Enhancing insights with data enrichment

While data collection and normalization lay the groundwork, these raw messages from our devices provide limited insights within their infrastructure context. Imagine how much more meaningful these logs and metrics could be if they included organizational or business context to better describe the events or metrics collected.

Data enrichment involves adding extra metadata that enhances the description of the original data. Take, for instance, the bgp metrics of a router. These metrics become more informative when they’re complemented with the router’s role in the network topology. Similarly, understanding the significance of interface_out_octets metrics is much easier if we know the router’s role, especially if it’s a border router connected to multiple service providers. Adding metadata such as the circuit_id value of an interface can clarify which service provider is involved, assisting in decision-making when...