A Roundup of Observability Datastores

Explore the comprehensive landscape of telemetry storage solutions in this 30-minute conference talk from OSA Con 2025. Navigate through the overwhelming array of observability datastore options, from traditional PostgreSQL to modern specialized stacks like LGTM (Loki, Grafana, Tempo, Mimir), ELK, Cassandra, and ClickHouse®. Learn the foundational principles of telemetry data including metrics, traces, logs, profiles, and wide events, while understanding how different database technologies excel in specific use cases. Discover where traditional relational databases like Postgres still prove valuable, examine the roles of ELK and CockroachDB in observability architectures, and understand why specialized stacks dominate modern observability pipelines. Gain insights into ClickHouse® as a versatile, high-performance solution for logs and traces, and explore VictoriaMetrics as a Prometheus alternative. Master the art of making informed decisions about datastore selection by understanding the trade-offs between different technologies and how to match them to your system's unique requirements. Whether building a new observability stack or optimizing existing infrastructure, acquire the knowledge needed to confidently navigate the complex observability datastore ecosystem and make strategic technology choices.