--- title: Create metrics from other data types source: https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/data-apis/convert-to-metrics/create-metrics-other-data-types --- Use New Relic's [metrics API service](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/introduction-events-metrics-api) to define rules for creating [metrics](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/telemetry-data-platform/ingest-manage-data/understand-data/metric-data-type) from your other types of data, such as events, logs, or spans. Recommendation: Before you begin, review our [requirements and tips for creating rules](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/telemetry-data-platform/ingest-manage-data/convert-data-metrics/creating-metric-rules-requirements-tips). ## Create a metrics rule [#overview-process] To create a rule for creating metrics from events, logs, or spans: 1. [Construct the metrics rule using NRQL](#create-nrql). 2. [Construct a NerdGraph (GraphQL format) API request](#create-request) that contains your NRQL rule. 3. [Create the metric by making the API request](#graphql-api-request). Once a metric is created, you can [query and chart it using NRQL](#find-your-data). ## Step 1. Create NRQL query rule [#create-nrql] The most important part of [creating a metrics rule](#overview-process) is constructing the NRQL query that defines the metric for your data from events, logs, or spans. You can create up to [10 metrics with a single NRQL query](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/telemetry-data-platform/ingest-manage-data/convert-data-metrics/creating-metric-rules-requirements-tips#multiple-metrics) by following this procedure: 1. [Using New Relic's NRQL interface](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/query-data/nrql-new-relic-query-language/getting-started/introduction-nrql#where), construct a query for the metric you want to create. For example: ```sql FROM ProcessSample SELECT average(ioTotalReadBytes) WHERE nr.entityType = 'HOST' ``` > #### ⚠️ IMPORTANT > > [Events to metrics](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/data-apis/convert-to-metrics/analyze-monitor-data-trends-metrics/) rules don't support the `WITH ... AS` clause in [NRQL queries](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/query-your-data/nrql-new-relic-query-language/get-started/introduction-nrql-new-relics-query-language/). 2. Edit the query to use one of the three available metric types: - `summary`: Use if the query's function is `min`, `max`, `sum`, `count`, or `average`. - `uniqueCount`: Use if the query's function is `uniqueCount`. - `distribution`: Use if the query's function is [`percentile`](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/query-data/nrql-new-relic-query-language/getting-started/nrql-syntax-clauses-functions#func-percentile) or [`histogram`](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/query-data/nrql-new-relic-query-language/getting-started/nrql-syntax-clauses-functions#func-histogram). This example query uses `average`, so use `summary`: ```sql FROM ProcessSample SELECT summary(ioTotalReadBytes) WHERE nr.entityType = 'HOST' ``` This example query uses `count` on a non-numeric field: ```sql FROM ProcessSample SELECT count(hostname) WHERE hostname LIKE '%prod%' ``` For `summary` on a non-numeric field use `summary(1)`: ```sql FROM ProcessSample SELECT summary(1) WHERE hostname LIKE '%prod%' ``` > #### 💡 TIP > > For more detailed information on using these metric types in rules, see [Creating metric rules: requirements and tips](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/telemetry-data-platform/ingest-manage-data/convert-data-metrics/creating-metric-rules-requirements-tips). 3. Decide on the attributes you want to attach to the metric, following the [limits on the cardinality of unique metric-name/attribute-value combinations](#attributes-limit). Recommendation: Run a separate query to ensure the maximum cardinality isn't over 50,000 for a 30 second window. For example, the following query will find the maximum cardinality encountered in a 30 second period over the last 3 hours for the `ProcessSample` event when including the `awsRegion`, `awsAvailabilityZone`, and `commandName` attributes: ```sql FROM (FROM ProcessSample SELECT rate(uniqueCount(awsRegion, awsAvailabilityZone, commandName), 30 seconds) AS 'cardinalityRate' WHERE nr.entityType = 'HOST' TIMESERIES 30 seconds) SELECT max(cardinalityRate) AS 'maxCardinalityRate' SINCE 3 hours AGO ``` 4. To be able to aggregate and filter your metrics, add the attributes you want to attach to the metric using the `FACET` clause. For example: ```sql FROM ProcessSample SELECT summary(ioTotalReadBytes) WHERE nr.entityType = 'HOST' FACET awsRegion, awsAvailabilityZone, commandName ``` 5. Set the [name of the metric](#naming) using the `AS` function. For example: ```sql FROM ProcessSample SELECT summary(ioTotalReadBytes) AS 'io.totalread.bytes' WHERE nr.entityType = 'HOST' FACET awsRegion, awsAvailabilityZone, commandName ``` Once your NRQL rule is complete, use it to [create the API request](#create-request). ## Step 2. Create API request [#create-request] After you build the NRQL rule to convert data from events, logs, or spans to metrics, continue with building the API request. You can [use our NerdGraph API tool](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/introduction-events-metrics-api#use-graphql-api-tool) to explore the data structure and to construct and make your request. To check that the rule was created correctly, you can [run a query to return that rule using its ID](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/introduction-events-metrics-api#list-rule-by-rule-id). For tips on querying the metrics you've created, see [Query and chart your metrics](#find-your-data). **Example NerdGraph API request** The following example NerdGraph API request uses the same NRQL rule from step 1. The `IO Total Read Bytes Rule` creates a metric named `io.totalread.bytes`. (The rule name can have spaces, which differs from the [metric naming rules](#naming).) ````graphql mutation { eventsToMetricsCreateRule( rules: { name: "io.totalread.bytes for computeSample entities", description: "Created by Zach on March 27, 2019. Used by team Network.", nrql: "FROM ProcessSample SELECT summary(ioTotalReadBytes) AS 'io.totalread.bytes' WHERE nr.entityType = 'ComputeSample' FACET awsRegion, awsAvailabilityZone, commandName", accountId: 123456 } ) { successes { id name nrql enabled } failures { submitted { name nrql accountId } errors { reason description } } } } ``` In this request:
Request elements Description
`mutation` One of the basic [API operation types](/docs/apis/graphql-api/getting-started/introduction-new-relic-graphql-api#tutorials).
`eventsToMetricsCreateRule` The method being called to create a rule.
`rules` Takes four parameters: * `name`: The [name of the rule](#naming). * `description`: Optional. The description of the rule. We recommend you include information about who created the metric data and who will be using the data. * `accountId`: The [New Relic account ID](/docs/accounts/install-new-relic/account-setup/account-id) where the events, logs, or spans live and the metrics will be created. * `nrql`: The NRQL query that creates the rule. For more on this, see [Create NRQL query](#create-nrql).
`successes` and `submitted` blocks Here you define the data returned by a successful or failed response. Available parameters for these blocks include: * `id` (`ruleId` for `submitted`) * `name` * `description` * `nrql` * `enabled` (enabled/disabled status) * `accountId`
`ruleId` and `accountId` If a failure occurs, then the submitted `ruleId` and `accountId` will be returned along with the error reason and error description.
```` **Example NerdGraph API response** Here's an example of a returned response: ````json { "data": { "eventsToMetricsCreateRule": { "failures": [], "successes": [ { "enabled": true, "id": "46", "name": "io.totalread.bytes for computeSample entities", "nrql": "FROM ProcessSample SELECT summary(ioTotalReadBytes) AS 'io.totalread.bytes' WHERE nr.entityType = 'ComputeSample' FACET awsRegion, awsAvailabilityZone, commandName" } ] } } } ``` ```` ## Step 3. Create a metrics rule with API request [#graphql-api-request] When your API request is ready, you can [use the NerdGraph API](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/introduction-events-metrics-api#use-graphql-api-tool) to make the request, which will create the metrics. ## Query and chart your metrics [#find-your-data] After you create a metrics rule to convert data for your events, logs, or spans, you can view the new metric data in the New Relic UI. To view your data: 1. Go to [New Relic's NRQL query interface](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/query-data/nrql-new-relic-query-language/getting-started/introduction-nrql#where). 2. Run the following query to see the name of all your metrics: ```sql SELECT uniques(metricName) FROM Metric ``` 3. Pick the metric of interest, then run the following query to see the available attributes: ```sql SELECT * FROM Metric WHERE metricName = 'yourMetric' ``` 4. If you don't see expected data, follow the [troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) procedures. The available [NRQL aggregator functions](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/insights/nrql-new-relic-query-language/nrql-reference/nrql-syntax-components-functions#functions) depend on the [metric type](#summary-and-uniquecount) you created. Here are some examples. **Summary metric example** If you created a summary metric type, you can use the `count`, `sum`, `max`, `min`, and `average` aggregator functions, as shown in the following query: ````sql SELECT count(appStartResponseTime), sum(appStartResponseTime), max(appStartResponseTime), min(appStartResponseTime), average(appStartResponseTime) FROM Metric ``` ```` **Count metric example** If you created a `uniqueCount` metric type, you can only use the `uniqueCount` function, as shown in the following query: ````sql SELECT uniqueCount(playbackErrorStreamUniqueCount) * 100 / uniqueCount(streamUniqueCount) AS '% of Streams Impacted' FROM Metric ``` ```` **Distribution metric example** If you created a `distribution` metric type, use the `percentile` or `histogram` functions, as shown in the following queries: ````sql SELECT percentile(service.responseTime, 95) FROM Metric ``` OR ```sql SELECT histogram(service.responseTime, 10, 20) FROM Metric ``` ```` ## Troubleshooting If your NerdGraph call is not constructed correctly, you may receive a message like this: ``` Cannot parse the unexpected character "\u201C” ``` Verify the quotes in the NerdGraph call are not smart quotes (curly quotes). Our NerdGraph API only accepts straight quotes.