> 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/sources/telemetry-generator.md).

# Telemetry Generator

The Telemetry Generator source produces synthetic telemetry for testing Bindplane pipelines. It is useful for validating processor and destination configurations and for generating load without depending on a real telemetry source. The generator can emit synthetic logs, host metrics, replayed OTLP payloads (logs, metrics, or traces), or sample Windows Event Log records.

### Supported Telemetry Types

| Platform | Metrics | Logs | Traces |
| -------- | ------- | ---- | ------ |
| Linux    | ✓       | ✓    | ✓      |
| Windows  | ✓       | ✓    | ✓      |
| macOS    | ✓       | ✓    | ✓      |
| AIX      | ✓       | ✓    | ✓      |

The telemetry types actually emitted depend on the selected **Generator Type**. Logs and Windows Events produce logs, Host Metrics produces metrics, and OTLP produces whichever type is selected for the replay payload.

### Prerequisites

* A collector running a build of the Bindplane OpenTelemetry collector that includes the `telemetrygeneratorreceiver`. The Host Metrics and Windows Events generators require collector version v1.47.0 or later.

### Configuration

<figure><img src="/files/HgqIBQ06JYR7kyBfeP6V" alt="Bindplane docs - Telemetry Generator - image 1"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### General

| Parameter           | Type    | Default | Description                                                                                    |
| ------------------- | ------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Generator Type      | Enum    | `Logs`  | The kind of telemetry to generate. One of `Host Metrics`, `OTLP`, `Logs`, or `Windows Events`. |
| Payloads per second | Integer | `1`     | The number of payloads to generate per second. Required.                                       |

#### Logs Generator

These parameters apply when `generator_type` is `Logs`.

| Parameter           | Type   | Default | Description                                                                                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Body                | String |         | The body of the generated log message. Required when the generator type is `Logs`.                                                                     |
| Severity Level      | Enum   | `info`  | The severity level to use for generated logs. One of `trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`, or `fatal`. Applies when the generator type is `Logs`. |
| Resource Attributes | Map    | `{}`    | Resource attributes (key-value pairs) that describe and identify the source of the generated logs. Applies when the generator type is `Logs`.          |
| Attributes          | Map    | `{}`    | Attributes (key-value pairs) that label and provide context to the generated logs. Applies when the generator type is `Logs`.                          |

#### OTLP Replay Generator

These parameters apply when `generator_type` is `OTLP`. The OTLP generator replays JSON-formatted OTLP telemetry, adjusting timestamps relative to the current time so that the most recent record is moved to now and earlier records keep the same relative offset.

| Parameter      | Type | Default | Description                                                                                                                                                                         |
| -------------- | ---- | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Telemetry Type | Enum | `logs`  | The type of telemetry to replay. One of `logs`, `metrics`, or `traces`. Applies when the generator type is `OTLP`.                                                                  |
| OTLP JSON      | YAML |         | The JSON-formatted OTLP payload to replay, such as output from `plog.JSONMarshaler`, `pmetric.JSONMarshaler`, or `ptrace.JSONMarshaler`. Applies when the generator type is `OTLP`. |

#### Host Metrics Generator

These parameters apply when `generator_type` is `Host Metrics`. The Host Metrics generator emits synthetic host metrics from a predefined set.

| Parameter           | Type | Default | Description                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------------- | ---- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Resource Attributes | Map  | `{}`    | Resource attributes (key-value pairs) that describe and identify the source of the generated metrics. Applies when the generator type is `Host Metrics`. |

#### Windows Events Generator

When `generator_type` is `Windows Events`, the source replays a sample of recorded Windows Event Log data. It has no additional configuration parameters beyond `payloads`.

### Example Configuration

#### Standalone Source

This example generates one synthetic log payload per second with an `info` severity, a static body, and a resource attribute.

```yaml
apiVersion: bindplane.observiq.com/v1
kind: Source
metadata:
  id: telemetrygenerator
  name: telemetrygenerator
spec:
  type: telemetrygenerator
  parameters:
    - name: generator_type
      value: 'Logs'
    - name: payloads
      value: '1'
    - name: severity_level
      value: 'info'
    - name: body
      value: 'This is a generated test log message.'
    - name: logs_resource_attributes
      value:
        service.name: 'test-service'
    - name: attributes
      value:
        environment: 'test'
```

To generate host metrics instead, set `generator_type` to `Host Metrics`:

```yaml
apiVersion: bindplane.observiq.com/v1
kind: Source
metadata:
  id: telemetrygenerator
  name: telemetrygenerator
spec:
  type: telemetrygenerator
  parameters:
    - name: generator_type
      value: 'Host Metrics'
    - name: payloads
      value: '1'
    - name: metrics_resource_attributes
      value:
        host.name: 'test-host'
```

### Configuration Tips

#### Choosing a generator type

* Use the **Logs** generator for a steady stream of simple log records when validating log pipelines, processors, or destinations.
* Use the **Host Metrics** generator to exercise metric pipelines without running a real host metrics receiver.
* Use the **OTLP** generator to replay a captured payload of real telemetry. Paste JSON-formatted OTLP into `otlp_json`, and the generator adjusts the timestamps relative to the current time.
* Use the **Windows Events** generator to replay sample Windows Event Log data into a log pipeline.

#### Controlling load

* Raise `payloads` to increase throughput when load-testing a pipeline. The receiver generates that many payloads every second, so scale the value carefully against the capacity of your downstream destinations.

### Troubleshooting

**Symptom:** No telemetry appears downstream even though the source is configured. **Solution:** Confirm the **Generator Type** matches the pipeline you are testing. A `Logs` or `Windows Events` generator only feeds logs pipelines, `Host Metrics` only feeds metrics pipelines, and `OTLP` feeds whichever type is set in `otlp_type`.

**Symptom:** The OTLP generator produces no records. **Solution:** Verify that `otlp_json` contains valid JSON-formatted OTLP telemetry and that `otlp_type` matches the telemetry type contained in the payload (`logs`, `metrics`, or `traces`).

**Symptom:** Generated logs have no body or unexpected severity. **Solution:** The `body` parameter is required for the Logs generator. Set it explicitly, and set `severity_level` to the desired level (`info` by default).

### Related Resources

* [OTLP/JSON encoding reference](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-proto#otlpjson)
* [Bindplane sources documentation](https://docs.bindplane.com/integrations/sources)


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