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+# Apache Prometheus Exporter
+
+Exports Prometheus metrics from Apache access logs.
+
+See the [docker](./docker) folder for an example setup using Docker Compose.
+
+## 1. Configure Apache Access Log Format
+
+The following snippet will create a log format named `prometheus` that includes all information the exporter expects. See [Apache documentation](https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/mod/mod_log_config.html#formats) for explanation of the format.
+
+```apache
+LogFormat "%t %h \"%r\" %>s %O %{ms}T \"%{Referer}i\" \"%{User-Agent}i\"" prometheus
+```
+
+## 2. Configure Apache Virtual Hosts
+
+The following snippet is an example of how you could configure Apache to serve 3 domains from different folders using macros.
+
+Each domain has its own access and error log file. The log files are rotated daily, with a dedicated folder for each day, and a `${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/latest/` folder with hard links to today's log files - this folder will be watched by the exporter.
+
+```apache
+<Macro Logs $domain>
+	ErrorLog "|/usr/bin/rotatelogs -l -f -D -L ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/latest/$domain.error.log ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/%Y-%m-%d/$domain.error.log 86400"
+	CustomLog "|/usr/bin/rotatelogs -l -f -D -L ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/latest/$domain.access.log ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/%Y-%m-%d/$domain.access.log 86400" prometheus
+</Macro>
+
+<Macro Domain $domain>
+	<VirtualHost *:80>
+		ServerName $domain
+		DocumentRoot /var/www/html/$domain
+		Use Logs $domain
+	</VirtualHost>
+</Macro>
+
+Domain first.example.com
+Domain second.example.com
+Domain third.example.com
+
+UndefMacro Domain
+UndefMacro Logs
+```
+
+In this example, the `first.example.com` domain will be served from `/var/www/html/first.example.com`, and its logs will be written to:
+- `${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/latest/first.example.com.access.log`
+- `${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/latest/first.example.com.error.log`
+
+## 3. Configure the Exporter
+
+The exporter requires the following environment variables:
+
+### `HTTP_HOST`
+
+The host that the HTTP server for metrics will listen on. If omitted, defaults to `127.0.0.1`.
+
+### `ACCESS_LOG_FILE_PATTERN`, `ERROR_LOG_FILE_PATTERN`
+
+The path to the access/error log files. You may use a single wildcard to match multiple files in a folder, or to match multiple folders in one level of the path. Whatever is matched by the wildcard will become the Prometheus label `file`. If there is no wildcard, the `file` label will be empty.
+
+#### Example 1 (File Name Wildcard)
+
+Log files for all domains are in `/var/log/apache2/latest/` and are named `<domain>.access.log` and `<domain>.error.log`. This is the set up from the Apache configuration example above.
+
+**Pattern:** `/var/log/apache2/latest/*.access.log`
+
+- Metrics for `/var/log/apache2/latest/first.example.com.access.log` will be labeled: `first.example.com`
+- Metrics for `/var/log/apache2/latest/first.example.com.error.log` will be labeled: `first.example.com`
+- Metrics for `/var/log/apache2/latest/second.example.com.access.log` will be labeled: `second.example.com`
+
+The wildcard may appear anywhere in the file name.
+
+#### Example 2 (Folder Wildcard)
+
+Every domain has its own folder in `/var/log/apache2/latest/` containing log files named `access.log` and `error.log`.
+
+**Pattern:** `/var/log/apache2/latest/*/access.log`
+
+- Metrics for `/var/log/apache2/latest/first.example.com/access.log` will be labeled: `first.example.com`
+- Metrics for `/var/log/apache2/latest/first.example.com/error.log` will be labeled: `first.example.com`
+- Metrics for `/var/log/apache2/latest/second.example.com/access.log` will be labeled: `second.example.com`
+
+The wildcard must not include any prefix or suffix, so `/*/` is accepted, but `/prefix_*/` or `/*_suffix/` is not.
+
+#### Notes
+
+> At least one access log file and one error log file must be found when the exporter starts, otherwise the exporter immediately exits with an error.
+
+> If a log file is deleted, the exporter will automatically resume watching it if it is re-created later. If you want the exporter to forget about deleted log files, restart the exporter.
+
+## 4. Launch the Exporter
+
+Start the exporter. The standard output will show which log files have been found, the web server host, and the metrics endpoint URL.
+
+Press `Ctrl-C` to stop the exporter.
+
+## 5. Collect Prometheus Metrics
+
+Currently, the exporter exposes only these metrics:
+
+- `apache_requests_total` total number of requests
+- `apache_errors_total` total number of errors
+
+More detailed metrics will be added in the future.