Add new exporting "home base" document (#9246)

* Init new export doc

* Touch of cleanup

* A few additional fixes

* Fix broken links

* Fix for Thiago

* Fixes for Vlad

1 files changed, 101 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/docs/export/README.md b/docs/export/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9702174865
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/export/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+<!--
+title: Export metrics
+description: "Archive your Netdata metrics to multiple external time series databases for long-term storage or further analysis."
+custom_edit_url: https://github.com/netdata/netdata/edit/master/docs/export/README.md
+-->
+
+# Export metrics
+
+One of Netdata's pillars is interoperability with other monitoring and visualization solutions. To this end, you can use
+the Agent's [exporting engine](/exporting/README.md) to send metrics to multiple external databases/services in
+parallel. Once you connect Netdata metrics to other solutions, you can apply machine learning analysis or correlation
+with other tools, such as application tracing.
+
+The exporting engine supports a number of connectors, including AWS Kinesis Data Streams, Graphite, JSON, MongoDB,
+OpenTSDB, Prometheus remote write, and more, via exporting **connectors**. These connectors help you seamlessly send
+Netdata metrics to more than 20 different endpoints, including every [service that
+supports](https://prometheus.io/docs/operating/integrations/#remote-endpoints-and-storage) Prometheus remote write. See
+the [exporting reference guide](/exporting/README.md) for the full list.
+
+## Exporting quickstart
+
+Let's cover the process of enabling an exporting connector, using the Graphite connector as an example. These steps can
+be applied to other connectors as well.
+
+> If you are migrating from the deprecated backends system, this quickstart will also help you update your configuration
+> to the new format. For the most part, the configurations are identical, but there are two exceptions. First,
+> `exporting.conf` uses a new `[<type>:<name>]` format for defining connector instances. Second, the `host tags` setting
+> is deprecated. Instead, use [host labels](/docs/tutorials/using-host-labels.md) to tag exported metrics.
+
+Open the `exporting.conf` file with `edit-config`.
+
+```bash
+cd /etc/netdata   # Replace this path with your Netdata config directory
+sudo ./edit-config exporting.conf
+```
+
+### Enable the exporting engine
+
+Enable the exporting engine by setting `enabled` to `yes`:
+
+```conf
+[exporting:global]
+    enabled = yes
+```
+
+### Change how often the exporting engine sends metrics
+
+By default, the exporting engine only sends metrics to external databases every 10 seconds to avoid congesting the
+destination with thousands of per-second metrics.
+
+You can change this frequency for all connectors based on how you use exported metrics or the resources you can allocate
+to long-term storage. Use the `update every` setting to change the frequency in seconds.
+
+```conf
+[exporting:global]
+    update every = 10
+```
+
+### Enable a connector (Graphite)
+
+To enable the Graphite connector, find the `[graphite:my_graphite_instance]` example section in `exporting.conf`. You
+can use this (or the respective example for the connector you want to use) as a framework for your configration.
+
+`[graphite:my_graphite_instance]` is an example of the new `[<type>:<name>]` format for defining connector instances.
+
+Uncomment the section itself and replace `my_graphite_instance` with a name of your choice. Then set `enabled` to `yes`
+and uncomment the line.
+
+```conf
+[graphite:my_graphite_instance]
+    enabled = yes
+    # destination = localhost:2003
+    # data source = average
+    # prefix = netdata
+    # hostname = my_hostname
+    # update every = 10
+    # buffer on failures = 10
+    # timeout ms = 20000
+    # send names instead of ids = yes
+    # send charts matching = *
+    # send hosts matching = localhost *
+```
+
+Next, edit and uncomment any other lines necessary to connect the exporting engine to your endpoint. If migrating from
+backends, port your settings over and uncomment any lines you change. You must edit the `destination` setting in most
+situations.
+
+For details on all the configuration options, see the [exporting reference](/exporting/README.md#configuration).
+
+Restart your Agent to begin exporting to the destination of your choice. Because the Agent exports metrics as they're
+collected, you should start seeing data in your external database after only a few seconds.
+
+## Exporting reference and related features
+
+-   [Exporting reference guide](/exporting/README.md)
+-   [Backends (deprecated)](/backends/README.md)
+-   [Use host labels to organize systems, metrics, and alarms](/docs/tutorials/using-host-labels.md)
+-   [Database engine](/database/engine/README.md)
+-   [Change how long Netdata stores metrics (long-term storage)](/docs/tutorials/longer-metrics-storage.md)
+
+[![analytics](https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&aip=1&t=pageview&_s=1&ds=github&dr=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fnetdata%2Fnetdata&dl=https%3A%2F%2Fmy-netdata.io%2Fgithub%2Fdocs%2Fexporting%2FREADME.md&_u=MAC~&cid=5792dfd7-8dc4-476b-af31-da2fdb9f93d2&tid=UA-64295674-3)](<>)