August 2016 Summaries

InfluxDB is a time series database that offers various features and improvements, including timestamp precision, multiple fields function, and common field value workarounds. When writing data to InfluxDB using the HTTP API, specifying coarsest possible timestamp precision can maximize performance. The use of the `precision=s` query string parameter is recommended for optimal results. Additionally, InfluxDB version 1.0 supports aggregation functions that allow calculating averages for all fields in a single measurement by using an asterisk (`*`) to specify all fields. Furthermore, the `mode()` function has been introduced in version 1.0, enabling users to find the most common field value in a field.

InfluxDB has announced the release candidates for InfluxDB, Telegraf, and Kapacitor version 1.0. The company also released an enterprise beta of InfluxDB, which includes clustering capabilities on users' infrastructure, allowing rebalancing of nodes and a user-friendly UI to deploy, manage, and monitor deployments. Several companies have adopted InfluxDB for their monitoring needs, including Paychex, Cassandra Diagnostics by SmartCat, and Scalingo. These companies use InfluxDB's features such as tagging, integration with Riemann, and its Java community support. The company is also offering a "thank you" gift to customers who feature their application or product on influxdata.com, including an InfluxDB hoodie and stickers. Additionally, InfluxDB has several upcoming events, including a webinar on Kapacitor for Alerting and Anomaly Detection and an in-person training session.

In this post, the InfluxDB team provides tips and workarounds for using the HTTP API in InfluxDB. One key tip is that the `chunked=true` query string parameter allows InfluxDB to return query results in batches rather than as a single response. Additionally, the team addresses a common issue with querying points by specific timestamps, explaining that currently, InfluxQL does not support using `OR` with absolute time in the `WHERE` clause, but suggests alternative approaches such as splitting the query or using `AND`. Finally, the post provides guidance on authenticating requests with the HTTP API using HTTP authentication and basic authentication.

InfluxDB, Telegraf, Kapacitor and Enterprise 1.0 RC1 have been announced by InfluxData with a focus on robust APIs, stability, and purpose-built storage engines for time-series data. The releases include the Time Structured Merge tree in InfluxDB, over 70 input plugins in Telegraf, data processing and alerting capabilities in Kapacitor, and clustering, monitoring, and scaling features in Enterprise. The products have undergone extensive testing and are now in the final stages of preparation for their 1.0 release, with a goal to reach the final version in September.

InfluxDB's CLI can be configured to return human-readable timestamps by specifying the `rfc3339` precision when connecting to the CLI, either at the start or after establishing a connection. This allows for more readable and understandable timestamp formats in InfluxDB's command-line interface. The `rfc3339` precision is available as an option, providing a standardized format for representing timestamps in human-readable form.