Runtime APM UI index configuration

[graphaelli]

Describe the feature:

The APM UI currently relies on kibana.yml settings for configuration of indices to use for APM data. This is a request to allow configuration after kibana has started, similar to what is available for the logs and infra uis.

We may also consider making this space-specific, so that different spaces can be set up to use different APM indices. That may simplify future work regarding spaces for the APM UI.

[elasticmachine]

Pinging @elastic/apm-ui

[graphaelli]

fyi @tbragin

[formgeist]

@elastic/apm-ui Could use some help understanding the implications of configuring the default indices in this way. What would need to happen for us to be able to support it? I'm currently considering where these settings might sit within Kibana, and will also be investigating how users might be able to configure these settings per space in Kibana.

[tbragin]

@graphaelli @formgeist We could start with Kibana Advanced Settings, and not make these space-specific? Similar to the following SIEM setting.

Alternative would be to put this into the APM app itself, like we did with the Logs and Infra UI source configuration. I believe these settings are space-specific.

@roncohen @alvarolobato What do we currently default to when selecting whether to make new functionality we build in Observability apps Kibana Space aware or not?

cc @nehaduggal

[sorenlouv]

The APM UI currently relies on kibana.yml settings for configuration of indices to use for APM data. This is a request to allow configuration after kibana has started

As I understand this proposal the default settings should still come from kibana.yml but be changable at runtime? So if Kibana is restarted it will go back to kibana.yml settings? Or will the runtime changes be persisted somewhere?

Perhaps this overriding behaviour should be generic and built-in to Kibana. So any setting specified in kibana.yml can be changed at runtime, and not only specific APM settings.

[graphaelli]

As I understand this proposal the default settings should still come from kibana.yml but be changable at runtime?

Yes, at least initially for backwards compatibility in 7.x.

So if Kibana is restarted it will go back to kibana.yml settings? Or will the runtime changes be persisted somewhere?

I didn't originally dive into the implementation details but a look at infra-ui shows it stores the configuration as a saved object per space - /api/saved_objects/infrastructure-ui-source/$space. The object is created only when the configuration is updated.