Unclear documentation - Clarification needed

[flysen]

Response from Datadog support how they calculate rate:

So I was able to check all your assumptions with the team and I think I can explain to you exactly how it goes.

Here you choose your metric type as a rate. The rate, as I shared with you above is calculated like that: new value - old value with both values beeing gauges.
Now, how does the agent send a gauge?
Assuming streaming JMX points = 10, 5, 2, 2, 0, 5, the agent will keep as a gauge the last datapoint as a gauge, meaning here 5. This is our first gauge value.
Now, in order to send a rate, the agent would need a second value.
So in the next round of streaming JMX points, the agent would once again keep as a gauge the last datapoint.

Now that the agents has in memory two different gauge values, then it will be able to calculate a rate based on new value - old value.

https://github.com/DataDog/documentation/blob/365c7e4b45598975c29bc95f54d1d8a95aeb69a5/content/en/metrics/types.md?plain=1#L164-L170

[estherk15]

Thank you @flysen for bringing this to our attention and for your detailed notes! Our team will take a look and review the documentation.

[tina550]

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