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kombify StackKits standardize on an OTLP-first monitoring contract.
OpenTelemetry Collector is the baseline monitoring path for StackKits. VictoriaMetrics remains an optional backend tier for longer retention and fan-in, not a required default.

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Baseline contract

Every monitored StackKit starts from the collector baseline:
  • node-level OpenTelemetry Collector (monitoring-agent)
  • OTLP metrics enabled by default
  • OTLP logs and traces available as opt-in lanes
  • direct shipping to TechStack or another OTLP receiver
This baseline is the standard path for single-node and lightweight homelab deployments.

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Optional retention and fan-in

Add monitoring-core when you need a central gateway or longer metrics retention. monitoring-core can provide:
  • collector fan-in for multi-node topologies
  • VictoriaMetrics-backed retention
  • optional Grafana dashboards when the deployment wants them
The collector baseline stays active either way.

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How it fits with TechStack

TechStack is the control-plane side of the same contract.
  • StackKits produce OTLP-capable collector configs
  • TechStack ingests OTLP metrics as the canonical path
  • TechStack still keeps a legacy compatibility lane during migration, but StackKits should target OTLP first

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Example paths

ScenarioRecommended path
Single-node Base Kitdefault collector baseline
Multi-node or hybrid homelabcollector baseline plus monitoring-core
Longer retention or external PromQL queriesenable monitoring-core with VictoriaMetrics

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Canonical examples

  • base-kit/examples/otlp-baseline-spec.yaml
  • base-kit/examples/otlp-victoriametrics-spec.yaml
For the full repo-level contract, see the StackKits repository docs/MONITORING.md companion page.