Observability with Datadog
Created , Updated
Datadog is a powerful monitoring tool for application performance monitoring. It enables the user to understand the inner makings of any distributed application. Even though Datadog is powerful it requires assistance from z/IRIS to monitor processes located on the mainframe. z/IRIS collects mainframe data in order to generate traces, metrics and events. The generated information is sent to Datadog for further usage. Together Datadog and z/IRIS form a strong foundation for mainframe observability.
Dashboards

z/OS MQ Message Manager Dashboard
To help users benefit more quickly from z/IRIS mainframe observability, we provide Datadog users with importable dashboards that visualize metrics created by z/IRIS and provide practical examples of ways to monitor mainframe data within Datadog.
>> z/OS Connect Dashboard in Datadog
>> z/OS Infrastructure Dashboard in Datadog
>> z/OS MQ Dashboards in Datadog
Monitors in Datadog

z/OS MQ Queue Manager Monitor
Importable Datadog Monitors that alert on resource constraints, errors and anomalies indicated by z/IRIS traces and metrics. Datadog Monitors can be customized to notify teams automatically and trigger the necessary workflow to remediate potential or existing issues.
>> Configuring a Monitor for Deadlock Detection
>> Monitors for z/OS MQ Dashboards
Traces in Datadog

Datadog APM Traces
Traces in Datadog provide information about the individual steps triggered by a request. z/IRIS collects the information about the steps running on the mainframe. Traces can be filtered in various ways. When solving issues its possible to only show traces with an error status for example.
>> Datadog Trace API integration
Events in Datadog

Datadog Event Explorer
Events contain information about noteworthy occurrences in the system. z/IRIS provides mainframe events to Datadog. These events are related to z/IRIS traces. Events in Datadog can be filtered just like traces.
Datadog Integration
z/IRIS provides two mechanisms to integrate mainframe traces, metrics and events with Datadog.
The selected Datadog integration mechanism will determine IronTap's configuration. Please refer to the information below to find out more about each mechanism and the relevant IronTap configuration.
Mainframe observability using Datadog APIs
z/IRIS traces are integrable via Datadog’s Agent tracing API and events streaming via Datadog’s Events Service. z/IRIS adds additional tags to traces and events to enable Datadog's Unified Service Tagging.
z/IRIS integration using the Datadog’s Agent tracing API and Events Service is currently in BETA. Technical support is available for selected users. Please contact your mainstorconcept representative should your organization be interested in testing these integration features.

>> Install and configure z/IRIS
>> Configure z/IRIS to integrate via Datadog APIs
Mainframe observability in Datadog using OpenTelemetry
Users can configure OpenTelemetry (OTEL) Collectors to export traces and metrics to Datadog. z/IRIS traces and metrics are streamed to these collectors to enable mainframe services and resources monitoring and analysis within Datadog.

>> Configure z/IRIS integration with OpenTelemetry
>> OpenTelemetry Collector Datadog exporter