Splunk metrics output data format
Use the splunkmetric output data format (serializer) to output Telegraf metrics in a format that can be consumed by a Splunk metrics index.
The output data format can write to a file using the file output, or send metrics to a HEC using the standard Telegraf HTTP output.
If you’re using the HTTP output, this serializer knows how to batch the metrics so you don’t end up with an HTTP POST per metric.
Th data is output in a format that conforms to the specified Splunk HEC JSON format as found here: Send metrics in JSON format.
An example event looks like:
{
"time": 1529708430,
"event": "metric",
"host": "patas-mbp",
"fields": {
"_value": 0.6,
"cpu": "cpu0",
"dc": "mobile",
"metric_name": "cpu.usage_user",
"user": "ronnocol"
}
}
In the above snippet, the following keys are dimensions:
- cpu
- dc
- user
Using with the HTTP output
To send this data to a Splunk HEC, you can use the HTTP output, there are some custom headers that you need to add to manage the HEC authorization, here’s a sample config for an HTTP output:
[[outputs.http]]
## URL is the address to send metrics to
url = "https://localhost:8088/services/collector"
## Timeout for HTTP message
# timeout = "5s"
## HTTP method, one of: "POST" or "PUT"
# method = "POST"
## HTTP Basic Auth credentials
# username = "username"
# password = "pa$$word"
## Optional TLS Config
# tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
# tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
# tls_key = "/etc/telegraf/key.pem"
## Use TLS but skip chain & host verification
# insecure_skip_verify = false
## Data format to output.
## Each data format has it's own unique set of configuration options, read
## more about them here:
## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_OUTPUT.md
data_format = "splunkmetric"
## Provides time, index, source overrides for the HEC
splunkmetric_hec_routing = true
## Additional HTTP headers
[outputs.http.headers]
# Should be set manually to "application/json" for json data_format
Content-Type = "application/json"
Authorization = "Splunk xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
X-Splunk-Request-Channel = "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
Overrides
You can override the default values for the HEC token you are using by adding additional tags to the config file.
The following aspects of the token can be overridden with tags:
- index
- source
You can either use [global_tags] or using a more advanced configuration as documented here.
Such as this example which overrides the index just on the cpu metric:
[[inputs.cpu]]
percpu = false
totalcpu = true
[inputs.cpu.tags]
index = "cpu_metrics"
Using with the File output
You can use the file output when running telegraf on a machine with a Splunk forwarder.
A sample event when hec_routing is false (or unset) looks like:
{
"_value": 0.6,
"cpu": "cpu0",
"dc": "mobile",
"metric_name": "cpu.usage_user",
"user": "ronnocol",
"time": 1529708430
}
Data formatted in this manner can be ingested with a simple props.conf file that
looks like this:
[telegraf]
category = Metrics
description = Telegraf Metrics
pulldown_type = 1
DATETIME_CONFIG =
NO_BINARY_CHECK = true
SHOULD_LINEMERGE = true
disabled = false
INDEXED_EXTRACTIONS = json
KV_MODE = none
TIMESTAMP_FIELDS = time
TIME_FORMAT = %s.%3N
An example configuration of a file based output is:
# Send telegraf metrics to file(s)
[[outputs.file]]
## Files to write to, "stdout" is a specially handled file.
files = ["/tmp/metrics.out"]
## Data format to output.
## Each data format has its own unique set of configuration options, read
## more about them here:
## https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/blob/master/docs/DATA_FORMATS_OUTPUT.md
data_format = "splunkmetric"
hec_routing = false
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