Replace Promtail with Grafana Alloy (#227)

Author: Cortex-DMS

.htmltest.yml

@@ -45,3 +45,5 @@ IgnoreDirs:
 - "docs/2024.5/?.*/"
 - "docs/2024.7/?.*/"
 - "docs/2024.11/?.*/"
+- "docs/2025.1/?.*/"
+- "docs/2025.5/?.*/"

content/en/docs/2025.7/getting-started/cloud/add-observability-to-innovation/Grafana/architecture.md

@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ weight: 10
 | Component | Purpose | Required/Optional |Server Role |
 |-----------|---------|----------|------------|
 | [Grafana][] | Web application that provides querying and visualisation of data in the form of dashboards. | Required | Grafana Cloud managed service |
+| [Grafana Alloy][] | An observability collector that can ingest logs and send them to a Grafana Loki instance. It should be deployed to every machine that has a Microsoft Service Fabric node used by {{% ctx %}}. | Required | Application Server |
 | [Grafana Loki][Grafana Loki] | Log aggregation system designed to store and query logs from applications and infrastructure. | Required | Grafana Cloud managed service |
-| [Promtail][] | An agent which ships the contents of local logs to a Grafana Loki instance. It should be deployed to every machine that has a Microsoft Service Fabric node used by {{% ctx %}}. | Required | Application Server |
 
 ## Recommended Architecture
 
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ The following architecture requires 1..n Application servers and 1 [Grafana Clou
 
 [Prerequisites]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.Prerequisites.MainDoc" >}}
 [Grafana]: {{< url path="Grafana.Products.Grafana.MainDoc" >}}
+[Grafana Alloy]: {{< url path="Grafana.Products.Loki.Alloy.MainDoc" >}}
 [Grafana Cloud]: {{< url path="Grafana.MainDoc" >}}
 [Grafana Loki]: {{< url path="Grafana.Products.Loki.MainDoc" >}}
-[Promtail]: {{< url path="Grafana.Products.Loki.Promtail.MainDoc" >}}

content/en/docs/2025.7/getting-started/cloud/add-observability-to-innovation/Grafana/import-dashboards.md

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ To do this, follow these steps for all default {{% ctx %}} dashboards imported:
 1. Select your [configured Loki data source][] in the *Adhoc Options* > *Data source* drop-down menu, e.g. *grafanacloud-cortex-logs*.
 1. Click *Apply*.
 1. Click the dashboard name in the breadcrumb at the top left corner of the page to go back to the dashboard.
-1. Click the + icon next to the Custom Filter to confirm that a list of available filter options is visible. If Grafana Loki has not received any logs from Promtail there will be no options available for selection.
+1. Click the + icon next to the Custom Filter to confirm that a list of available filter options is visible. If Grafana Loki has not received any logs from Grafana Alloy there will be no options available for selection.
 1. Repeat steps 2 - 9 for all additional default dashboards.
 
 ## Next Steps?
@@ -66,6 +66,6 @@ To do this, follow these steps for all default {{% ctx %}} dashboards imported:
 
 [configured Loki data source]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.SetupLoki.MainDoc" >}}
 [Grafana]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.SetupGrafana.MainDoc" >}}
-[Grafana.Dashboards.zip]: {{< url path="GitHub.Cortex.Observability.3.0.0.GrafanaDashboardsZip" >}}
+[Grafana.Dashboards.zip]: {{< url path="GitHub.Cortex.Observability.4.0.0.GrafanaDashboardsZip" >}}
 [Loki]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.SetupLoki.MainDoc" >}}
 [Try it Out]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.TryItOut.MainDoc" >}}

content/en/docs/2025.7/getting-started/cloud/add-observability-to-innovation/Grafana/install-alloy/_index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+title: "Install Grafana Alloy"
+linkTitle: "Install Grafana Alloy"
+description: "Information about installing and configuring Grafana Alloy on the Application Server(s)."
+weight: 50
+---

content/en/docs/2025.7/getting-started/cloud/add-observability-to-innovation/Grafana/install-alloy/configure-alloy.md

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+---
+title: "Configure Grafana Alloy"
+linkTitle: "Configure Grafana Alloy"
+description: "Information about configuring Grafana Alloy on the Application Server(s)."
+weight: 20
+---
+
+# {{% param title %}}
+
+This guide describes how to configure Grafana Alloy on the Application Server(s).
+
+{{% alert type="note" title="Note" %}}These steps must be performed for every Grafana Alloy installation in the cluster.{{% /alert %}}
+
+## Configure Grafana Alloy
+
+1. Open the `config.alloy` configuration file, which is located in the folder alongside the `alloy-installer-windows-amd64.exe` file.
+1. Set the `__path__` in the `local.file_match "ApiGateway"` > `path_targets` section to the path of the `Logs` folder specified in the `appSettings.json` file during installation of the API Gateway Service, e.g. `"C:/ProgramData/Cortex/API Gateway Service/Logs/**/ServiceFabricHttpEventLog-[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]{_[0-9][0-9][0-9],}.json"`.
+1. Set the Grafana Loki `url` in the `loki.write "default"` > `endpoint` section, which can be found at the end of the file, with the url value noted down during the [Setup Grafana Loki][] steps.
+
+   A correct URL should be similar to `https://239948:eyJrIjoiaWVjNzE4MmVjOThkNTgxMMQ5MzIyZjdlMjAyYWY4NWJjO1I1OTc4NSIsIm4iOiJUZXN0S2V5IiwiaWQiOjY4Nzk0MX0=@logs-prod-008.grafana.net/api/prom/push`.
+1. Delete the line containing `bearer_token_file` in the `loki.write "default"` > `endpoint` section, which can be found at the end of the file.
+1. Save the file.
+
+### Re-Start the Grafana Alloy Service
+
+1. Open `services.msc`.
+1. Locate the `Alloy` service.
+1. Right click on the service name and select `Restart`. If the service is not already running, select `Start`.
+
+## Next Steps?
+
+1. [Import Dashboards][]
+
+[Import Dashboards]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.ImportDashboards.MainDoc" >}}
+[Setup Grafana Loki]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.SetupLoki.SetUpGrafanaLoki" >}}

content/en/docs/2025.7/getting-started/cloud/add-observability-to-innovation/Grafana/install-alloy/install-alloy.md

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+title: "Install Grafana Alloy"
+linkTitle: "Install Grafana Alloy"
+description: "Information about installing Grafana Alloy on the Application Server(s)."
+weight: 10
+---
+
+# {{% param title %}}
+
+This guide describes how to install Grafana Alloy on the Application Server(s). Please ensure that the [Prerequisites][] have been completed before starting this installation.
+
+## Install Grafana Alloy
+
+1. Download the [Grafana Alloy 1.10.0][] archive.
+1. Extract content of the downloaded archive to a suitable location, e.g. `C:\Program Data\Cortex\Observability\Grafana Alloy`.
+1. Download the [Grafana Alloy.zip][] archive and extract its contents alongside the previously extracted Grafana Alloy `alloy-installer-windows-amd64.exe`.
+This archive contains the `config.alloy` configuration file and PowerShell scripts to install Grafana Alloy as a Windows service.
+1. Run Windows PowerShell as Administrator
+1. Change the location to where all the files were extracted to in step 2, e.g. `cd "C:\Program Data\Cortex\Observability\Grafana Alloy"`.
+1. Execute the `.\Install-Alloy.ps1` command to install the downloaded `alloy-installer-windows-amd64.exe` as a service.
+1. When prompted, enter the credentials that the Grafana Alloy Service should run as.
+1. When prompted to enter the bearer token, leave it blank and press Enter.
+
+## Next Steps?
+
+1. [Configure Grafana Alloy][]
+
+[Configure Grafana Alloy]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.InstallAlloy.ConfigureAlloy.MainDoc" >}}
+[Grafana Alloy 1.10.0]:  {{< url path="Grafana.Products.Loki.Alloy.1.10.0" >}}
+[Grafana Alloy.zip]: {{< url path="GitHub.Cortex.Observability.4.0.0.GrafanaAlloyInstallZip" >}}
+[Prerequisites]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.OnPremise.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.Prerequisites" >}}

content/en/docs/2025.7/getting-started/cloud/add-observability-to-innovation/Grafana/install-promtail/_index.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ The prerequisites required for each server role (as described in [Architecture][
 
 ## Hardware Requirements
 
-The application servers (as described in {{< ahref path="Cortex.GettingStarted.OnPremise.InstallInnovationOnly.MultipleServerWithHA.Architecture" title="Architecture" >}}) to which Promtail will be added have already been installed as part of the {{% ctx %}} install process and do not require any hardware modifications for the observability platform installation.
+The application servers (as described in {{< ahref path="Cortex.GettingStarted.OnPremise.InstallInnovationOnly.MultipleServerWithHA.Architecture" title="Architecture" >}}) to which Grafana Alloy will be added have already been installed as part of the {{% ctx %}} install process and do not require any hardware modifications for the observability platform installation.
 
 {{% alert title="Note" %}}
 The application servers must have internet access in order to communicate with the Grafana Cloud managed service.
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ The application servers must have internet access in order to communicate with t
 
 | Server Role        | Windows Server[^1]                             | Other Software     |
 |--------------------|------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
-| Application Server | [2022 (x64)][] *Recommended*<br>[2019 (x64)][] | [Promtail 3.0.0][] |
+| Application Server | [2022 (x64)][] *Recommended*<br>[2019 (x64)][] | [Grafana Alloy 1.10.0][] |
 
 [^1]: Windows Server Standard and Datacenter editions are supported. Filesystem **must be NTFS** and networking **must use IPv4**. Linux is not supported, but may be in the future.
 
@@ -48,12 +48,16 @@ These requirements apply to each of the Application Servers.
 
 A domain user which is a member of the Local Administrators group on all Application Servers must be available to perform the installation.
 
+#### Service User
+
+Grafana Alloy requires a domain user that is not a member of the Local Administrators group on any of the Application Servers. This user must be given the `Log on as a service` right otherwise the service will not be able to run. This permission will be granted as part of the install if it is not already granted.
+
 ## Next Steps?
 
 1. [Set up Grafana][]
 
 [2019 (x64)]: {{< url path="Microsoft.Downloads.Windows.Server2019" >}}
 [2022 (x64)]: {{< url path="Microsoft.Downloads.Windows.Server2022" >}}
 [Architecture]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.Architecture.MainDoc" >}}
-[Promtail 3.0.0]:  {{< url path="Grafana.SelfManaged.Downloads.Promtail.3.0.0.PromtailInstallZip" >}}
+[Grafana Alloy 1.10.0]:  {{< url path="Grafana.Products.Loki.Alloy.1.10.0" >}}
 [Set up Grafana]: {{< url path="Cortex.GettingStarted.Cloud.AddObservabilityToInnovation.Grafana.SetupGrafana.MainDoc" >}}