Actions5
- Metric Actions
Overview
This node sends metrics, logs, and events to DataDog using the StatsD protocol. Specifically, for the Metric > Histogram operation, it tracks the statistical distribution of a set of values by sending histogram metrics to DataDog.
Typical use cases include monitoring application performance, tracking response times, or aggregating any numerical data where understanding the distribution (e.g., percentiles) is important. For example, you might send histogram metrics representing API request durations or database query latencies to visualize their distribution in DataDog dashboards.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Metric Name | The name of the metric to send to DataDog. |
| Value | The numeric value of the metric to record in the histogram. |
| Sample Rate | A number between 0 and 1 indicating the fraction of events to sample (e.g., 0.5 = 50%). |
| Tags | Comma-separated tags to apply to the metric, formatted as tag1:value1,tag2:value2. These help categorize and filter metrics in DataDog. |
Output
The node outputs an array of items corresponding to each input item processed. Each output item contains the original input data plus additional fields in its json property:
dataDogSuccess: Boolean indicating if the metric was sent successfully.dataDogResource: The resource type used ("metric").dataDogTarget: The DataDog host and port the metric was sent to.dataDogTimestamp: ISO timestamp when the metric was sent.dataDogError(only on failure): Error message describing why sending failed.
No binary data is output by this node.
Dependencies
- Requires an API key credential configured with access to DataDog's StatsD endpoint.
- Needs network connectivity to the specified DataDog StatsD host and port (usually UDP).
- Uses the
hot-shotslibrary internally to communicate with DataDog via StatsD protocol. - Node configuration requires specifying the DataDog host, port, optional prefix, environment tag, and global tags.
Troubleshooting
Connection Timeout or Failure:
If the node cannot connect to DataDog within 5 seconds, it throws a timeout error. Check that:- The DataDog agent is running and listening on the specified host and port.
- Network policies/firewalls allow UDP traffic to the DataDog StatsD port.
- DNS resolution for the DataDog host works correctly.
- VPN or Kubernetes network policies do not block traffic.
Operation Timeout:
Sending a metric times out after 3 seconds. This may indicate network issues or DataDog agent overload.Invalid Operation:
If an unsupported metric operation is selected, the node throws an error indicating the operation is not supported.Tag Formatting:
Tags must be comma-separated and inkey:valueformat. Incorrect formatting may cause unexpected behavior or errors.Socket Errors:
Socket errors during communication are logged and cause the node to fail. Verify the DataDog agent status and network stability.