Time Patterns

Description

Input plugin for generating events with specific patterns of distribution in time.

Time pattern is determined by four components:

• Oscillator - defines the base frequency of event generation
• Multiplier - multiplies the number of events by the specified value
• Randomizer - increases or decreases the number of events
• Spreader - distribute events within one time interval

Several time patterns can be merged to achieve complex distribution.

Parameters

Usage name: time_patterns

Supported modes: live, sample

Parameter	Expected value	Required	Description
configs	<list[str]>	Yes	List of paths to time pattern configurations (several distributions are merged to resulting one)

Time pattern configuration

Time pattern configuration is a yaml file that has following format:

label: <str>

oscillator:
  start: <str>
  end: <str>
  period: <int>
  unit: { seconds | minutes | hours | days }

multiplier:
  ratio: <int>

randomizer:
  deviation: <float>
  direction: { Decrease | Increase | Mixed }

spreader:
  distribution: { Uniform | Triangular | Beta }
  parameters:
    <parameter name>: <parameter value>
    ...

Time pattern parameters description:

Parameter	Expected value	Description
oscillator.start	<time> | <datetime> | <relative time> | now	Start time of distribution; If relative time is provided current time used as base point
oscillator.end	<time> | <datetime> | <relative time> | now | never	End time of distribution; If relative time is provided oscillator.start used as base point
oscillator.period	<int>	Duration of one period
oscillator.unit	seconds | minutes | hours | days	Time unit of the period
multiplier.ratio	<int>	Multiplication ratio for number of events
randomizer.deviation	<float> (in range [0.0; 1.0])	Deviation ratio for number of events
randomizer.direction	Decrease | Increase | Mixed	Direction of deviation for number of events
spreader.distribution	Uniform | Triangular | Beta	Probability function for distribution event within interval

info

<relative time> - is expression in following format:

<expression> ::= [<sign>]<term>{<term>}...
<sign>  ::= '+' | '-'
<term>  ::= <value><unit>
<value> ::= <int>
<unit>  ::= 'd' | 'h' | 'm' | 's'

Examples: 1m30s, +2h, -15m, +1d12h30m5s

warning

Value never cannot be used for oscillator.end in sample mode.

Spreader parameters for Uniform distribution:

Parameter	Expected value	Description
spreader.parameters.low	<float> (in range [0.0; 1.0])	Start point of distribution within interval where 0.0 is start and 1.0 is end of interval
spreader.parameters.high	<float> (in range [0.0; 1.0])	End point of distribution within interval where 0.0 is start and 1.0 is end of interval

Spreader parameters for Triangular distribution

Parameter	Expected value	Description
spreader.parameters.left	<float> (in range [0.0; 1.0))	Left point of distribution within interval where 0.0 is start and 1.0 is end of interval
spreader.parameters.mode	<float> (in range [0.0; 1.0])	Mode point of distribution within interval where 0.0 is start and 1.0 is end of interval
spreader.parameters.right	<float> (in range (0.0; 1.0])	Right point of distribution within interval where 0.0 is start and 1.0 is end of interval

Spreader parameters for Beta distribution:

Parameter	Expected value	Description
spreader.parameters.a	<float> (in range [0.0; ∞))	Parameter α of beta distribution
spreader.parameters.b	<float> (in range [0.0; ∞))	Parameter β of beta distribution

Example

time_patterns:
  configs:
    - "distribution1.yaml"
    - "distribution2.yaml"
    - "distribution3.yaml"