Automatically set Prometheus step interval

By computing the step interval passed to the query_range Prometheus API
call we improve the performance on the Prometheus server and GitLab by
reducing the amount of data points sent back and prevent Prometheus
from sending errors when requesting longer intervals.

4 files changed, 67 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/58839-automatically-set-prometheus-step-interval.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/58839-automatically-set-prometheus-step-interval.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2c6edf45ae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/58839-automatically-set-prometheus-step-interval.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Automatically set Prometheus step interval
+merge_request: 26441
+author:
+type: changed
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client.rb b/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client.rb
index 45828c77a33..b4de7cd2bce 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ module Gitlab
     Error = Class.new(StandardError)
     QueryError = Class.new(Gitlab::PrometheusClient::Error)
 
+    # Target number of data points for `query_range`.
+    # Please don't exceed the limit of 11000 data points
+    # See https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/blob/91306bdf24f5395e2601773316945a478b4b263d/web/api/v1/api.go#L347
+    QUERY_RANGE_DATA_POINTS = 600
+
+    # Minimal value of the `step` parameter for `query_range` in seconds.
+    QUERY_RANGE_MIN_STEP = 60
+
     attr_reader :rest_client, :headers
 
     def initialize(rest_client)
@@ -23,12 +31,18 @@ module Gitlab
     end
 
     def query_range(query, start: 8.hours.ago, stop: Time.now)
+      start = start.to_f
+      stop = stop.to_f
+      step = self.class.compute_step(start, stop)
+
       get_result('matrix') do
-        json_api_get('query_range',
-                     query: query,
-                     start: start.to_f,
-                     end: stop.to_f,
-                     step: 1.minute.to_i)
+        json_api_get(
+          'query_range',
+          query: query,
+          start: start,
+          end: stop,
+          step: step
+        )
       end
     end
 
@@ -40,6 +54,14 @@ module Gitlab
       json_api_get('series', 'match': matches, start: start.to_f, end: stop.to_f)
     end
 
+    def self.compute_step(start, stop)
+      diff = stop - start
+
+      step = (diff / QUERY_RANGE_DATA_POINTS).ceil
+
+      [QUERY_RANGE_MIN_STEP, step].max
+    end
+
     private
 
     def json_api_get(type, args = {})
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client_spec.rb
index 4c3b8deefb9..2517ee71f24 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/prometheus_client_spec.rb
@@ -230,4 +230,32 @@ describe Gitlab::PrometheusClient do
       let(:execute_query) { subject.query_range(prometheus_query) }
     end
   end
+
+  describe '.compute_step' do
+    using RSpec::Parameterized::TableSyntax
+
+    let(:now) { Time.now.utc }
+
+    subject { described_class.compute_step(start, stop) }
+
+    where(:time_interval_in_seconds, :step) do
+      0               | 60
+      10.hours        | 60
+      10.hours + 1    | 61
+      # frontend options
+      30.minutes      | 60
+      3.hours         | 60
+      8.hours         | 60
+      1.day           | 144
+      3.days          | 432
+      1.week          | 1008
+    end
+
+    with_them do
+      let(:start) { now - time_interval_in_seconds }
+      let(:stop) { now }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq(step) }
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/support/helpers/prometheus_helpers.rb b/spec/support/helpers/prometheus_helpers.rb
index ce1f9fce10d..08d1d7a6059 100644
--- a/spec/support/helpers/prometheus_helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/support/helpers/prometheus_helpers.rb
@@ -25,12 +25,16 @@ module PrometheusHelpers
     "https://prometheus.example.com/api/v1/query?#{query}"
   end
 
-  def prometheus_query_range_url(prometheus_query, start: 8.hours.ago, stop: Time.now.to_f)
+  def prometheus_query_range_url(prometheus_query, start: 8.hours.ago, stop: Time.now, step: nil)
+    start = start.to_f
+    stop = stop.to_f
+    step ||= Gitlab::PrometheusClient.compute_step(start, stop)
+
     query = {
       query: prometheus_query,
-      start: start.to_f,
+      start: start,
       end: stop,
-      step: 1.minute.to_i
+      step: step
     }.to_query
 
     "https://prometheus.example.com/api/v1/query_range?#{query}"