All courses
Resource hub
Featured resource
Tech Upskilling Playbook 2025
Tech Upskilling Playbook

Build future-ready tech teams and hit key business milestones with seven proven plays from industry leaders.

Learn more
Hamburger Icon
  • Labs icon Lab
  • Cloud
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Advanced Prometheus Queries

The Prometheus Query Language (PromQL) provides a variety of tools that enable you to transform your raw metric data into useful and actionable information. In this lab, you will have the opportunity to explore some advanced features of Prometheus queries as you build queries to solve slightly complex problems.

Get started Contact sales
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Path Info

Level
Clock icon Intermediate
Duration
Clock icon 1h 0m
Last updated
Clock icon Sep 01, 2025

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.

Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Write a Query to Determine Which Instances Have High CPU Utilization

    1. Access the Prometheus expression browser in your web browser:

      http://<PROMETHEUS_SERVER_PUBLIC_IP>:9090

    2. Run a query to add the CPU usage in the system and user modes for each instance. Then, filter the results to only instances where the combined number of CPU seconds is more than 10000:

      (node_cpu_seconds_total{mode="system"} + ignoring(mode) node_cpu_seconds_total{mode="user"}) > 10000

    3. Log in to the Prometheus server and open the output file:

      vi /home/cloud_user/report.md

  2. Challenge

    Get the Per-Second Rate of Increase in HTTP Request Duration for All Instances

    1. Run a query from the Prometheus expression browser:

      rate(http_request_duration_seconds_sum[5m])

    2. Copy the output, including the element data and values.

    3. On the Prometheus server, open the output file in a terminal:

      vi /home/cloud_user/report.md

    4. Paste in the data obtained using the query at the end of the file.

Pluralsight Skills - Labs - Pluralsight
Author
Pluralsight Skills

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

What's a lab?

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Provided environment for hands-on practice

We will provide the credentials and environment necessary for you to practice right within your browser.

Guided walkthrough

Follow along with the author’s guided walkthrough and build something new in your provided environment!

Did you know?

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you get time for practice.
Ready to get started?
View individual plans View team plans