Choosing the right method
The right method depends on what telemetry you have and what format it’s already in.
Quick reference
| Your current setup | Method to use |
|---|---|
| Prometheus | Prometheus remote write |
| InfluxDB | InfluxDB exporter → Prometheus |
| Graphite | Telegraf or OpenTelemetry |
| OpenTelemetry (metrics) | OTLP to Mimir |
| OpenTelemetry (logs) | OTLP to Loki |
| Any HTTP client | HTTP API to Loki |
Script
Here’s how to choose the right method for your situation. The first question is: what type of telemetry do you need to store…metrics or logs?
For metrics, the method depends on what format your data is already in. If you’re running Prometheus, use Prometheus remote write…it’s native and straightforward. If you have InfluxDB metrics, you’ll use the InfluxDB exporter to convert them to Prometheus format. If you’re on Graphite, you can use either Telegraf or OpenTelemetry to bridge the gap. And if your applications already emit OpenTelemetry metrics, send them directly via OTLP.
For logs, you have two options. OpenTelemetry Protocol is the modern standard…use it if your applications or collectors already support OTLP. The HTTP API is a simple REST endpoint that works with any tool that can make HTTP requests.
The visual on this slide shows this decision flow. We’ll cover each option in detail in the following slides.