A look back at the later half of 2025 in the world of ClickStack.
Overview
The article reviews the significant developments and features introduced in ClickStack over its first seven months since launch, highlighting advancements such as JSON support, integration with ClickHouse Cloud, and the introduction of Materialized Views. It also outlines future plans for 2026, including enhanced features and deeper integration with cloud services.
What You'll Learn
1
How to implement JSON support in ClickStack for faster queries
2
Why integrating observability with analytics in ClickHouse Cloud is beneficial
3
How to utilize Materialized Views to enhance query performance in ClickStack
4
When to use custom OpenTelemetry collector configurations for complex deployments
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Understanding of observability concepts and OpenTelemetry
- Familiarity with ClickHouse and its ecosystem(optional)
Key Questions Answered
What features were introduced in ClickStack from May to December 2025?
From May to December 2025, ClickStack introduced several key features including JSON support in July, integration with ClickHouse Cloud in August, dashboard import/export in September, alerting systems in October, Service Maps in November, and Materialized Views in December. Each of these features enhanced the observability capabilities and performance of ClickStack.
How does ClickStack improve observability for large teams?
ClickStack improves observability for large teams by providing a unified open-source stack that integrates logs, metrics, traces, and session replay in one platform. This democratizes access to advanced observability features that were previously only available to large engineering teams, making it easier for smaller teams to implement effective observability.
What is the significance of Materialized Views in ClickStack?
Materialized Views in ClickStack allow users to create incremental views that compute only changes as data arrives, drastically reducing query depth and improving performance. This feature enables near real-time responsiveness even at large data volumes, marking a significant scalability enhancement for ClickStack.
What improvements were made to dashboard functionality in September?
In September, ClickStack introduced dashboard import/export functionality, allowing users to share and version dashboards easily. This feature enhances collaboration and speeds up onboarding new services, laying the groundwork for a community-driven ecosystem of shared dashboards.
Technologies & Tools
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Database
Clickhouse
Used as the foundation for ClickStack's observability stack, enabling high-performance storage and querying of telemetry data.
Tool
Opentelemetry
Employed for collecting and managing telemetry data within ClickStack.
Key Actionable Insights
1Leverage JSON support in ClickStack to optimize your observability workflows.By utilizing native JSON support, teams can achieve faster query performance and more expressive schemas, especially when dealing with deeply nested observability data.
2Integrate ClickStack with ClickHouse Cloud for a seamless observability experience.This integration allows teams to manage observability without additional infrastructure overhead, making it easier to correlate telemetry with application data and operational KPIs.
3Utilize Materialized Views to enhance query performance and scalability.Incremental Materialized Views can significantly reduce query times and improve responsiveness, especially in high-volume environments, making them essential for effective observability.
4Implement custom OpenTelemetry collector configurations for tailored ingestion workflows.This flexibility allows teams to adapt ClickStack to their specific logging sources and processing needs, enhancing the observability setup.
Common Pitfalls
1
Failing to properly configure custom OpenTelemetry collectors can lead to incomplete data ingestion.
When teams do not layer their own pipelines effectively, they may miss critical logs or metrics, which can hinder observability efforts.
2
Neglecting to utilize Materialized Views can result in slower query performance.
Without implementing Materialized Views, teams may experience delays in data retrieval, especially as data volumes grow, impacting real-time analysis capabilities.
Related Concepts
Observability Best Practices
Opentelemetry Integration
Performance Optimization Techniques
Cloud-based Observability Solutions