Which aggregation is performed for a gauge metric type with DogStatsD?

For a gauge metric type with DogStatsD, the correct aggregation performed is the latest datapoint received. Gauges are designed to represent a value at a specific point in time, reflecting the current state or measurement. This means that gauges store the most recent value received, allowing users to monitor fluctuations in metrics over time.

In the context of monitoring, gauges are helpful when you want to track values such as temperature, memory usage, or the number of active sessions, where the most current measurement is the most valuable piece of information. Therefore, when a new value for a gauge is reported, it simply replaces the previous one, ensuring that users always see the latest data available.

Other types of metrics may perform different aggregations, such as sums or averages, but gauges distinctly focus on reporting the latest state rather than accumulating or averaging past values.