Slide 2 of 6

Where data sources fit

Observability builds in layers

Hierarchy of Observability Needs

LevelFocusQuestion Answered
Level 1Infrastructure“Is my server healthy?”
Level 2Services“Which service is the problem?”
Level 3Transactions“Why is this request slow?”
Level 4Custom logic“What’s happening in my code?”

Key insight

Data sources give you Level 1 flexibility. Connect anything to Grafana.

Integrations are faster. Data sources are more flexible. Both build your infrastructure foundation.

Script

Before we dive into data sources, let’s zoom out and understand where they fit in the bigger picture.

Observability isn’t one thing. It’s a hierarchy of needs. At the foundation, Level 1, you need infrastructure visibility. Can you see if your servers, databases, and networks are healthy? This is the base everything else builds on.

At Level 2, you shift focus to services. Which service is causing the problem?

At Level 3, you dig into individual transactions. Why is this specific request slow?

And at Level 4, you add custom instrumentation for application-specific questions.

Here’s the key insight: data sources give you Level 1 flexibility. While integrations give you pre-built monitoring for common systems, data sources let you connect anything.

Already running Prometheus? Connect it. Have data in a JSON API? Query it. Need to pull from a cloud provider? Data sources make it possible.

Data sources and integrations are complementary. Integrations are faster to deploy. Data sources are more flexible. Both help you build that critical Level 1 foundation.

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