledge graph.
7. Optionally, add more environments.
8. Click **Save Host Monitoring settings**.

## Required metric labels

The knowledge graph requires the following metrics and labels for entity discovery:

Expand table

| Metric               | Required labels | Purpose                          |
|----------------------|-----------------|----------------------------------|
| `node_uname_info`    | `instance`      | Discover Linux and Unix hosts    |
| `windows_os_info`    | `instance`      | Discover Windows hosts           |
| `process_.+`         | Varies          | Discover processes as services   |
| `windows_process_.+` | Varies          | Discover Windows process metrics |

If the required labels are missing, the knowledge graph can’t discover entities from those metrics. Refer to [Troubleshooting](/docs/grafana-cloud/knowledge-graph/get-started/troubleshooting/) for details on resolving missing label issues.

## Frameworks and vendors

Host Monitoring includes the following frameworks for entity discovery:

- **Node Exporter**: Discovers non-Kubernetes nodes from `node_uname_info` metrics
- **Windows Exporter**: Discovers non-Kubernetes Windows hosts from `windows_os_info` metrics
- **Process Exporter**: Discovers processes as `Service` and `ServiceInstance` entities from Prometheus exporter metrics
- **OpenTelemetry Process (SemConv)**: Discovers processes as `Service` and `ServiceInstance` entities from OpenTelemetry semantic conventions
- **Windows Process**: Discovers processes from Windows Exporter process collector metrics

Node Exporter and Windows Exporter frameworks are core to Host Monitoring. You can manage framework selection in **Advanced options** during configuration.

## Enrich and link hosts using metadata

If the host runs on AWS, you can link it within the knowledge graph to AWS EC2 entities. This requires an `instance_id` label.

The following example shows how to add the `instance_id` label using the Alloy [discovery.ec2](/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/send-data/alloy/reference/components/discovery/discovery.ec2/) and [prometheus.enrich](/docs/grafana-cloud/observe-and-act/send-data/alloy/reference/components/prometheus/prometheus.enrich/) components:

Alloy ![Copy code to clipboard](/media/images/icons/icon-copy-small-2.svg) Copy

```alloy
discovery.ec2 "meta" {}

prometheus.enrich "demo" {
  targets = discovery.ec2.meta.targets

  target_match_label  = "__meta_ec2_private_dns_name"
  metrics_match_label = "instance"

  forward_to = [prometheus.relabel.meta.receiver] // Rename EC2 metadata labels
}

// Rename EC2 metadata labels
prometheus.relabel "meta" {
  forward_to = [prometheus.remote_write.prom.receiver]

  rule {
    action        = "replace"
    source_labels = ["__meta_ec2_owner_id"]
    target_label  = "account_id"
  }

  rule {
    action        = "replace"
    source_labels = ["__meta_ec2_instance_id"]
    target_label  = "instance_id"
  }
}
```

This configuration discovers the account ID and instance ID of the EC2 instance and attaches them as labels to your metrics.

## Next steps

- Configure [logs correlation](/docs/grafana-cloud/platform/knowledge-graph/configure/telemetry-correlation/logs/) to enrich host investigations
- Explore the [entity catalog](/docs/grafana-cloud/platform/knowledge-graph/use-cases/) to view discovered hosts and processes
- Learn about the [knowledge graph reference](/docs/grafana-cloud/platform/knowledge-graph/reference/) to understand how hosts and processes are represented