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PostgreSQL Database Observability
13 min
Milestone 1
The value of deep query monitoring
1 min
Milestone 2
Check requirements
2 min
Milestone 3
Prepare PostgreSQL
2 min
Milestone 4
Configure Alloy
2 min
Milestone 5
Verify telemetry
1 min
Milestone 6
Explore queries
2 min
Milestone 7
Destination reached
1 min

Check requirements

Before starting the setup, verify that your environment meets the requirements for Database Observability. Getting these right upfront prevents troubleshooting later.

Grafana Cloud requirements

RequirementDetails
AccountGrafana Cloud account with Editor or Admin role
Database ObservabilityActivated in your Grafana Cloud stack. Go to Databases in the navigation menu to activate it.
StackAccess to Grafana Cloud Mimir (metrics) and Grafana Cloud Loki (logs) data sources
PermissionsAbility to view and create dashboards

PostgreSQL requirements

RequirementDetails
VersionPostgreSQL 14.0 or later
pg_stat_statementsExtension must be enabled (requires adding to shared_preload_libraries)
ConnectionAlloy must connect directly to the database host — avoid load balancers or connection poolers like PgBouncer
Monitoring userUser with pg_monitor and pg_read_all_stats roles

Grafana Alloy requirements

RequirementDetails
VersionGrafana Alloy 1.15.0 or later
NetworkOutbound access to Grafana Cloud endpoints
Database accessNetwork connectivity to your PostgreSQL instance

Checklist

Before proceeding, verify:

  • Grafana Cloud account is active with appropriate permissions
  • Database Observability is activated in your Grafana Cloud stack
  • PostgreSQL version is 14.0 or later
  • Network connectivity exists between the Alloy host and your PostgreSQL database
  • Network connectivity exists between the Alloy host and Grafana Cloud
  • You have administrative access to create a PostgreSQL monitoring user
  • Alloy connects directly to the database, not through a load balancer or PgBouncer

In the next milestone, you’ll prepare your PostgreSQL database for monitoring.

The value of deep query monitoring
page 3 of 8
Prepare PostgreSQL
page 3 of 8