Monitoring recalcitrant APIs with New Relic Flex

In a blog post by Leon Adato, a Developer Relations Engineer at New Relic, he shares his journey of transforming numeric data formatted as strings into usable numbers for data analysis in New Relic. Initially, Adato attempted to use the New Relic Query Language (NRQL) function numeric() to convert strings to numbers, but he encountered challenges with formatted numbers containing commas. With the help of colleagues, he explored using NRQL's aparse() function and jq within New Relic Flex to manipulate the data more effectively, allowing for the removal of commas and conversion to numbers. However, the true solution was found in a simpler approach: using Pi-hole's option to output raw, unformatted data directly suitable for New Relic's requirements, bypassing the need for complex transformations. This experience underscores the value of collaboration and the importance of aligning with existing tools' functionalities rather than forcing preconceived ideas onto them.