How to Migrate from Promtail to Grafana Alloy: A Step-by-Step Guide

Grafana Labs has recently announced the deprecation of Promtail, its log-shipping agent, with support continuing through February 28, 2026, and an End-of-Life (EOL) date set for March 2, 2026. In light of this, users are encouraged to transition to Grafana Alloy, the new unified agent designed to handle metrics, logs, and traces seamlessly. This article provides a comprehensive guide on migrating from Promtail to Grafana Alloy, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition.

Understanding the Transition: From Promtail to Grafana Alloy

Promtail has been a reliable agent for shipping logs to Grafana Loki. However, with the evolution of observability needs, Grafana Labs introduced Grafana Alloy—a versatile, open-source distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector. Alloy consolidates the functionalities of various agents, including Promtail, into a single, cohesive tool, simplifying the observability stack and reducing maintenance overhead.

Key Benefits of Migrating to Grafana Alloy

1. Unified Data Collection: Alloy integrates the collection of metrics, logs, and traces, eliminating the need for multiple agents and streamlining data pipelines.
2. Enhanced Performance: Designed with modern architectures in mind, Alloy offers improved performance and scalability, catering to diverse observability requirements.
3. Active Development and Support: As the successor to Promtail, Alloy benefits from active development, regular updates, and a robust support community, ensuring users have access to the latest features and assistance.

Preparing for the Migration

Before initiating the migration, consider the following preparatory steps:

• Assess Current Configurations: Review your existing Promtail configurations to understand the current setup and identify any customizations or specific requirements.
• Backup Configurations: Ensure all Promtail configuration files are backed up to prevent data loss during the migration process.
• Familiarize Yourself with Alloy Components: Understanding Alloy's components and architecture will facilitate a smoother transition. Refer to the Grafana Alloy documentation for detailed insights.

Migration Steps

Grafana Alloy offers a built-in convert command to assist in migrating Promtail configurations. Follow these steps to execute the migration:

1. Install Grafana Alloy: Download and install the latest version of Grafana Alloy suitable for your operating system from the official download page.

2. Convert Promtail Configuration: Utilize the convert command to transform your Promtail configuration into an Alloy-compatible format.

   bash

   alloy convert --source-format=promtail --output=alloy_config.yaml promtail_config.yaml
   

   In this command:

   • promtail_config.yaml: Path to your existing Promtail configuration file.
   • alloy_config.yaml: Desired path for the new Alloy configuration file.

   The convert command translates Promtail-specific configurations into Alloy's format, facilitating a seamless transition. For detailed information, refer to the migration guide.

3. Review and Adjust the New Configuration: After conversion, examine the alloy_config.yaml file to ensure all settings align with your requirements. Some Promtail features may not have direct equivalents in Alloy, necessitating manual adjustments.

4. Test the Configuration: Before deploying Alloy in a production environment, validate the new configuration in a staging setup to ensure functionality and performance meet expectations.

5. Deploy Grafana Alloy: Once satisfied with the testing, deploy Alloy using the new configuration file. Monitor the system closely during the initial phase to promptly address any issues.

Post-Migration Considerations

• Update Monitoring Dashboards: Metrics and logs collected by Alloy may differ in structure from those gathered by Promtail. Review and update your Grafana dashboards to accommodate these changes.
• Stay Informed: Regularly consult the Grafana Alloy documentation for updates, best practices, and community insights to optimize your observability setup.

Need Assistance? We're Here to Help

Tasrie IT Services is a official partner for Prometheus and Thanos, providing expert support and implementation services on Prometheus, Thanos and Grafana. If you need help transitioning from Promtail to Grafana Alloy, our team of specialists is here to assist you. We ensure a seamless and efficient migration tailored to your infrastructure. Contact us today to learn how we can support your migration to Grafana Alloy.