Data connections

A data connection is a store for one kind of telemetry: Metrics, Logs or Traces. Open Telemetry › Data connections to see each store, what it holds, how long it keeps data, and who sends to it.

Where data is kept

In this Agent: the simplest choice. The store lives inside your Agent canister and uses its storage.
A separate storage canister: for more room, or to keep heavy telemetry apart from the Agent. Your Agent can create one, or you can connect one you already run.

Add a data connection

You need to be an Admin of the Agent workspace.

Choose Add a data connection and pick the kind.
Choose where it’s stored: Turn on in this Agent, Create a separate storage canister, or Connect a storage canister you run.
Review and confirm.

If a setup stops halfway, it’s listed under Setups in progress. Choose Resume to finish it: steps already done never run twice.

Let a canister send data

Open the connection, go to Senders and choose Add a sender. Its guide shows the client library to add and the exact settings for your canister. The sender says Waiting for first data until its first data is read back from the store, then Receiving.

Send telemetry from your code.

Change what’s kept

A connection’s Settings sets how long data is Kept and the store’s budget, shows what uses it, and turns it off. Every change opens a review.

To clear data:

Delete all logs removes every log in the store, collected or sent.
Delete trace data removes the traces in a time range, or all of them. Reset Traces removes every trace in every scope.

Each asks you to type the store’s name, and can’t be undone.

Good to know

You can’t turn a store off while something depends on it: Monitor and alert rules need Metrics.
Turning a store off stops new data. Storage it already used stays counted, because the Internet Computer never gives it back.
A separate store you connected is read with your own access, never through the Agent.