#ibm.d generation chain

ibm.d is a Go collector framework whose modules generate their own metadata.yaml (and README.md, config_schema.json, zz_generated_contexts.go) from a small set of authoritative inputs. This is fundamentally different from go.d / python.d / charts.d collectors where metadata.yaml is hand-edited.

Maintainer rule: for any ibm.d module, NEVER edit metadata.yaml, README.md, or config_schema.json directly. Edit contexts.yaml, config.go, or module.yaml, then run go generate ./....

#Layout per module

src/go/plugin/ibm.d/modules/<m>/
├── module.yaml                # display name, description, icon, categories, link, keywords
├── config.go                  # Config struct -- parsed via Go AST
├── contexts/
│   ├── contexts.yaml          # metric definitions: classes -> contexts -> dimensions
│   ├── doc.go                 # //go:generate go run ../../../metricgen/main.go ...
│   └── zz_generated_contexts.go  # GENERATED -- DO NOT EDIT
├── generate.go                # //go:generate go run ../../docgen ...
├── metadata.yaml              # GENERATED -- DO NOT EDIT (consumed by gen_integrations.py)
├── README.md                  # GENERATED -- DO NOT EDIT
├── config_schema.json         # GENERATED -- DO NOT EDIT
└── <module-source>.go ...     # the collector implementation (hand-written)

websphere/ is a special parent: its sub-modules websphere/{jmx,mp,pmi}/ each have their own metadata.yaml, module.yaml, etc. gen_integrations.py:35 adds src/go/plugin/ibm.d/modules/websphere separately to COLLECTOR_SOURCES so these one-level-deeper paths get picked up.

#The two generators

#metricgen -- contexts.yaml -> zz_generated_contexts.go

Repo path: src/go/plugin/ibm.d/metricgen/main.go.

Reads a module's contexts/contexts.yaml. The file declares classes -> contexts -> dimensions in a structured form:

classes:
  - name: connection
    contexts:
      - name: connection_count
        title: Connection count
        units: connections
        family: connections
        type: line
        dimensions:
          - name: total
          - name: active

Writes contexts/zz_generated_contexts.go -- a Go source file that registers these contexts with the ibm.d framework so the collector can emit metrics by name. The generated file is committed.

Triggered by:

//go:generate go run ../../../metricgen/main.go ...

at src/go/plugin/ibm.d/modules/<m>/contexts/doc.go:5.

#docgen -- contexts.yaml + config.go + module.yaml -> metadata.yaml + README.md + config_schema.json

Repo path: src/go/plugin/ibm.d/docgen/main.go.

Inputs (per module):

• contexts/contexts.yaml -- the same metric structure metricgen reads. Parsed as Config with Class entries (docgen/main.go:28-55).
• config.go -- the Go Config struct. Parsed via Go AST (docgen/config_parser.go) to extract ConfigField records (docgen/main.go:57-78).
• module.yaml -- module-level metadata: name, display name, description, icon, categories, link, keywords.

Outputs (per module):

• metadata.yaml -- written from metadataTemplate (docgen/main.go:562). The generated file opens with the banner: # Generated metadata.yaml for <module> module. It carries hardcoded scaffolding (most_popular: false, default update_every: 1 option, endpoint: dummy://localhost, and a fixed prerequisite "Enable monitoring interface") PLUS the dynamic content extracted from contexts.yaml and config.go. Authors who want richer metadata.yaml content must extend the template or module.yaml, NOT edit the generated file.
• config_schema.json -- written from a separate template (docgen/main.go:528). Used by the dashboard's DYNCFG editor.
• README.md -- written from a readme template (docgen/main.go:552). Includes module info, metric tables, config tables. Banner depends on the template.

Triggered by:

//go:generate go run ../../docgen -module=<m> -contexts=contexts/contexts.yaml -config=config.go -module-info=module.yaml

at src/go/plugin/ibm.d/modules/<m>/generate.go:3.

#End-to-end edit recipe (ibm.d module)

1. Edit one of:
   • contexts/contexts.yaml to add/change/remove a metric class, context, or dimension;
   • config.go to add/change/remove a config field;
   • module.yaml to change the display name, description, categories, icon, etc.
2. Run from the repo root: bash go generate ./src/go/plugin/ibm.d/modules/<m>/... This invokes BOTH metricgen (on contexts.yaml) and docgen (on the module).
3. Commit ALL generated files together with the source change:
   • metadata.yaml
   • README.md
   • config_schema.json
   • contexts/zz_generated_contexts.go
4. Run the integrations regen locally to update the per-integration .md and the umbrella pages: bash ./integrations/pip.sh python3 integrations/gen_integrations.py python3 integrations/gen_docs_integrations.py -c ibm.d/<m> python3 integrations/gen_doc_collector_page.py python3 integrations/gen_doc_secrets_page.py
5. Commit the regenerated <plugin-dir>/integrations/<slug>.md and umbrella pages too, in the same PR.

#Why ibm.d is generated this way

ibm.d collectors are typically heavy: many metrics, many config fields, dense documentation. Generating ensures consistency between: - the runtime metric registration (zz_generated_contexts.go), - the integration metadata (metadata.yaml), - the dashboard schema (config_schema.json), - the user-facing documentation (README.md).

It is the closest thing this repo has to enforcement of the collector consistency rule for the integration-page side (metadata + README + config_schema), but it does NOT cover taxonomy.yaml, the stock .conf, or health.d/<...>.conf -- those still need manual sync unless a module-specific generator adds coverage.

#Risks and gotchas

• Hand edits to generated files are silently overwritten on next go generate. No warning. The DO-NOT-EDIT banner is the only signal.
• module.yaml is the right place for static prose (e.g. description text) that the metadata template inlines. Edits to that file survive regeneration; edits to the generated metadata.yaml do not.
• The metadata template hardcodes some scaffolding (e.g. endpoint: dummy://localhost). Modules that need different scaffolding must extend the template at docgen/main.go:562+ -- editing the generated metadata.yaml is not a fix.
• go generate does not auto-run gen_integrations.py. After regenerating ibm.d files, you still need to run the integrations pipeline to refresh the per-integration .md and umbrella pages.
• websphere/ sub-modules each have their own generation cycle. Running go generate ./src/go/plugin/ibm.d/modules/websphere/... hits all three (jmx, mp, pmi).