Line Protocol
Line protocol is a text-based format for writing time-series data points, popularized by InfluxDB. Each line encodes one measurement with its tags, fields, and a timestamp, making it simple to emit from agents and devices.
How line protocol structures a data point
A line protocol record packs everything about one data point into a single line: the measurement name, a set of tags that identify the source, a set of field values, and a timestamp. It is human readable and easy for collectors like Telegraf to produce.
Its simplicity is why it spread widely in the time-series world. Many existing pipelines, agents, and devices already speak it, so supporting it lowers the barrier to adopting a new database. A team can point an existing line-protocol pipeline at a new backend with little change.
It is one of the common on-ramps for time-series ingestion, alongside formats like JSON and Arrow.
How Arc handles Line Protocol
Arc accepts line protocol ingestion, so teams already emitting it, for example from Telegraf or existing InfluxDB pipelines, can point that stream at Arc with minimal changes and keep their existing collectors.
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