---
title: ''
description: Telegraf plugin for transforming metrics using Noise
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/telegraf/v1/processor-plugins/noise/
estimated_tokens: 922
product: Telegraf Enterprise
version: v1
publisher: InfluxData
canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/telegraf/v1/processor-plugins/noise/
date: '2026-05-21T20:10:18+02:00'
lastmod: '2026-05-21T20:10:18+02:00'
---

==========

* Telegraf v1.22.0+

[Plugin source](https://github.com/influxdata/telegraf/tree/v1.39.1/plugins/processors/noise/)[Download configuration](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/influxdata/telegraf/refs/tags/v1.39.1/plugins/processors/noise/sample.conf)

# Noise Processor Plugin

This plugin is used to add noise to numerical field values. For each field a
noise is generated using a defined probability density function and added to the
value. The function type can be configured as *Laplace*, *Gaussian* or*Uniform*.

**Introduced in:** Telegraf v1.22.0**Tags:** transformation**OS support:** all

## Global configuration options

Plugins support additional global and plugin configuration settings for tasks
such as modifying metrics, tags, and fields, creating aliases, and configuring
plugin ordering. See [CONFIGURATION.md](/telegraf/v1/configuration/#plugins) for more details.

## Configuration

```toml
# Adds noise to numerical fields
[[processors.noise]]
  ## Specified the type of the random distribution.
  ## Can be "laplacian", "gaussian" or "uniform".
  # type = "laplacian

  ## Center of the distribution.
  ## Only used for Laplacian and Gaussian distributions.
  # mu = 0.0

  ## Scale parameter for the Laplacian or Gaussian distribution
  # scale = 1.0

  ## Upper and lower bound of the Uniform distribution
  # min = -1.0
  # max = 1.0

  ## Apply the noise only to numeric fields matching the filter criteria below.
  ## Excludes takes precedence over includes.
  # include_fields = []
  # exclude_fields = []
```

Depending on the choice of the distribution function, the respective parameters
must be set. Default settings are `noise_type = "laplacian"` with `mu = 0.0` and`scale = 1.0`:

Using the `include_fields` and `exclude_fields` options a filter can be
configured to apply noise only to numeric fields matching it. The following
distribution functions are available.

### Laplacian

* `noise_type = laplacian`
* `scale`: also referred to as *diversity* parameter, regulates the width and
  height of the function, a bigger `scale` value means a higher
  probability of larger noise, default set to 1.0
* `mu`: location of the curve, default set to 0.0

### Gaussian

* `noise_type = gaussian`
* `mu`: mean value, default set to 0.0
* `scale`: standard deviation, default set to 1.0

### Uniform

* `noise_type = uniform`
* `min`: minimal interval value, default set to -1.0
* `max`: maximal interval value, default set to 1.0

## Example

Add noise to each value the *inputs.cpu* plugin generates, except for the*usage\_steal*, *usage\_user*, *uptime\_format*, *usage\_idle* field and all
fields of the metrics *swap*, *disk* and *net*:

```toml
[[inputs.cpu]]
  percpu = true
  totalcpu = true
  collect_cpu_time = false
  report_active = false

[[processors.noise]]
  scale = 1.0
  mu = 0.0
  noise_type = "laplacian"
  include_fields = []
  exclude_fields = ["usage_steal", "usage_user", "uptime_format", "usage_idle" ]
  namedrop = ["swap", "disk", "net"]
```

Result of noise added to the *cpu* metric:

```
- cpu map[cpu:cpu11 host:98d5b8dbad1c] map[usage_guest:0 usage_guest_nice:0 usage_idle:94.3999999994412 usage_iowait:0 usage_irq:0.1999999999998181 usage_nice:0 usage_softirq:0.20000000000209184 usage_steal:0 usage_system:1.2000000000080036 usage_user:4.000000000014552]
+ cpu map[cpu:cpu11 host:98d5b8dbad1c] map[usage_guest:1.0078071583066057 usage_guest_nice:0.523063861602435 usage_idle:95.53920223476884 usage_iowait:0.5162661526251292 usage_irq:0.7138529816101375 usage_nice:0.6119678488887954 usage_softirq:0.5573585443688622 usage_steal:0.2006120911289802 usage_system:1.2954475820198437 usage_user:6.885664792615023]

```