Comparisons: Overview
This section provides comparisons of VirtualMetric's features and functionality with some other solutions on the market.
Hardware/Software Requirements
| Feature | DataStream | Cribl | Logstash | Tenzir | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | Scalable with workers parameter (per device) | 2+ cores (4+ recommended) | 2+ cores | 2+ cores | 1+ cores (scales linearly) |
| Memory | Configurable buffer sizes (default 9KB-1MB) | 8GB+ | 4GB+ | 8GB+ | 512MB minimum |
| Disk Space | Minimal (device dependent) | 10GB+ | 1GB+ | 5GB+ | 200MB base |
| Operating System | Linux | Linux, macOS, Windows | Linux, macOS, Windows | Linux, macOS | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Network | Configurable ports, TLS support | Dedicated ports, complex routing | Standard ports | Standard networking | Minimal networking |
| Database Dependencies | None (self-contained) | Optional external databases | Optional ES integration | External DBMS optional | None (self-contained) |
Data Consumption Performance
| Metric | DataStream | Cribl | Logstash | Tenzir | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Events/Second | Configurable batch sizes (1,000-5,000 default) | 100K-1M+ | 10K-100K | 50K-500K | 50K-250K |
| Compression Ratio | Device-dependent | Up to 90% | Variable | Up to 75% | Up to 80% |
| Ingestion Latency | <1s (configurable flush intervals) | Seconds | Seconds to minutes | Seconds | Milliseconds to seconds |
| Scaling Model | Per-device worker scaling | Distributed | JVM based | Actor model | Resource-based |
Optimization Features
| Feature | DataStream | Cribl | Logstash | Tenzir | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caching | Script caching with xxHash | Deep caching architecture | Basic cache | Query caching | Component-level caching |
| Parallel Processing | Configurable workers per device type | Leader/Worker architecture | Pipeline concurrency | Parallel execution | Pipeline concurrency |
| Data Compression | Native support | Native support | Plugin-based | Native support | Native support |
| Query Optimization | Built-in VirtualMetric functions | Route-based | Limited | DBMS-like | Limited |
| Hot Reloading | Supported | Supported | Limited | Limited | Supported |
Connector Support
| Connector Type | DataStream | Cribl | Logstash | Tenzir | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input Types | HTTP, TCP, UDP, Syslog, Azure Monitor, eStreamer, Windows | 60+ sources | 200+ plugins | 15+ sources | 40+ sources |
| Output Types | HTTP, TCP, UDP, Syslog | 60+ destinations | 200+ plugins | 15+ destinations | 40+ destinations |
| Cloud Services | Azure integration | AWS, GCP, Azure | All major clouds | Limited | AWS, GCP, Azure |
| Protocol Support | TLS, HMAC, Basic Auth | Comprehensive | Plugin-dependent | Basic | Comprehensive |
Processing Features
| Feature | DataStream | Cribl | Logstash | Tenzir | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transformation Types | KV, Grok, CSV, Script, Set, Remove, Rename | JavaScript functions, regex | Ruby DSL, pattern matching | DBMS-like operations | 20+ transforms |
| Scripting Languages | Go, Painless, VirtualMetric | JavaScript | Ruby | ZQL | Lua, VRL |
| Conditional Processing | if parameter | JavaScript conditions | Ruby conditions | ZQL queries | VRL conditions |
| Error Handling | Comprehensive (ignore_failure, on_failure) | Route-based | Basic try/catch | Limited | Basic error handling |
| Pattern Matching | Grok patterns | Regex, JavaScript | Grok, regex | DBMS-like | Regex, glob |
Operational Considerations
| Feature | DataStream | Cribl | Logstash | Tenzir | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration Approach | YAML-based | UI + YAML | YAML/JSON | JSON/YAML + ZQL | YAML/TOML |
| Monitoring | Tagging, built-in logs | Metrics, dashboards | Basic metrics | Query-based monitoring | Metrics, traces |
| Deployment Model | Per-device configuration | Leader/Worker | Standalone/clustered | Standalone/clustered | Lightweight agents |
| Container Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Management Interface | Configuration-based | Web UI | Basic UI | CLI/API | CLI/minimal UI |