# Prometheus exporters {#module-services-prometheus-exporters}

Prometheus exporters provide metrics for the
[prometheus monitoring system](https://prometheus.io).

## Configuration {#module-services-prometheus-exporters-configuration}

One of the most common exporters is the
[node exporter](https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter),
it provides hardware and OS metrics from the host it's
running on. The exporter could be configured as follows:
```nix
{
  services.prometheus.exporters.node = {
    enable = true;
    port = 9100;
    enabledCollectors = [
      "logind"
      "systemd"
    ];
    disabledCollectors = [ "textfile" ];
    openFirewall = true;
    firewallFilter = "-i br0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 9100";
  };
}
```
It should now serve all metrics from the collectors that are explicitly
enabled and the ones that are
[enabled by default](https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter#enabled-by-default),
via http under `/metrics`. In this
example the firewall should just allow incoming connections to the
exporter's port on the bridge interface `br0` (this would
have to be configured separately of course). For more information about
configuration see `man configuration.nix` or search through
the [available options](https://nixos.org/nixos/options.html#prometheus.exporters).

Prometheus can now be configured to consume the metrics produced by the exporter:
```nix
{
  services.prometheus = {
    # ...

    scrapeConfigs = [
      {
        job_name = "node";
        static_configs = [
          {
            targets = [
              "localhost:${toString config.services.prometheus.exporters.node.port}"
            ];
          }
        ];
      }
    ];

    # ...
  };
}
```

## Adding a new exporter {#module-services-prometheus-exporters-new-exporter}

To add a new exporter, it has to be packaged first (see
`nixpkgs/pkgs/servers/monitoring/prometheus/` for
examples), then a module can be added. The postfix exporter is used in this
example:

  - Some default options for all exporters are provided by
    `nixpkgs/nixos/modules/services/monitoring/prometheus/exporters.nix`:

      - `enable`
      - `port`
      - `listenAddress`
      - `extraFlags`
      - `openFirewall`
      - `firewallFilter`
      - `firewallRules`
      - `user`
      - `group`
  - As there is already a package available, the module can now be added. This
    is accomplished by adding a new file to the
    `nixos/modules/services/monitoring/prometheus/exporters/`
    directory, which will be called postfix.nix and contains all exporter
    specific options and configuration:
    ```nix
    # nixpkgs/nixos/modules/services/prometheus/exporters/postfix.nix
    {
      config,
      lib,
      pkgs,
      options,
    }:
    let
      # for convenience we define cfg here
      cfg = config.services.prometheus.exporters.postfix;
    in
    {
      port = 9154; # The postfix exporter listens on this port by default

      # `extraOpts` is an attribute set which contains additional options
      # (and optional overrides for default options).