# Working with Prometheus Metrics

## Adding to the library

We strive to support the 2-4 most important metrics for each common system service that supports Prometheus. If you are looking for support for a particular exporter which has not yet been added to the library, additions can be made [to the `common_metrics.yml`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/config/prometheus/common_metrics.yml) file.

### Query identifier

The requirement for adding a new metric is to make each query to have an unique identifier which is used to update the metric later when changed:

```yaml
- group: Response metrics (NGINX Ingress)
  metrics:
  - title: "Throughput"
    y_label: "Requests / Sec"
    queries:
    - id: response_metrics_nginx_ingress_throughput_status_code
      query_range: 'sum(rate(nginx_upstream_responses_total{upstream=~"%{kube_namespace}-%{ci_environment_slug}-.*"}[2m])) by (status_code)'
      unit: req / sec
      label: Status Code
```

### Update existing metrics

After you add or change existing _common_ metric you have to create a new database migration that will query and update all existing metrics.

NOTE: **Note:**
If a query metric (which is identified by `id:`) is removed it will not be removed from database by default.
You might want to add additional database migration that makes a decision what to do with removed one.
For example: you might be interested in migrating all dependent data to a different metric.

```ruby
class ImportCommonMetrics < ActiveRecord::Migration[4.2]
  include Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers

  DOWNTIME = false

  def up
    ::Gitlab::DatabaseImporters::CommonMetrics::Importer.new.execute
  end

  def down
    # no-op
  end
end
```

## GitLab Prometheus metrics

GitLab provides [Prometheus metrics](../administration/monitoring/prometheus/gitlab_metrics.md)
to monitor itself.

### Adding a new metric

This section describes how to add new metrics for self-monitoring
([example](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/merge_requests/15440)).

1. Select the [type of metric](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/prometheus-client-mmap#metrics):

   - `Gitlab::Metrics.counter`
   - `Gitlab::Metrics.gauge`
   - `Gitlab::Metrics.histogram`
   - `Gitlab::Metrics.summary`

1. Select the appropriate name for your metric. Refer to the guidelines
   for [Prometheus metric names](https://prometheus.io/docs/practices/naming/#metric-names).
1. Update the list of [GitLab Prometheus metrics](../administration/monitoring/prometheus/gitlab_metrics.md).
1. Trigger the relevant page/code that will record the new metric.
1. Check that the new metric appears at `/-/metrics`.
