> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs-xcor.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Datadog migration information

> Learn how Palo Alto Networks Cortex XCOR ingests metrics, and plan a migration from Datadog Agent and DogStatsD.

Datadog is a monitoring and analytic tool for measuring system performance metrics
and event monitoring.

The custom metrics are ingested into Datadog platform using locally installed
components, such as:

* Datadog Agent, which collects metrics through integration.
* DogStatsD is a UDP server listening for applications to send the metrics
  based on a push model.
  [Learn more about ingesting DogStatsD](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/addl-metrics/dogstatsd).
* Using the HTTP API.

Datadog Agent and DogStatsD are lightweight software designed to get metrics and
forwarding them to the Datadog back end for persistence.

As metrics data increases in scale, the cost of ingress traffic and data persistence
can increase exponentially and become difficult to control.

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XCOR approaches monitoring and analysis differently.
The Collector ingests metrics and traces using a pull model, sending data to the
Cortex XCOR back end. The Collector is compliant with the major open
source standards, including Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, and older formats (like
Graphite/StatsD).

The Cortex XCOR control layer determines how metrics and traces should be
aggregated, dropped, or rolled-up. Businesses can take advantage of these
features to save costs and improve monitoring performance.

Many of the Datadog constructs translate to Cortex XCOR. Although the
Customer Success team handles the initial migration from Datadog to Cortex XCOR, use the
following pages to understand how each product approaches data:

* [Migration considerations](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/migration-issues):
  What you need
  to know before you migrate.
* [Querying metrics](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/dogstatsd): Understanding how
  Cortex XCOR differs from the Datadog query syntax.
* [Monitor migration](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/convert-monitors):
  Understanding how
  Cortex XCOR monitors differ from Datadog monitors.
* [Mapping](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/mapping): A breakdown
  of how various functions and
  operations work in each product, and how they correspond.
* [Widgets versus dashboards](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/dashboards):
  Learn how some
  Datadog widgets relate to Cortex XCOR dashboards.

Migrating from Datadog to Cortex XCOR follows these general steps:

1. Review the ingestion model.
2. Migrate metric collection.
3. Migrate dashboards.
4. Migrate monitors and alerts.
5. Optimize data ingestion and persisted data.


## Related topics

- [Datadog migration considerations](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/migration-issues.md)
- [Dashboard widgets](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/dashboards.md)
- [Datadog](/ingest/xcor/integrations/collector/datadog.md)
- [Convert Datadog monitors](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/datadog/convert-monitors.md)
- [Migration notes for Tanzu (Wavefront) to PromQL](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/mappings/wavefront.md)


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