Define your own process group metadata

Dynatrace automatically detects and displays lots of metadata values related to the processes that run in your environment—including version numbers, port numbers, and the name of the script or JAR file that launches each process (see images below).

Metadata 1

Metadata 2

Dynatrace enables you to use these metadata values to automate tagging as well as to use environment variables to supply tags. Dynatrace even allows you to define your own metadata based on your organization’s or environment’s unique needs.

Define metadata via environment variables

You can define the environment variable DT_CUSTOM_PROP at either the process or host level. The format of the variable is simple; it's comprised of key/value pairs, for example, DT_CUSTOM_PROP=Department=Acceptance Stage=Sprint. Note that environment variables must be visible to the respective process at application startup.

Once in place, the metadata values appear on each respective Process and Process group page (see example below).

Metadata 3

Set up an environment variable for IIS versions earlier than 10

To set up an environment variable in IIS versions earlier than 10, follow the instructions below.

  1. Configure the Advanced Settings for Application Pool.

    Environment variable IIS

  2. Set the Load User Profile as True.

    Environment variable IIS

  3. Restart IIS.
    At the command prompt with admin rights, enter iisreset.

  4. Open the Registry and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist

    Environment variable IIS

  5. Launch the application to initialize the AppPool (or set the AppPool Start Mode to Always Running), refresh hivelist and look for the new entries.

    Environment variable IIS

  6. Check C:\Users for the name of the user who runs the AppPool.

    Environment variable IIS

  7. In the registry navigate to the ID of the user under HKEY_USERS and add a String Value named DT_CUSTOM_PROP.

    Environment variable IIS

  8. Add the value you want with spaces between the key/value pairs.

    Environment variable IIS

  9. Restart IIS one more time and check Dynatrace process for environmental metadata.

    Environment variable IIS

To customize process grouping for Windows services, open Registry Editor on your local machine and create a key called Environment of type REG_MULTI_SZ in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<servicename>. The variable name should start with the DT_CUSTOM_PROP string, for example, DT_CUSTOM_PROP=NAME_A=valueA. The key may contain multiple entries.

Example:

pg-vars

Using annotations in Kubernetes

Dynatrace supports automated tagging in Kubernetes based on Kubernetes labels. You can similarly use Kubernetes annotations—they too will show up on your Process and Process group pages (see below).

Environment variables 4

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