Tracking Elixir Applications Using Telemetry and Metrics - Bartosz Górka - Elixir Meetup #4

About Bartosz Górka

Bartosz Górka is a seasoned software engineer dedicated to solving complex problems and helping businesses thrive with well-built software. He authors a blog that covers topics related to Elixir, productivity, and team management.

The Importance of Metrics

Why Metrics Matter

Bartosz emphasized the significance of metrics in software development. Metrics provide visibility into application performance, helping teams identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and make data-driven decisions.

Key Points:

• Visibility: Gain insights into application behavior and performance.
• Troubleshooting: Identify and resolve issues quickly.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Make informed decisions based on real data.

Setting Up Telemetry

Introduction to Telemetry

Telemetry is a simple yet powerful library that provides a standardized interface to capture and handle metrics from monitored events in Elixir applications.

Key Features:

• Event-Based: Capture events occurring within the system.
• Standardized Interface: Consistent approach to handling metrics.
• Flexible Integration: Integrate with various tools and libraries.

Implementing Telemetry

Step-by-Step Guide

Bartosz walked through the process of implementing Telemetry in an Elixir application. He covered the basics of setting up Telemetry, creating custom events, and handling these events effectively.

Steps:

1. Add Dependency: Add Telemetry as a dependency in your Elixir project.
2. Create Events: Define custom events to capture relevant metrics.
3. Handle Events: Use handlers to process and store event data.

Capturing Metrics

Key Metrics to Track

Bartosz highlighted essential metrics that should be tracked to ensure optimal application performance. He discussed various types of metrics, including counters, summaries, and histograms, and their importance in monitoring different aspects of the application.

Key Metrics:

• Counters: Track the number of occurrences of an event.
• Summaries: Aggregate data over time to observe trends.
• Histograms: Measure the distribution of values over time.

Practical Examples

Real-World Applications

Bartosz provided practical examples of how to implement Telemetry and capture metrics in real-world scenarios. He demonstrated how to track database queries, HTTP requests, and custom business events.

Example Scenarios:

• Database Queries: Measure query performance and identify slow queries.
• HTTP Requests: Monitor request durations and response statuses.
• Business Events: Track specific business-related metrics.

Integrating with Monitoring Tools

Using Grafana and Prometheus

Bartosz explained how to integrate Telemetry with popular monitoring tools like Grafana and Prometheus. He showed how to visualize metrics in Grafana dashboards and set up alerts to notify teams of potential issues.

Integration Steps:

1. Set Up Prometheus: Configure Prometheus to scrape metrics from your application.
2. Visualize in Grafana: Create dashboards in Grafana to visualize the metrics.
3. Set Up Alerts: Configure alerts to monitor critical metrics and notify the team.

Best Practices

Tips for Effective Monitoring

Bartosz shared best practices for effective monitoring and metrics management. He emphasized the importance of regular reviews, setting actionable alerts, and continuously improving the monitoring setup.

Best Practices:

• Regular Reviews: Periodically review metrics and dashboards.
• Actionable Alerts: Set alerts that provide clear and actionable information.
• Continuous Improvement: Continuously refine and enhance the monitoring setup.

Conclusion

Bartosz Górka’s presentation at Elixir Meetup #4 provided valuable insights into tracking Elixir applications using Telemetry and Metrics. By implementing the strategies discussed, developers can enhance their applications' performance, reliability, and overall user experience.

Join the Community

Ready to improve your Elixir application's performance with Telemetry and Metrics?

Register for the next Elixir Meetup at Curiosum Meetups: Registration Join our community of Elixir enthusiasts at Elixir LinkedIn Group Prefer watching the presentation? Here’s the video