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A new version of the RapDev Validator is now available! If you missed my blog post on the initial release of the validator, you can check that out on our blog.
This new version of the Validator has a ton of new features such as: regex sequence usage for ignoring groups of hosts with similar names, validating the tags on multiple Datadog accounts, and our biggest addition, validating tags on Datadog Synthetic Tests.
The Validator comes with its own dashboard customized to utilize Datadog’s new dashboard layout.
Regex Matching on hosts_to_ignore
If you're already familiar with the initial release of the Validator, you know about the feature that allows you to ignore specific hosts that might be exempt from tag validation. It can be cumbersome to have to list out each one individually in the `conf.yaml` regardless if these are development systems not owned by your team or any other reason. However, with this new feature, you can now use Python regex to match hosts with similar names. So for example, if your exempt hosts follow a specific naming schema, it is now easier to allow the Validator to skip them.
Validating Tags in your Multi-Org Setup
Organizations that have multiple Datadog instances and run separate Validator installations to validate each one knows it can be a waste of compute resources. In this version of the Validator, api_key and app_key are now instance level configurations, granting you the ability to validate several Datadog instances' hosts from one agent, and report them all to your master organization in one view. Don't worry, you can still validate a single instance and leave the `api_key` defined within your datadog.yaml, if that model still fits your organization. With this new feature, there is now an $Org template variable added to dashboards that seamlessly allows you to switch between your different orgs to view their specific hosts’ validation status.
Validating Synthetic Tests
The largest addition to the Validator is the new feature that allows for the validation of Synthetic tests. Synthetics are a core piece of monitoring for some organizations, and tagging them appropriately with tags such as environment, application, or owner can be crucial when troubleshooting with the metrics produced by them. By setting the `validate_synthetics` flag to true, and listing out the keys and allowed values under the `synthetic_tags` configuration flag in the same familiar format as you did with hosts, you can instantly validate the tags on synthetic tests. In addition to being able to filter Synthetics by the Datadog Org, you can also use the $CheckType to filter the dashboard by API or Browser, and $CheckSubType to filter by Multi, HTTP, SSL, ICMP, or DNS.
It has never been easier to validate that your Datadog hosts and synthetic tests are properly tagged thanks to RapDev’s Validator. Install or upgrade your Tag Validator today to get the latest enhancement feature set.
