leonjalfon1/basic-monitoring-lab

Basic Monitoring

Lab: Basic monitoring using Grafana, Graphite and Collectd with Docker containers

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Setting up the environment

• Clone the repository to get the docker-compose file

$ git clone https://github.com/leonjalfon1/basic-monitoring-lab.git
$ cd basic-monitoring-lab

• Set up the environment by run:

$ docker-compose up -d

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Exploring Grafana

• Browse to the Grafana portal:

$ http://localhost:3000

• Login using the credentials below:

username: admin
password: admin

• You will be asked for set a new password, set the password below:

password: admin

• Explore Grafana on your own

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Exploring Graphite

• Browse to the Graphite portal:

$ http://localhost:5000

• Login using the credentials below:

username: root
password: root

• Explore Graphite on your own

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Exploring the application

• Browse to the application page:

$ http://localhost:80

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Configure collectd in the application server

• Move to the application container terminal:

$ docker exec -it app /bin/bash

• Install collectd tool:

$ apt-get update
$ apt-get install -y collectd collectd-utils

• Install vim tool:

$ apt-get install -y vim

• Configure collectd to send metrics to Graphite:

$ vim /etc/collectd/collectd.conf

• Enable the following plugins:

LoadPlugin cpu
LoadPlugin df
LoadPlugin interface
LoadPlugin load
LoadPlugin memory
LoadPlugin ping
LoadPlugin write_graphite

• Configure the following plugins as below:

<Plugin ping>
        Host graphite
#       Host "host.baz.qux"
        Interval 1.0
        Timeout 0.9
        TTL 255
#       SourceAddress "1.2.3.4"
#       Device "eth0"
        MaxMissed -1
</Plugin>

<Plugin write_graphite>
        <Node "graphite">
                Host graphite
                Port "2003"
                Protocol "tcp"
                LogSendErrors true
#                Prefix "collectd"
#               Postfix "collectd"
                StoreRates true
                AlwaysAppendDS false
                EscapeCharacter "_"
        </Node>
</Plugin>

• For changes to take affect, please restart collectd service :

$ /etc/init.d/collectd restart

• Browse to Graphite and look for the new metrics (under :

$ http://localhost:5000/

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Add a Data Source and Create a Grafana Dashboard

• Click Create data source in the main dashboard:

• Fill the form as follows:

Name: my-graphite-server
Type: Graphite
URL: http://graphite:8080
Access: Server (Default)
Version: <Select the newest available>

• Click New dashboard to create and customize a new panel:

• Select "Graph":

• Edit the graph by click "Edit":

• Configure the "General" section with the below:

• Configure the "Metrics" section with the below:

• Configure the "Axes" section with the below:

• Save the dashboard:

• You will be asked for the dashboard name and folder, set the following:

New name: my-first-dashboard
Folder: General

• Good Job! You already know all the basics to start monitoring, now it only remains to explore on your own :)