Axiom
Overview

series_not_equals

You use this function when you want to detect differences between two time series or arrays of values. It’s particularly useful when analyzing request patterns, response times, or service traces, where identifying mismatches across parallel series matters.

Usage#

Syntax#

series_not_equals(series1, series2)

Parameters#

Parameter Type Description
series1 dynamic (array) The first numeric array to compare.
series2 dynamic (array) The second numeric array to compare. Must have the same length as series1.

Returns#

A dynamic array of Boolean values. Each element is true if the corresponding elements in the input arrays aren’t equal, and false otherwise.

Use case examples#

You can use series_not_equals to identify differences in request durations across two groups of HTTP requests.

Query

['sample-http-logs']
| summarize durations1 = make_list(req_duration_ms) by method
| join (
    ['sample-http-logs']
    | summarize durations2 = make_list(req_duration_ms) by method
) on method
| extend diff_flags = series_not_equals(durations1, durations2)

Run in Playground

Output

method diff_flags
GET [false,true,false]
POST [true,false,true]

This query builds two lists of request durations grouped by method, compares them element by element, and returns an array showing where values differ.

You can use series_not_equals to compare the duration of spans between two services in the same trace.

Query

['otel-demo-traces']
| where ['service.name'] == 'frontend'
| summarize frontend_durations = make_list(duration) by trace_id
| join (
    ['otel-demo-traces']
    | where ['service.name'] == 'checkout'
    | summarize checkout_durations = make_list(duration) by trace_id
) on trace_id
| extend diff_flags = series_not_equals(frontend_durations, checkout_durations)

Run in Playground

Output

trace_id diff_flags
abc123 [false,true]
def456 [true,false]

This query compares span durations between frontend and checkoutservice for the same trace and shows where durations differ.

You can use series_not_equals to check if HTTP status codes differ between requests from different countries.

Query

['sample-http-logs']
| where ['geo.country'] == 'United States'
| summarize us_statuses = make_list(status) by uri
| join (
    ['sample-http-logs']
    | where ['geo.country'] == 'Germany'
    | summarize de_statuses = make_list(status) by uri
) on uri
| extend diff_flags = series_not_equals(us_statuses, de_statuses)

Run in Playground

Output

uri diff_flags
/api/login [false,true,false]
/api/products [true,false]

This query identifies differences in status codes returned by the same URI when accessed from the US and Germany.

  • series_greater_equals: Compares two arrays and returns true when elements in the first array are greater than or equal to the second array.
  • series_greater: Compares two arrays and returns true where the first array element is greater than the second.
  • series_less: Compares two arrays and returns true where the first array element is less than the second.
  • series_less_equals: Compares two arrays and returns true where the first array element is less than or equal to the second.

Other query languages#

Splunk SPL users

In Splunk SPL, you typically compare fields directly with the != operator. In APL, series_not_equals applies this logic to arrays, returning an array of Boolean values instead of a single Boolean.

Splunk example

... | eval is_different = if(fieldA != fieldB, 1, 0)

APL equivalent

print result = series_not_equals(dynamic([1,2,3]), dynamic([1,5,3]))
ANSI SQL users

In ANSI SQL, comparisons with <> return a single Boolean for each row. APL’s series_not_equals function extends this idea to arrays, producing a series of Boolean values instead of a single Boolean.

SQL example

SELECT fieldA <> fieldB AS is_different
FROM my_table

APL equivalent

print result = series_not_equals(dynamic([10,20,30]), dynamic([10,25,30]))

Updated

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