> ## 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.

# Ingest, query, and control your metric data

> Learn about how Cortex XCOR can help you understand what's driving data storage volume and use.

A *time series* is a set of data points with matching labels. A *metric* is a time
series with a common name, such as the `__name__` label. Use the following
documentation to learn about interacting with metric data in
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XCOR.

<Note>
  See the [metrics dictionary](/overview/concepts/dictionary) to learn about the
  metrics created by and specific to Cortex XCOR.
</Note>

## Ingest

Cortex XCOR natively supports
[Prometheus, StatsD, DogStatsD, and other metrics formats](/ingest/metrics-traces/collector/addl-metrics)
with the Chronosphere Collector, and
[OpenTelemetry](/ingest/metrics-traces/otel) metrics using the
OpenTelemetry Collector.

<Card title="Ingest data" color="#28a561" icon="send" href="/ingest/metrics-traces" horizontal />

## Control

Use the Cortex XCOR Control Plane to reduce the amount of metric data retained in
your system over time. Identify and evaluate data, and then reshape the overall
dataset to eliminate waste, unnecessary noise, and cost.

<Card title="Control data" color="#28a561" icon="shapes" href="/control/shaping/shape-metrics" horizontal />

## Query

Learn how to construct queries in Metrics Explorer to investigate query requests,
responses, and statistics. Use a query to select and filter the metrics you're
interested in, and then apply functions to them. You can also learn about writing
[PromQL queries](/investigate/querying/promql) and applying functions to perform
calculations within queries.

<Card title="Query data" color="#28a561" icon="zoom-in" href="/investigate/querying/metrics" horizontal />

## Observe

Create standard dashboards to query and
[visualize log data](/investigate/querying/dashboard-query) queries. You can also
create [alerts](/investigate/alerts/monitors) to watch time series data that's
specified in a monitor query, and receive notifications when the query matches
specified logs.

<Card title="Observe data" color="#28a561" icon="monitor" href="/observe/dashboards" horizontal />

## Analyze

Analyze both your metric data and queries to gain insights, understand the value of
your data semantics, and highlight changes and their impacts.

<Card title="Analyze data" color="#28a561" icon="chart-bar" href="/investigate/analyze" horizontal />


## Related topics

- [Exploring Metrics](/academy/courses/exploring-metrics.md)
- [Ingest, query, and control your trace data](/overview/types/traces.md)
- [Ingest, query, and control your log data](/overview/types/logs.md)
- [Generate queries using natural language](/investigate/querying/natural-language.md)
- [Shape metric data](/control/shaping/shape-metrics.md)


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