> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bindplane.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bindplane.com/integrations/connectors/signal-to-metrics.md).

# Signal to Metrics

Signal to Metrics produces new metrics from incoming logs, metric datapoints, or trace spans. Each metric is defined with an OTTL value expression, an optional filter condition, and a set of attributes to carry through. It bridges pipelines by consuming one or more signal types from a source pipeline and emitting the generated metrics into a metrics pipeline.

### Supported Telemetry Types

| Input                 | Output  |
| --------------------- | ------- |
| Logs, Metrics, Traces | Metrics |

The connector reads the input signal types you enable and converts matching records into metric datapoints. Whatever the input signal, the output is always Metrics.

### Configuration

#### Basic Configuration

<figure><img src="/files/c0ta2bX0ENuyiLKt2ZQr" alt="Bindplane docs - Signal to Metrics - image 1"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

| Parameter          | Type               | Required | Default               | Description                                                                                 |
| ------------------ | ------------------ | -------- | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Telemetry Types    | Telemetry Selector | Yes      | Logs, Metrics, Traces | Which input signal types to generate metrics from. At least one must be selected.           |
| Metric Definitions | Signal to Metrics  | Yes      | *(empty)*             | One or more metrics to generate. At least one metric must be defined. See the fields below. |

**Metric Definition fields**

Each entry under Metric Definitions describes one output metric.

| Field               | Description                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Signal Type         | The input signal this metric reads from: `logs`, `datapoints` (metrics), or `spans` (traces). Must be one of the enabled Telemetry Types. |
| Name                | The output metric name, for example `http.request.count`.                                                                                 |
| Description         | Optional description of the metric.                                                                                                       |
| Unit                | Optional unit, for example `ms`, `By`, or `1`.                                                                                            |
| Type                | `Sum`, `Gauge`, `Histogram`, or `Exponential Histogram`.                                                                                  |
| Value               | OTTL expression returning the metric value, for example `1` to count, or `Double(attributes["duration_ms"])`.                             |
| Condition           | Optional OTTL condition; only matching records generate this metric.                                                                      |
| Buckets             | Explicit bucket boundaries. Histogram type only.                                                                                          |
| Max Size            | Maximum bucket count. Exponential Histogram type only.                                                                                    |
| Count               | Optional OTTL expression for the datapoint count. Histogram and Exponential Histogram types only.                                         |
| Attributes          | Signal attributes to include on the output metric. See below.                                                                             |
| Resource Attributes | Resource attributes to include on the output metric. See below.                                                                           |

**Metric types**

| Type                  | Behavior                                                                    |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sum                   | Aggregates numeric values. Use for counters and cumulative totals.          |
| Gauge                 | Records the last observed value. Use for current-state measurements.        |
| Histogram             | Distributes values across explicit `Buckets`.                               |
| Exponential Histogram | Distributes values across dynamically sized buckets, bounded by `Max Size`. |

**Attributes**

Choose which attributes from the source signal to copy onto the output metric. If no attributes are defined, the output metric carries no attributes.

| Field         | Description                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Key           | The attribute key to include.                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Behavior      | `Required` (default): records missing this attribute are skipped. `Optional`: included when present, omitted when absent. `Has Default`: a default value is used when the attribute is missing. |
| Default Value | The value to substitute when the attribute is missing. Only with `Has Default`.                                                                                                                 |

**Resource Attributes**

Choose which resource attributes to copy onto the output metric. If no resource attributes are defined, all incoming resource attributes are included.

| Field         | Description                                                                                                      |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Key           | The resource attribute key to include.                                                                           |
| Behavior      | `Has Default` substitutes the default value when missing. (`Required` is not available for resource attributes.) |
| Default Value | The value to substitute when the resource attribute is missing. Only with `Has Default`.                         |

### Examples

#### Latency histogram from HTTP server spans

This metric definition reads trace spans and emits a millisecond-bucketed latency histogram, keeping only server spans and grouping by route and method.

* Signal Type: `spans`
* Name: `http.server.duration`
* Unit: `ms`
* Type: `Histogram`
* Value: `Double(attributes["http.server.request.duration"])`
* Condition: `kind == SPAN_KIND_SERVER`
* Buckets: `[5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10000]`
* Attributes: `http.route` (Optional), `http.request.method` (Required)

#### Count log records by severity

A simpler logs-based definition counts every log record and groups by severity.

* Signal Type: `logs`
* Name: `log.record.count`
* Type: `Sum`
* Value: `1`
* Attributes: `severity` (Optional)

#### Count spans accurately under sampling

For sampled traces, `AdjustedCount()` scales each span back up to its pre-sampling weight so counts stay accurate.

* Signal Type: `spans`
* Name: `span.count`
* Type: `Sum`
* Value: `Int(AdjustedCount())`

### Configuration Tips

* Each metric definition's Signal Type must be one of the enabled Telemetry Types, otherwise that definition produces nothing.
* Use `Value: 1` with a `Sum` type to turn any matching record into a counter; use a numeric OTTL expression for measured values.
* Leaving Resource Attributes empty passes through every incoming resource attribute, which can produce high-cardinality metrics. List only the keys you need.

### Troubleshooting

#### No metrics are produced

Symptoms: the connector runs but emits nothing into the metrics pipeline.

Solutions:

1. Confirm the metric definition's Signal Type matches an enabled Telemetry Type and that the source pipeline is actually carrying that signal.
2. Check the Condition: if it never evaluates true for incoming records, no metric is generated. Temporarily remove it to confirm.

#### Output metric is missing expected attributes

Symptoms: datapoints appear but lack attributes you configured.

Solutions:

1. A `Required` attribute that is absent on an incoming record causes that whole record to be skipped. Switch to `Optional` or `Has Default` if the attribute is not always present.
2. Verify the attribute Key matches the source field exactly, including case.

### Standalone Connector

```yaml
apiVersion: bindplane.observiq.com/v1
kind: Connector
metadata:
  name: signal-to-metrics
spec:
  type: signaltometrics
  parameters:
    - name: telemetry_types
      value:
        - Logs
        - Traces
    - name: metrics
      value:
        - signalType: logs
          name: log.record.count
          type: sum
          value: "1"
          attributes:
            - key: severity
              behavior: optional
        - signalType: spans
          name: http.server.duration
          unit: ms
          type: histogram
          value: Double(attributes["http.server.request.duration"])
          condition: kind == SPAN_KIND_SERVER
          buckets:
            - 5
            - 10
            - 25
            - 50
            - 100
            - 250
            - 500
            - 1000
            - 2500
            - 5000
            - 10000
          attributes:
            - key: http.route
              behavior: optional
            - key: http.request.method
              behavior: required
```

### Related Resources

* [Signal to Metrics connector reference](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/blob/main/connector/signaltometricsconnector/README.md)
* [OTTL functions reference](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/blob/main/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/README.md)

### Bindplane Resources

* [Count](/integrations/connectors/count.md)
* [Span Metrics](/integrations/connectors/span-metrics.md)


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