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Add documentation for OTLP endpoint histogram setting #4406

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Add documentation for OTLP endpoint histogram setting #4406

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1c5e214
Add documentation for OTLP endpoint histogram setting
JonasKunz Dec 18, 2025
9b760d6
Clarified where setting applies
JonasKunz Dec 19, 2025
23244cb
fix anchor
JonasKunz Dec 19, 2025
52c2c23
Update manage-data/data-store/data-streams/tsds-ingest-otlp.md
JonasKunz Dec 19, 2025
90a0a5b
fix docs warnings
JonasKunz Dec 19, 2025
659a472
Next attempt to fix the link
JonasKunz Dec 19, 2025
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26 changes: 26 additions & 0 deletions manage-data/data-store/data-streams/tsds-ingest-otlp.md
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Expand Up @@ -95,6 +95,32 @@ By default, metrics are ingested into the `metrics-generic.otel-default` data st

The target data stream name is constructed as `metrics-${data_stream.dataset}.otel-${data_stream.namespace}`.

## Configure histogram handling
```{applies_to}
stack: preview 9.3
```

You can configure how OTLP histograms are mapped using the `xpack.otel_data.histogram_field_type` cluster setting. Valid values are:
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@shainaraskas shainaraskas Dec 18, 2025

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this setting should also be documented in the reference (maybe here?)

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@JonasKunz JonasKunz Dec 19, 2025

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Added it to elastic/elasticsearch#139684.


- `histogram` (default): Map histograms as T-Digests using the `histogram` field type
- `exponential_histogram`: Map histograms as exponential histograms using the `exponential_histogram` field type

The setting is dynamic and can be updated at runtime:

```console
PUT /_cluster/settings
{
"persistent" : {
"xpack.otel_data.histogram_field_type" : "exponential_histogram"
}
}
```

Because both `histogram` and `exponential_histogram` support [coerce](elasticsearch://reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/coerce.md), changing this setting dynamically does not risk mapping conflicts or ingestion failures.

This setting only applies to metrics ingested using the [Elasticsearch OTLP endpoint](./tsds-ingest-otlp.md).
Documents ingested with the _bulk API (e.g. using the Elasticsearch exporter for the OpenTelemetry Collector) are not affected.

## Limitations

* Only the OTLP metrics endpoint (`/_otlp/v1/metrics`) is supported.
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