Upgrade from Metrics Classic to Metrics on Grail
- Dynatrace Classic
- Upgrade guide
- 2-min read
Metrics on Grail replaces Metrics Classic as the foundation for analyzing observability data in Dynatrace. Metrics on Grail are queried with DQL, while Classic metrics use metric selectors.
Why upgrade?
- Full power of Grail: Upgrading your queries lets you use Metrics on Grail in
Notebooks, 
Dashboards, and other Dynatrace apps. - Simplified metric landscape: Most Classic metrics have a direct Grail equivalent. Some are convergent, meaning a single Grail-based metric covers multiple Classic metrics, using dimensions and filters to achieve the same level of detail.
- Advanced query capabilities: Metrics on Grail use DQL, which lets you filter, aggregate, join, and transform data in a single query.
Some Classic metrics are unsupported, meaning no Grail equivalent exists yet, but DQL queries against spans or other data can often approximate them. To check whether a specific Classic metric is supported on Grail and find its Grail key, see Built-in Metrics on Grail.
What will you do?
- Identify the upgrade guide below that matches the type of Classic metric queries you use.
- Look up your Classic metric key and find its Grail equivalent, if one exists.
- Convert your metric selector queries to DQL using the mapping patterns and examples in each guide.
Before you begin
The following prerequisites and prior knowledge apply to all upgrade guides. Each guide may list additional prerequisites or required knowledge specific to the relevant area.
Prerequisites
- Access to Notebooks or Dashboards to test and validate your converted DQL queries.
Prior knowledge
- Familiarity with Metrics Classic and metric selector syntax.
- Basic understanding of DQL concepts.
- Familiarity with creating DQL queries in Notebooks or Dashboards.
- Understanding of the metric mapping types used in these guides, see New concepts.
New concepts
Typically, a metric on Grail is equivalent to a Metrics Classic metric. In some cases, however, there's no one-to-one relation. Each guide uses a relevant subset of these mapping types.
- Identical
Classic and Grail metrics have the same level of detail and dimensions. Only the metric key differs.
- Convergent
A single Grail metric represents multiple Metrics Classic metrics of a similar scope.
- Divergent
Multiple Grail metrics represent a single Metrics Classic metric to provide additional technology-specific insight.
- Replacement
A different Grail metric represents the Metrics Classic metric.
- Unsupported
No Grail metric is planned to represent the Metrics Classic metric. In some cases, a DQL query against spans or other data can approximate it.
How to upgrade
Use the guides below to upgrade your metric queries by type.
Upgrade metric selectors to DQL
Classic metric selectors are query expressions used to retrieve Metrics Classic data. This guide walks you through automatically converting your selectors to DQL using the Data Explorer built-in converter, with manual conversion patterns for cases the converter can't handle.
For how to convert, see Upgrade metric selectors to DQL
Upgrade service metrics to DQL
Over 100 Classic service metrics are consolidated into a handful of Grail-based metrics, accessed through dimensions and filters. This guide maps each Classic service metric key to its Grail equivalent and provides DQL query examples for convergent and unsupported metrics.
For how to convert, see Upgrade from Classic service metrics to Grail
Upgrade runtime metrics to DQL
Classic runtime metrics — covering .NET, Go, and JVM runtimes — map to a smaller set of Grail-based metrics with dimensions for filtering. This guide covers divergent, convergent, and unsupported mappings with DQL examples for each.
For how to convert, see Upgrade from Classic runtime metrics to Grail
Upgrade calculated service metrics to Grail
Classic calculated service metrics can be automatically or manually upgraded to Grail, where they gain new dimensions and broader app support. This guide explains eligibility, the upgrade process, and how to recreate metrics that can't be upgraded using OpenPipeline or DQL.
For how to convert, see Upgrade from calculated service metrics to Grail
Upgrade Kubernetes metrics to DQL
Classic Kubernetes metrics map to Grail equivalents across four mapping types: identical, convergent, replacement, and divergent. This guide provides the full mapping table and DQL calculation examples for each metric.
For how to convert, see Upgrade from Classic Kubernetes metrics to Grail
Upgrade RUM metrics to DQL
In Latest Dynatrace, Real User Monitoring (RUM) introduces numerous built-in metrics that are queried through DQL. Because RUM uses a different data model than RUM Classic, there are no direct equivalents for RUM Classic metrics. There are, however, replacements for many RUM classic metrics that serve an analogous purpose.
For how to convert, see Upgrade from classic RUM metrics to Grail
FAQ
How do I activate Grail metrics?
No action is required. Supported metrics are already being written to both Metrics Classic and Grail. For many metrics, there is a one-to-one correspondence, with only a change in the metric key. For other metrics, the mapping may differ. For details, see Built-in Metrics on Grail.
Will I use the same metric keys on Grail and in Metrics Classic?
No, metric keys follow a different naming convention in Grail. For details, see Built-in Metrics on Grail.
Will I get the same metrics in Notebooks and Dashboards compared to Data Explorer Classic and Dashboards Classic?
Most but not all metrics are already supported on Grail and available in Notebooks, Dashboards, and other Dynatrace apps. For details, see Built-in Metrics on Grail.
Will I continue to have access to Metrics Classic metrics in Data Explorer and Dashboards Classic?
Yes. You can access Classic apps through the search utility.
Is it possible to use DQL queries in Data Explorer Classic and Dashboards Classic?
No, DQL can only be used in Dynatrace apps, such as Notebooks and Dashboards.
Is it possible to use Classic metric selector queries in Notebooks and Dashboards?
No, only DQL can be used in Dynatrace apps such as Notebooks and Dashboards.
How can I convert a Classic metric selector query into its DQL equivalent?
Most practical Classic metric selector queries can be converted using the automatic conversion tool.
Some metrics have migration guides where manual migration may be necessary. For example, technology metrics can be converted using the Upgrade from Classic runtime metrics to Grail. Nevertheless, some manual conversion may be necessary in specific cases. For details, see Upgrade metric selectors to DQL.
Do I need a DPS license to access metrics on Grail?
Several metrics are available on Grail without a DPS license. You can learn more about which metrics are available on Grail at Built-in Metrics on Grail.
Nevertheless, some Grail metrics and use cases are restricted to DPS-licensed customers. For instance, the new Kubernetes experience metrics are available only with a DPS license. You can learn more about your Grail limits at Limits for Metrics.
To learn how metric consumption is calculated using the Dynatrace Platform Subscription model, see Metrics powered by Grail overview (DPS).