Cortex is a metrics backend: it stores and exposes metrics through APIs rather than providing a primary visualization interface. It uses a push model in which a Prometheus fleet sends metrics through the remote_write interface for ingestion and later querying. section 5.3.2 section 5.0
Use Cortex when the operational design calls for:
- Centralizing metrics from multiple Prometheus setups through remote_write. section 5.3.2
- Separating metrics storage and querying from presentation tools such as Grafana. section 5.0
- Comparing push-based ingestion with Thanos’s initially pull-based federation approach. section 5.3.2
