In CircleCI, users have access to both the Usage API and the Plans UI to monitor and manage their usage of resources. However, it is important to understand that these two tools may present different data. This article outlines the differences between the CircleCI Usage API and the Plans UI, as well as the reasons for any discrepancies in the data they provide.
Overview of CircleCI's Usage API
The Usage API is a programmatic interface that allows users to retrieve detailed information about their CircleCI usage. This API provides insights into various metrics, including:
- Build Time: The total time spent on builds.
- Job Count: The number of jobs executed.
- Credit Consumption by Feature: A breakdown of resources utilized during builds, including specific components such as IP Ranges, Storage, and Network credits.
Key Features of the Usage API
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Granular Data: The Usage API offers detailed metrics that can be filtered by project, workflow, job, time period, branch and other parameters including credit usage by feature.
- Automation: Users can integrate the API into their own tools and dashboards for automated monitoring and reporting.
- Historical Data: The API allows users to access historical usage data, enabling trend analysis over time.
Overview of CircleCI's Plans UI
The Plans UI is a graphical interface within the CircleCI dashboard that provides users with an overview of their account's resource usage and billing information. Key features include:
- Resource Allocation: Information on the resources allocated to the account based on the selected plan.
- Billing Summary: A summary of costs associated with the current usage and plan.
- Usage Insights: Visual representations of usage trends and metrics over time.
Key Features of the Plans UI
- User-Friendly Interface: The Plans UI is designed for ease of use, allowing users to quickly view their usage and billing information without needing to write code.
- Real-Time Updates: The UI provides real-time updates on usage, making it easy to monitor current resource consumption.
- Plan Management: Users can manage their subscription plans and upgrade or downgrade as needed directly from the UI.
Why Does the Data Differ?
While both the Usage API and Plans UI provide valuable insights into CircleCI usage, there are several reasons why the data may differ:
- Credit Consumption Accuracy: The data displayed in the Plans UI, including credit consumption and billing information, provides the most accurate representation of how credits will be charged to your account.
- Data Granularity: The Usage API offers more granular data, allowing users to filter by specific projects, time frames, and credit consumption per feature. The Plans UI, on the other hand, may aggregate data for a broader overview, which can result in differences in reported metrics.
- Calculation Methods: The methods used to calculate usage metrics may differ between the API and the UI. For example, the API may include certain metrics that are not accounted for in the UI or may apply different definitions for similar metrics.
- User Permissions: Depending on user roles and permissions, the data visible in the Plans UI may differ from what is accessible via the Usage API. Users with different access levels may see varying amounts of data.
Conclusion
Understanding the differences between CircleCI's Usage API and Plans UI is crucial for effectively monitoring and managing your CircleCI resources. While both tools provide valuable insights, users should be aware of the potential discrepancies in the data due to factors such as refresh rates, data granularity, calculation methods, and user permissions. By leveraging both the Usage API and Plans UI, users can gain a comprehensive understanding of their CircleCI usage and make informed decisions about their resource allocation and billing.
For further assistance or questions regarding CircleCI's Usage API or Plans UI, please refer to the CircleCI documentation .
Additional Resources:
- CircleCI Plans
- Usage API
- How to use the CircleCI v2 API to create and retrieve usage reports
- Script to automate creating and retrieving usage reports
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