--- name: metrics-router-target title: About targets description: You can manage Monitoring targets in your account by using the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing UI, the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing CLI, the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing REST API, the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing Terraform provider and the Terraform IBM Modules (TIM) for IBM Cloud Metrics Routing. A target is a resource where you can collect metrics. The resource can be located in the same IBM Cloud account where metrics are generated or in a different account. last-updated: 2026-05-27 --- > ## Documentation Index > The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?format=markdown > The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt > Use these files to discover more information as needed. # About targets {: #target} You can manage Monitoring targets in your account by using the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing UI, the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing CLI, the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing REST API, the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing Terraform provider and the [Terraform IBM Modules (TIM) for IBM Cloud Metrics Routing](https://registry.terraform.io/modules/terraform-ibm-modules/cloud-monitoring/ibm/latest/submodules/metrics_routing){: external}. A target is a resource where you can collect metrics. The resource can be located in the same IBM Cloud account where metrics are generated or in a different account. {: shortdesc} ## Understanding how targets work in your account {: #target_behavior} Note the following information about targets: * Targets are regional under an account and can be accessed from any regional IBM Cloud Metrics Routing API endpoint. * You can define a target in any of the supported locations where IBM Cloud Metrics Routing is available. For more information, see [Locations](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-regions&format=markdown). * You can configure up to 16 targets in each account. * You can configure up to two default targets for each IBM Cloud account. Default targets collect metrics from locations where you do not specify in the account where to route the metrics that are generated in that location. * Information about targets is stored as metadata in the primary and backup locations that you set for the IBM Cloud account. The information that is stored include details about the destinatiion resource and credentials to send metrics. The primary metadata location must be set prior to configuring a target.{: important} If you do not configure a primary metadata location, the location is set to the location where you define your first target in the account. For more information, see [Configuring account settings](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-settings&format=markdown). * You can use private and public endpoints to manage targets. For more information about the list of endpoints that are available, see [Endpoints](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-endpoints&format=markdown). * You can manage targets from the private network by using an API endpoint with the following format: `https://private.REGION.metrics-router.cloud.ibm.com` * You can manage targets from the public network by using an API endpoint with the following format: `https://REGION.metrics-router.cloud.ibm.com` * You can disable the public endpoints by updating the account settings. For more information, see [Enforcing private endpoints](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-endpoints-enforce-private&format=markdown). * The target name must be 1000 characters or less and cannot include any special characters other than space, dash `-`, dot `.`, underscore `_`, and colon `:`. The name must not include any personal identifying information (PII). {: important} ## Target types {: #target_types} You can configure any of the following target types: | Target | Type | Scope | Description | |------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------|------------| | IBM Cloud Monitoring | `sysdig-monitor` | `Account` | Use this target to consolidate time series data to the region of your primary operations. | {: caption="List of targets" caption-side="top"} ## IAM Access {: #target_access} To manage targets, ensure you have the [correct IAM permissions to configure IBM Cloud Metrics Routing](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-iam&format=markdown). To allow the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing service to send metrics to your Monitoring destinations, you must have a service to service authorization configured in the account where the target is located. For more information, see [Managing authorizations to grant access between services](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-iam-service-auth&format=markdown). ## IAM permissions {: #target_iam} The following table lists the IAM actions, their scope and the roles required to manage routes. | Task | IAM Action | IAM Policy scope | IAM Roles | | ------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|----------------| | Create a target | `metrics-router.target.create` | Region | `Administrator` \n `Editor` | | List all targets | `metrics-router.target.list` | Account | `Administrator` \n `Editor` \n `Operator` \n `Viewer` | | Get details of a target | `metrics-router.target.read` | Region | `Administrator` \n `Editor` \n `Operator` \n `Viewer` | | Modify a target | `metrics-router.target.update` | Region | `Administrator` \n `Editor` | | Delete a target | `metrics-router.target.delete` | Region | `Administrator` \n `Editor` | {: caption="IAM action scopes and roles for managing targets" caption-side="top"} When you use the CLI, notice that you need the `metrics-router.target.list` role to create, read, update, or delete a target. {: important} ## Auditing events {: #target_at_events} The following table lists the IAM actions, their scope and the roles required to manage routes. | Task | Activity tracking auditing event action | | ------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | Create a target | `metrics-router.target.create` | | List all targets | `metrics-router.target.list` | | Get details of a target | `metrics-router.target.read` | | Modify a target | `metrics-router.target.update` | | Delete a target | `metrics-router.target.delete` | {: caption="Activity tracking auditing event action" caption-side="top"} ## Managing targets using the UI {: #targets_ui} {: ui} You can manage your target definition using the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing UI. For more information, see [Managing targets](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-target-manage&interface=ui&format=markdown). ## CLI prerequisites {: #target_v3_cli} {: cli} Before you use the CLI to manage targets, complete the following steps: 1. Ensure you have the [correct IAM permissions to configure IBM Cloud Metrics Routing.](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-iam&format=markdown) 2. [Install the IBM Cloud CLI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cli?topic=cli-install-ibmcloud-cli&format=markdown). 3. [Install the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing CLI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-metrics-router-cli-config&format=markdown). ## CLI commands {: #target_v3_cli_cmd} {: cli} The following table lists the actions that you can run to manage targets: | Action | Command | |----------------------------|-------------------------------------| | `Create a target` | `ibmcloud metrics-router target create` | | `Update a target` | `ibmcloud metrics-router target update` | | `Delete a target` | `ibmcloud metrics-router target rm` | | `Read a target` | `ibmcloud metrics-router target get` | | `List all targets` | `ibmcloud metrics-router target ls` | {: caption="Target actions" caption-side="top"} For more information, see [IBM Cloud Metrics Routing v3 CLI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-metrics-router-cli&format=markdown). ## API prerequisites {: #target-prereqs-api} {: api} Before you use the API to manage targets, complete the following steps: 1. Ensure you have the [correct IAM permissions to configure IBM Cloud Metrics Routing.](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-iam&format=markdown) 2. Get an IAM access token. For more information, see [Retrieving IAM access tokens](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-iam-retrieve-token&interface=cli&format=markdown). 3. Identify the API endpoint in the region where you plan to configure or manage a target. For more information, see [Endpoints](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/metrics-router?topic=metrics-router-endpoints&format=markdown). ## API methods {: #target_v3_api} {: api} The following table lists the actions that you can run to manage targets: | Action | REST API Method | API_URL | |----------------------------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | `Create a target` | `POST` | `/api/v3/targets` | | `Update a target` | `PATCH` | `/api/v3/targets/` | | `Delete a target` | `DELETE` | `/api/v3/targets/` | | `Read a target` | `GET` | `/api/v3/targets/` | | `List all targets` | `GET` | `/api/v3/targets` | {: caption="Target actions by using the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing REST API" caption-side="top"} For more information, see [IBM Cloud Metrics Routing v3 API](https://cloud.ibm.com/apidocs/metrics-router). ## HTTP response codes {: #target_v3_api_rc} {: api} When you use the IBM Cloud Metrics Routing REST API, you can get standard HTTP response codes to indicate whether a method completed successfully. - A 200 response always indicates success. - A 4xx response indicates a failure. - A 5xx response usually indicates an internal system error. See the following table for some HTTP response codes: | Status code | Status | Description | |-------------|--------|-------------| | `200` | OK | The request was successful. | | `201` | OK | The request was successful. A resource is created. | | `204` | OK | The target was successfully deleted. | | `400` | Bad Request | The request was unsuccessful. You might be missing a parameter that is required. | | `401` | Unauthorized | The authorization request fails. | | `403` | Forbidden | The operation is forbidden due to insufficient permissions. | | `404` | Not Found | The requested resource doesn't exist or is already deleted. | | `429` | Too Many Requests | Too many requests hit the API too quickly. | | `500` | Internal Server Error | Something went wrong in IBM Cloud Metrics Routing processing. | {: caption="List of HTTP response codes" caption-side="top"}