About Query Analytics¶
Query Analytics (QAN) helps you find and fix slow queries. Use it to identify performance bottlenecks, understand query patterns, and track optimization progress.

Stored metrics and Real-time QAN¶
Query Analytics offers two ways to analyze queries:
-
Stored metrics: Choose stored metrics when you want to analyze completed queries to identify patterns, find slow queries, and track optimization progress over time.
-
Real-time: Choose real-time when you need to identify problematic operations during an active incident.
Real-time vs. Stored metrics capabilities¶
| Feature | Real-time Analytics (RTA) | Stored metrics (QAN) |
|---|---|---|
| Data type | Currently executing queries | Completed queries |
| Purpose | Live troubleshooting | Performance optimization |
| Time range | Live data (updates every 1-5 seconds) | Historical data (configurable retention) |
| Use case | Spot problematic operations during incidents | Analyze trends and optimize past performance |
| Database support | MongoDB (Technical Preview) | MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB |
| Data retention | Temporary (refreshes with new data) | Persistent (stored for analysis) |
| Refresh rate | Live updates (1-5 seconds, configurable) | Historical snapshots |
| Query details | Raw operation data from db.currentOp() (no aggregation, grouping, or processing) |
Aggregated metrics and query fingerprints |
| Best for | “What’s slowing down my database right now?” | “Which queries should I optimize?” |
Requirements for Profiler¶
- Profiling enabled for Query Analytics
- Appropriate user roles: `clusterMonitor`, `read` (local), and custom monitoring roles. For MongoDB 8.0+: Additional `directShardOperations` role required for sharded clusters
### Requirements for Mongolog
- MongoDB configured to log slow operations to a file
- MongoDB server has write permissions to the log directory and file
- PMM agent has read permissions to the MongoDB log file
- Appropriate user roles: `clusterMonitor`, or custom monitoring roles (`getCmdLineOpts` privilege on `{ cluster: true }`)
Dashboard components¶
Query Analytics displays metrics in both visual and numeric form. Performance-related characteristics appear as plotted graphics with summaries.
Dashboard layout¶
The dashboard contains three panels:
- the Filters panel
- the Overview panel
- the Details panel
Data retrieval delays¶
Query Analytics data retrieval is not instantaneous because metrics are collected once per minute. When collection delays occur, no data is reported and gaps will appear in the sparkline.
Label-based access control¶
Query Analytics integrates with PMM’s label-based access control (LBAC) to enforce data security and user permissions.
When LBAC is enabled:
- users see only queries from databases and services permitted by their assigned roles
- filter dropdown options are dynamically restricted based on user permissions
- data visibility is controlled through Prometheus-style label selectors
Troubleshooting¶
If you experience Query Analytics performance issues in low-memory environments (less than 16 GB RAM), see ClickHouse memory issues.