Delta to Rate

Overview

The Delta to Rate processor converts delta-temporality sum metrics into gauge rates (per-second). For each named metric, the processor divides the delta value by the elapsed time between the start and end timestamps and emits a gauge with the same name.

Use it when:

• Your destination wants rates (req/sec, bytes/sec) but the source emits deltas.
• You want to normalize across collection intervals — a 10s scrape and a 60s scrape produce comparable rates.

The processor only operates on delta sum metrics. Cumulative metrics are unchanged. Pair with the Cumulative to Delta processor upstream if your source emits cumulatives.

Supported types: Metrics

Configuration

Parameter	Type	Default	Required	Description
metrics	string[]	—	Yes	Exact metric names to convert. At least one is required. Names are matched strictly (no regex).

Example Configuration

{
  "metrics": [
    "http.server.request.count",
    "system.network.bytes_in",
    "system.network.bytes_out",
  ],
}

Notes

• Strict name match only. No regex / glob support. List every metric explicitly.
• Output is a gauge. The metric type changes from sum to gauge. Downstream processors that filter by metric type need to be updated accordingly.
• Pair with cumulativetodelta. If your source emits cumulative metrics (Prometheus, hostmetrics in some configs), put cumulativetodelta first in the pipeline.