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Elton Stoneman

Prometheus is the preferred monitoring tool for containers, but it works just as well in any environment. This course will teach you how to get up and running with Prometheus and add a consistent monitoring approach to all your apps and servers.

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Prometheus is the preferred monitoring tool for containers, but it works just as well in any environment. This course will teach you how to get up and running with Prometheus and add a consistent monitoring approach to all your apps and servers.

Prometheus is a cross-platform monitoring tool that lets you collect metrics from servers, containers, and applications and work with them all in the same way. In this course, Getting Started with Prometheus, you'll learn why it's such a popular approach to monitoring and how you can start bringing it into your organization. First, you'll learn about the architecture of Prometheus and how it uses a pull model to collect metrics from many targets. Then, you'll explore how to produce metrics from Linux and Windows servers using an exporter utility and from applications using a client library, and how to configure Prometheus to fetch those metrics. Finally, you'll discover the query language PromQL, how you can use it to track the changes in metrics over time, and visualize all the metrics in a dashboard. When you've finished with the course, you’ll have the basic skills and knowledge of Prometheus needed to run a trial and evaluate it for your organization.

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Prometheus Monitoring Metrics PromQL Dashboards Linux Windows

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview
Understanding How Prometheus Works
Running and Configuring Prometheus
Querying Metrics with PromQL
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Helps learners bring consistency to monitoring apps and servers
Involves instructors who are recognized for their expertise
Helps teach the basics of Prometheus for beginning users

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Reviews summary

Foundational prometheus for professionals

According to students, this course is an excellent starting point for learning Prometheus, particularly for absolute beginners. Learners frequently commend the instructor's clear explanations and the course's highly practical approach, including hands-on labs and helpful demonstrations. The section on PromQL is often highlighted as being made accessible and easy to follow. While providing a solid foundational understanding, some learners with prior experience found the depth limited, wishing for more advanced topics or troubleshooting. A few noted initial environment setup can be challenging, suggesting a need for stronger prerequisite guidance.
Complex PromQL query language made easy to grasp.
"Covers the basics well, especially the PromQL section which can be intimidating."
"The PromQL section was surprisingly easy to follow thanks to the practical examples."
"The explanation of PromQL was particularly strong, making it less daunting."
Perfectly suited for those new to Prometheus.
"Perfect for someone new to monitoring or Prometheus itself."
"Highly recommend for anyone looking to learn Prometheus from scratch."
"I had zero prior experience with Prometheus, and by the end, I felt like I had a solid grasp of how it works."
Strong emphasis on practical exercises and demos.
"The hands-on labs were super helpful. I really appreciated the step-by-step guidance on setting up exporters."
"The demos are very clear, and I especially enjoyed learning about the different types of exporters and how to integrate them."
"The practical exercises solidified my understanding. The hands-on examples were invaluable."
The instructor simplifies complex concepts effectively.
"The instructor is very clear and the hands-on labs were super helpful."
"Excellent course! The instructor breaks down complex concepts into digestible pieces."
"The instructor's pacing is perfect, and every concept is explained thoroughly before diving into a demo."
Initial environment setup can be a point of friction.
"Setting up the environment initially was a bit of a hassle on my machine."
"I struggled a bit with the setup instructions. They seemed to assume some prior knowledge of Linux or Docker."
"The practical part was difficult for me to follow along sometimes without extra googling."
Focuses on fundamentals, less suited for advanced learners.
"I wish there were more advanced topics or troubleshooting tips, but for 'getting started,' it's excellent."
"Parts felt a bit slow for me... might not offer enough challenge for those with some background."
"I think it could benefit from showing a slightly more complex use case or integrating with Grafana more deeply."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Getting Started with Prometheus with these activities:
Organize and synthesize your course notes, assignments, and materials
Taking the time to organize and synthesize your course materials will help you retain and recall key concepts, making it easier to apply what you've learned.
Show steps
  • Review your notes and identify key concepts and themes
  • Create a table or outline to structure your materials
  • Summarize and rewrite key sections in your own words
  • Identify any gaps in your understanding and seek additional resources to fill them
Join a study group or online forum focused on Prometheus
Engaging with peers in a study group or online forum will provide opportunities for knowledge sharing, problem-solving, and staying up-to-date with the latest Prometheus developments.
Browse courses on Community Engagement
Show steps
  • Search for Prometheus study groups or online forums
  • Join a community that aligns with your interests and learning goals
  • Participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your own experiences
  • Collaborate with other members on projects or learning initiatives
Explore examples of queries using PromQL
Practice using PromQL to extract insights from metrics will strengthen your understanding of how to monitor and analyze system performance.
Browse courses on PromQL
Show steps
  • Find a set of example metrics or create your own using the Prometheus Tutorial
  • Use the PromQL documentation to learn about different query operators and functions
  • Write a series of queries to answer specific questions about the metrics
  • Share your queries with others and discuss the results
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Configure Prometheus to collect metrics from a specific application
By following a guided tutorial to configure Prometheus for a specific application, you will gain hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the configuration process.
Browse courses on Metric Collection
Show steps
  • Choose an application you want to monitor
  • Find a tutorial or documentation that explains how to configure Prometheus for that application
  • Follow the steps in the tutorial to configure Prometheus
  • Verify that Prometheus is collecting metrics from the application
Set up a Prometheus monitoring system for a small-scale environment
Building a small-scale Prometheus monitoring system will provide you with practical experience in implementing and managing a monitoring solution.
Show steps
  • Gather the necessary hardware and software resources
  • Install and configure Prometheus and its components
  • Configure targets for Prometheus to scrape metrics from
  • Set up alerts and notifications
  • Monitor the system and make adjustments as needed
Create a dashboard to visualize Prometheus metrics
Developing a dashboard will allow you to present and analyze metrics in a user-friendly and visually appealing way, enhancing your ability to monitor and understand system performance.
Browse courses on Dashboard Creation
Show steps
  • Choose a dashboarding tool that integrates with Prometheus
  • Design the layout and structure of your dashboard
  • Add graphs, charts, and other visualization elements to display metrics
  • Configure alerts and notifications for critical metrics
  • Share the dashboard with others for collaboration and feedback
Participate in a workshop on advanced Prometheus techniques
Attending a workshop will provide you with in-depth knowledge and practical skills in utilizing advanced Prometheus techniques to enhance your monitoring capabilities.
Browse courses on Performance Optimization
Show steps
  • Research and identify relevant Prometheus workshops
  • Register for a workshop that aligns with your learning goals
  • Attend the workshop and actively participate in discussions and exercises
  • Implement the techniques learned from the workshop in your own monitoring environment
Contribute to the Prometheus open-source project
Participating in the Prometheus open-source project will provide you with hands-on experience in contributing to a real-world monitoring solution, deepening your understanding of its architecture and codebase.
Browse courses on Community Involvement
Show steps
  • Familiarize yourself with the Prometheus codebase and community guidelines
  • Identify an area where you can make a meaningful contribution
  • Create a pull request with your proposed changes
  • Collaborate with the Prometheus maintainers to refine and merge your contribution

Career center

Learners who complete Getting Started with Prometheus will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Monitoring Engineer
A Monitoring Engineer is responsible for monitoring the performance and health of computer systems. In this role, you will be responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining monitoring systems, as well as analyzing data to identify trends and patterns. This course will be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your systems, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Site Reliability Engineer
A Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) is responsible for the reliability and performance of a website or application. In this role, you will be responsible for monitoring the system, identifying and resolving performance issues, and implementing improvements to the system's reliability. This course will be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your website or application, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Performance Engineer
A Performance Engineer is responsible for improving the performance of software systems. In this role, you will be responsible for identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks, as well as implementing performance optimizations. This course will be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance of your systems, and identify and resolve performance issues.
DevOps Engineer
A DevOps Engineer is responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations teams. In this role, you will be responsible for automating the software development and deployment process, as well as monitoring the performance and health of your systems. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your systems, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Capacity Planner
A Capacity Planner is responsible for ensuring that your organization has the resources it needs to meet its business objectives. In this role, you will be responsible for forecasting demand for resources, and planning and implementing capacity expansions. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the utilization of your resources, and identify and resolve capacity issues.
Security Analyst
A Security Analyst is responsible for identifying and mitigating security risks. In this role, you will be responsible for monitoring security systems, detecting and responding to security incidents, and implementing security measures to protect your organization's data and systems. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the security of your systems, and identify and resolve security incidents.
Cloud Engineer
A Cloud Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and management of cloud computing systems. In this role, you will be responsible for provisioning and managing cloud resources, as well as monitoring the performance and security of your cloud systems. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your cloud systems, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Product Manager
A Product Manager is responsible for the development and management of products. In this role, you will be responsible for defining the product vision, and working with engineers and designers to develop and launch new products. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your products, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Systems Administrator
A Systems Administrator is responsible for the maintenance and operation of computer systems, including servers, networks, and storage devices. In this role, you will be responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining software and hardware, as well as monitoring the system's performance and security. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your systems, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Database Administrator
A Database Administrator is responsible for the maintenance and operation of databases. In this role, you will be responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining database software, as well as monitoring the database's performance and security. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your databases, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to identify trends and patterns. In this role, you will be responsible for using data to make informed decisions and solve business problems. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to collect and analyze metrics, and identify trends and patterns in your data.
Network Engineer
A Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of computer networks. In this role, you will be responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining network devices, as well as monitoring the network's performance and security. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your networks, and identify and resolve performance issues.
Data Scientist
A Data Scientist is responsible for using data to solve business problems. In this role, you will be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, and developing models to predict future outcomes. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to collect and analyze metrics, and identify trends and patterns in your data.
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst is responsible for understanding the business needs of an organization and translating those needs into technical requirements. In this role, you will be responsible for gathering and analyzing data, and developing recommendations to improve the organization's business processes. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus to collect and analyze metrics, and identify trends and patterns in your data.
Software Engineer
A Software Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software systems. In this role, you will be responsible for the full lifecycle of software development, from requirements gathering and analysis to deployment and maintenance. This course may be helpful for you as it will teach you how to use Prometheus, a popular monitoring tool, to monitor the performance and health of your software systems.

Reading list

We've selected ten books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Getting Started with Prometheus.
Focuses on the practical application of observability principles and techniques using Prometheus. It provides guidance on designing and implementing monitoring systems, collecting meaningful metrics, and troubleshooting issues. Suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
Offers a comprehensive guide to monitoring principles and practices. It covers various aspects, including metrics collection, analysis, and visualization. Provides valuable insights for designing and implementing effective monitoring systems with Prometheus.
This comprehensive handbook offers a broader perspective on SRE practices, including monitoring and observability. It provides a framework for implementing reliable and scalable systems, which is valuable for those looking to integrate Prometheus into their SRE strategy.
Provides a comprehensive overview of cloud computing, including topics such as architecture, deployment, and management. It also covers Prometheus as a tool for monitoring cloud-based applications.
Novel that tells the story of a fictional IT team that transforms its organization through the adoption of DevOps practices. It covers topics such as monitoring, automation, and continuous delivery.
Provides a comprehensive overview of infrastructure as code, a set of practices that enable organizations to manage their infrastructure through code. It covers topics such as monitoring, automation, and testing.
Provides a comprehensive overview of DevOps, a set of practices that combine software development and IT operations. It covers topics such as monitoring, automation, and continuous delivery.
Provides a comprehensive overview of Graphite, a popular open-source monitoring tool. It covers topics such as metric collection, visualization, and alerting.
While not specifically focused on Prometheus, this book offers insights into the design and implementation of data-intensive systems. It provides valuable context for handling and processing metrics data at scale.

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