The two approaches have a number of different implications:
The two approaches have a number of different implications:
...
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ The two approaches have a number of different implications:
...
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ The two approaches have a number of different implications:
| Server performance | The server has to calculate quantiles. You can use [recording rules](/docs/querying/rules/#recording-rules) should the ad-hoc calculation take too long (e.g. in a large dashboard). | Low server-side cost.
| Server performance | The server has to calculate quantiles. You can use [recording rules](/docs/querying/rules/#recording-rules) should the ad-hoc calculation take too long (e.g. in a large dashboard). | Low server-side cost.
| Number of time series (in addition to the `_sum` and `_count` series) | One time series per configured bucket. | One time series per configured quantile.
| Number of time series (in addition to the `_sum` and `_count` series) | One time series per configured bucket. | One time series per configured quantile.
| Quantile error (see below for details) | Error is limited in the dimension of observed values by the width of the relevant bucket. | Error is limited in the dimension of φ by a configurable value.
| Quantile error (see below for details) | Error is limited in the dimension of observed values by the width of the relevant bucket. | Error is limited in the dimension of φ by a configurable value.
| Specification of φ-quantile and sliding time-window | Ad-hoc with [Prometheus expressions](/docs/querying/functions/#histogram_quantile()). | Preconfigured by the client.
| Specification of φ-quantile and sliding time-window | Ad-hoc with [Prometheus expressions](/docs/querying/functions/#histogram_quantile). | Preconfigured by the client.
| Aggregation | Ad-hoc with [Prometheus expressions](/docs/querying/functions/#histogram_quantile()). | In general [not aggregatable](http://latencytipoftheday.blogspot.de/2014/06/latencytipoftheday-you-cant-average.html).
| Aggregation | Ad-hoc with [Prometheus expressions](/docs/querying/functions/#histogram_quantile). | In general [not aggregatable](http://latencytipoftheday.blogspot.de/2014/06/latencytipoftheday-you-cant-average.html).
Note the importance of the last item in the table. Let us return to
Note the importance of the last item in the table. Let us return to
the SLA of serving 95% of requests within 300ms. This time, you do not
the SLA of serving 95% of requests within 300ms. This time, you do not