What is the purpose of the DD_CONTAINER_INCLUDE environment variable?

The purpose of the DD_CONTAINER_INCLUDE environment variable is to specify containers that should be included for monitoring by Datadog. This variable allows users to define which containers are relevant for their applications, ensuring that the monitoring agent collects and reports metrics only for the specified containers. By effectively using this variable, teams can focus on particular containers that are essential for performance analysis and troubleshooting, resulting in more efficient resource use and clearer insights into application behavior.

Choosing which containers to monitor can help reduce noise from unrelated services and improve the clarity of the metrics collected, ultimately leading to better performance monitoring. The inclusion of specific containers can also make it easier to manage and visualize the data relevant to particular services or applications within a complex environment.