> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rated.co/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rated.co/onboarding-your-data/getting-started.md).

# Getting started

The first step to getting onboarded to slaOS, is to connect and start pushing relevant logs and/or metrics the system. These could be logs and metrics from your own data warehouse, or they could originate from third party data sources. 

When integrating with slaOS, selecting the appropriate data ingestion method is a critical decision that can significantly impact your system's performance, scalability, and operational efficiency. 

<figure><img src="/files/TTn6kK2Wpi6Jse0KRGkb" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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We allow for both pushing data to the system yourself, and letting us do most of the heavy lifting with a suite of integration agents on popular monitoring stacks.&#x20;
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This guide offers a comprehensive comparison of the available ingestion methods to help you make an informed choice based on your specific technical requirements and operational constraints.

## **Overview of ingestion paths**

There are 3 ways in which you can push data to Rated. These are:&#x20;

<div><figure><img src="/files/mS6XrKjzhfeKYHpuhBJS" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/uirXdpFpbPeZQlV6456N" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/HWlRppqrbUf7gjsh1qfF" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### **High level UX comparison**

<div><figure><img src="/files/wM1bEVfVfa7jSlDNgEI2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/96wdCoz2Y6Nld9QzImdr" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/HEKCSnirkxjMENdYTCGy" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

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The **Data API** requires you to send the right data directly to slaOS. Other methods use an indexer to process data before sending it to slaOS.
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### **Data flow & supported sources**

<div><figure><img src="/files/REV7h5bhNsWlPbu3dUC8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/9S8Ph2DJKsDbAOOeWUxT" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/wsA1jVXphgvmiTz63wpK" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### **Setup complexity & maintenance**&#x20;

<div><figure><img src="/files/VGwJMzjq94nxWTuISCM6" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/pepz7knagqpJbURbnjmF" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="/files/uXZJhCIdz50w66y8vAAx" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

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*Need help picking the right onboarding path?* Contact us at <hello@rated.co> for consultation.
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