Monitoring PostgreSQL Metrics with ClickStack

[Edit this page](https://github.com/ClickHouse/clickhouse-docs/blob/main/docs/use-cases/observability/clickstack/ingesting-data/integration-examples/postgres-metrics.md)

TL;DR

Monitor PostgreSQL performance metrics in ClickStack using the OTel PostgreSQL receiver. Includes a demo dataset and pre-built dashboard.

## Integration with existing PostgreSQL[​](#existing-postgres "Direct link to Integration with existing PostgreSQL")

This section covers configuring your existing PostgreSQL installation to send metrics to ClickStack by configuring the ClickStack OTel collector with the PostgreSQL receiver.

If you would like to test the PostgreSQL metrics integration before configuring your own existing setup, you can test with our preconfigured demo dataset in the [following section](#demo-dataset).

##### Prerequisites[​](#prerequisites "Direct link to Prerequisites")

- ClickStack instance running
- Existing PostgreSQL installation (version 9.6 or newer)
- Network access from ClickStack to PostgreSQL (default port 5432)
- PostgreSQL monitoring user with appropriate permissions

Ensure monitoring user has required permissions

#### Ensure monitoring user has required permissions[​](#monitoring-permissions "Direct link to Ensure monitoring user has required permissions")

The PostgreSQL receiver requires a user with read access to statistics views. Grant the `pg_monitor` role to your monitoring user:

```
GRANT pg_monitor TO your_monitoring_user;
```

Create custom OTel collector configuration

#### Create custom OTel collector configuration[​](#create-custom-config "Direct link to Create custom OTel collector configuration")

ClickStack allows you to extend the base OpenTelemetry collector configuration by mounting a custom configuration file and setting an environment variable.

Create `postgres-metrics.yaml`:

```
receivers:
  postgresql:
    endpoint: postgres-host:5432
    transport: tcp
    username: otel_monitor
    password: ${env:POSTGRES_PASSWORD}
    databases:
      - postgres
      - your_application_db # Replace with your actual database names
    collection_interval: 30s
    tls:
      insecure: true

processors:
  resourcedetection:
    detectors: [env, system, docker]
    timeout: 5s
  batch:
    timeout: 10s
    send_batch_size: 10000

exporters:
  clickhouse:
    endpoint: tcp://localhost:9000
    database: default
    ttl: 96h

service:
  pipelines:
    metrics/postgres:
      receivers: [postgresql]
      processors: [resourcedetection, batch]
      exporters: [clickhouse]
```

Note

The `tls: insecure: true` setting disables SSL verification for development/testing. For production PostgreSQL with SSL enabled, remove this line or configure proper certificates.

Deploy ClickStack with custom configuration

#### Deploy ClickStack with custom configuration[​](#deploy-clickstack "Direct link to Deploy ClickStack with custom configuration")

Mount your custom configuration:

```
docker run -d \
  --name clickstack-postgres \
  -p 8123:8123 -p 9000:9000 -p 4317:4317 -p 4318:4318 \
  -e HYPERDX_API_KEY=your-api-key \
  -e CLICKHOUSE_PASSWORD=your-clickhouse-password \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=secure_password_here \
  -e CUSTOM_OTELCOL_CONFIG_FILE=/etc/otelcol-contrib/custom.config.yaml \
  -v "$(pwd)/postgres-metrics.yaml:/etc/otelcol-contrib/custom.config.yaml:ro" \
  clickhouse/clickstack:latest
```

Verify metrics collection

#### Verify metrics collection[​](#verify-metrics "Direct link to Verify metrics collection")

Once configured, log into HyperDX and verify metrics are flowing:

1. Navigate to the Metrics explorer
2. Search for metrics starting with postgresql. (e.g., postgresql.backends, postgresql.commits)
3. You should see metric data points appearing at your configured collection interval

Once metrics are flowing, proceed to the [Dashboards and visualization](#dashboards) section to import the pre-built dashboard.

## Demo dataset[​](#demo-dataset "Direct link to Demo dataset")

For users who want to test the PostgreSQL metrics integration before configuring their production systems, we provide a pre-generated dataset with realistic PostgreSQL metrics patterns.

Database-level metrics only

This demo dataset includes database-level metrics only to keep the sample data lightweight. Table and index metrics are collected automatically when monitoring a real PostgreSQL database.

Download the sample metrics dataset

#### Download the sample metrics dataset[​](#download-sample "Direct link to Download the sample metrics dataset")

Download the pre-generated metrics files (24 hours of PostgreSQL metrics with realistic patterns):

```
# Download gauge metrics (connections, database size)
curl -O https://datasets-documentation.s3.eu-west-3.amazonaws.com/clickstack-integrations/postgres/postgres-metrics-gauge.csv

# Download sum metrics (commits, rollbacks, operations)
curl -O https://datasets-documentation.s3.eu-west-3.amazonaws.com/clickstack-integrations/postgres/postgres-metrics-sum.csv
```

The dataset includes realistic patterns:

- **Morning connection spike (08:00)** - Login rush
- **Cache performance issue (11:00)** - Blocks\_read spike
- **Application bug (14:00-14:30)** - Rollback rate spikes to 15%
- **Deadlock incidents (14:15, 16:30)** - Rare deadlocks

Start ClickStack

#### Start ClickStack[​](#start-clickstack "Direct link to Start ClickStack")

Start a ClickStack instance:

```
docker run -d --name clickstack-postgres-demo \
  -p 8080:8080 -p 4317:4317 -p 4318:4318 \
  clickhouse/clickstack-all-in-one:latest
```

Wait approximately 30 seconds for ClickStack to fully start.

Load metrics into ClickStack

#### Load metrics into ClickStack[​](#load-metrics "Direct link to Load metrics into ClickStack")

Load the metrics directly into ClickHouse:

```
# Load gauge metrics
cat postgres-metrics-gauge.csv | docker exec -i clickstack-postgres-demo \
  clickhouse-client --query "INSERT INTO otel_metrics_gauge FORMAT CSVWithNames"

# Load sum metrics
cat postgres-metrics-sum.csv | docker exec -i clickstack-postgres-demo \
  clickhouse-client --query "INSERT INTO otel_metrics_sum FORMAT CSVWithNames"
```

Verify metrics in HyperDX

#### Verify metrics in HyperDX[​](#verify-metrics-demo "Direct link to Verify metrics in HyperDX")

Once loaded, the quickest way to see your metrics is through the pre-built dashboard.

Proceed to the [Dashboards and visualization](#dashboards) section to import the dashboard and view many PostgreSQL metrics at once.

Timezone Display

HyperDX displays timestamps in your browser's local timezone. The demo data spans **2025-11-10 00:00:00 - 2025-11-11 00:00:00 (UTC)**. Set your time range to **2025-11-09 00:00:00 - 2025-11-12 00:00:00** to ensure you see the demo metrics regardless of your location. Once you see the metrics, you can narrow the range to a 24-hour period for clearer visualizations.

## Dashboards and visualization[​](#dashboards "Direct link to Dashboards and visualization")

To help you get started monitoring PostgreSQL with ClickStack, we provide essential visualizations for PostgreSQL metrics.

Download the dashboard configuration

#### [Download](/docs/examples/postgres-metrics-dashboard.json) the dashboard configuration[​](#download "Direct link to download")

Import the pre-built dashboard

#### Import the pre-built dashboard[​](#import-dashboard "Direct link to Import the pre-built dashboard")

1. Open HyperDX and navigate to the Dashboards section
2. Click **Import Dashboard** in the upper right corner under the ellipses

3. Upload the `postgres-metrics-dashboard.json` file and click **Finish Import**

View the dashboard

#### View the dashboard[​](#created-dashboard "Direct link to View the dashboard")

The dashboard will be created with all visualizations pre-configured:

Note

For the demo dataset, set the time range to **2025-11-10 00:00:00 - 2025-11-11 00:00:00 (UTC)** (adjust based on your local timezone). The imported dashboard won't have a time range specified by default.

## Troubleshooting[​](#troubleshooting "Direct link to Troubleshooting")

### Custom config not loading[​](#troubleshooting-not-loading "Direct link to Custom config not loading")