End-to-End Observability with Grafana: A comprehensive guide to observability and performance visualization

1. Introduction to Data Visualization with Grafana

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        1.1 Technical requirements

            1.1.1 Supported operating systems

            1.1.2 Hardware recommendations

            1.1.3 Supported databases for Grafana configuration storage

            1.1.4 Supported web browsers

        1.2 Data storage and visualization

        1.3 What is the appeal of Grafana?

        1.4 Grafana installation

            1.4.1 Grafana for Linux

                Debian Linux

            1.4.2 Grafana for Windows

            1.4.3 Grafana for Mac

                Homebrew

                Command line

            1.4.4 Grafana in a Docker container

            1.4.5 Managed Grafana on the cloud

        1.5 Grafana server connection

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    2. A Tour of the Grafana Interface

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        2.1 Technical requirements

        2.2 Exploring Grafana – The home dashboard

            2.2.1 Glancing at the sidebar menu

            2.2.2 Dashboard settings

            2.2.3 View modes

            2.2.4 Learning to use the icons on Grafana’s left sidebar

            2.2.5 Create dropdown menu

            2.2.6 Folder

            2.2.7 Import

            2.2.8 Dashboards

            2.2.9 Manage

            2.2.10 Playlists

            2.2.11 Snapshots

            2.2.12 Library panels

            2.2.13 Explore

            2.2.14 Alerting

                Alert Rules

                Contact points

                Alert Manager

            2.2.15 Data sources

                Users

            2.2.16 Teams

            2.2.17 Plugins

            2.2.18 Organization preferences

            2.2.19 User preferences

            2.2.20 API keys

            2.2.21 Server admin

            2.2.22 Users

            2.2.23 Orgs

            2.2.24 Settings

            2.2.25 Stats

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    3. An Introduction to the Graph Panel

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        3.1 Technical requirements

        3.2 Touring the Graph Panel

            3.2.1 Creating a simple Data Source

            3.2.2 Creating a Graph Panel

        3.3 Generating data series in the Query tab

            3.3.1 What is a query?

            3.3.2 Query tab features

        3.4 Editing the Graph in the Panel tab

            3.4.1 Panel options

            3.4.2 Tooltip

            3.4.3 Legend

            3.4.5 Graph styles

            3.4.6 Axis

            3.4.7 Standard options

            3.4.8 Data links

            3.4.9 Value mappings

            3.4.10 Thresholds

        3.5 Monitoring with the Alert tab

            3.5.1 Rule

            3.5.2 Conditions

            3.5.3 No data and error handling

            3.5.4 Notifications

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    4. Connecting Grafana to a Data Source

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        4.1 Technical requirements

        4.2 Installing the Prometheus server

            4.2.1 Installing Prometheus from Docker

            4.2.2 Configuring the Prometheus data source

        4.3 Exploring Prometheus

            4.3.1 Using Explore for investigation

            4.3.2 Configuring Grafana metrics

        4.4 Querying the Prometheus data source

            4.4.1 Typing in a metrics query

            4.4.2 Querying for process metrics

        4.5 Detecting trends with aggregations

            4.5.1 Applying aggregations to our query data

        4.6 Limitations of data source

            4.6.1 Querying for series aggregations

            4.6.2 Querying for time aggregations

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    5. Visualizing Data in the Graph Panel

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        5.1 Technical requirements

        5.2 Executing advanced queries

            5.2.1 Probing Prometheus

                5.2.1.1 Dashboards’ query editor

                5.2.1.2 Query editor in explore

                5.2.1.3 Templating

                5.2.1.4 Query variable

                5.2.1.5 Using interval and range variables

                5.2.1.6 Using the $__rate_interval variable

                5.2.1.7 Using variables in queries

                5.2.1.8 Annotations

            5.2.2 Sample queries

            5.2.3 Advanced queries

        5.3 Understanding time series data display

            5.3.1 Aggregating time series

            5.3.2 Time series and monitoring

            5.3.3 Time series databases

            5.3.4 Collecting time series data

        5.4 Setting vertical axes

            5.4.1 Right Y-axis

            5.4.2 Log scale

            5.4.3 Setting up a dual axis graph

            5.4.4 Finding correlation

            5.4.5 Resource utilization

            5.4.6 Dangers of using dual axis graphs

            5.4.7 Increase contrast between series

            5.4.8 Align baselines

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    6. Creating Your First Dashboard

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        6.1 Technical requirements

        6.2 Designing a dashboard

            6.2.1 Target audience for your dashboard

            6.2.2 Installing TestData DB

            6.2.3 Creating a dashboard

                6.2.3.1 Select data source

                6.2.3.2 Visualization

                6.2.3.3 Title change

                6.2.3.4 Panel standard options

                6.2.3.5 Panel link for external website

                6.2.3.6 Threshold

                6.2.3.7 Query inspector

                6.2.3.8 Saving panel and dashboard

                6.2.3.9 Time range on dashboard

                6.2.3.10 Dashboard refresh frequency

        6.3 Information-heavy Grafana dashboard

            6.3.1 Multiple panels

            6.3.2 Graphs placement

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    7. Visualization Panels in Grafana

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        7.1 Technical requirements

        7.2 Introducing the Stat panel

            7.2.1 Value options

            7.2.2 Stat styles

        7.3 Introducing the Gauge panel

            7.3.1 Value options

        7.4 Introducing the World Map panel

            7.4.1 Data sources format

        7.5 Introducing the Table panel

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    8. Organizing Dashboards

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        8.1 Technical requirements

        8.2 Dashboard naming

            8.2.1 Naming a dashboard

            8.2.2 Dashboard naming best practices

        8.3 Dashboard folders

            8.3.1 Creating a dashboard folder

            8.3.2 Adding dashboards to a folder

            8.3.3 Deleting folders

            8.3.4 Folder management best practices

        8.4 Dashboard starring and tagging

            8.4.1 Marking dashboards as favorites

            8.4.2 Tagging dashboards

                8.4.2.1 Adding tags

                8.4.2.2 Deleting tags

        8.5 List panel in dashboard

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    9. Grafana Alerting

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        9.1 Technical requirements

        9.2 Threshold setup

        9.3 Alerts configuration

            9.3.1 Accessing alerts

            9.3.2 Setting up alerts

        9.4 Alerts to notification channel

            9.4.1 Setting up notification

            9.4.2 Alert triggers

        9.5 Alert state history and management

            9.5.1 Viewing alert state history

            9.5.2 Alerts silences

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    10. Working with Advanced Dashboard Features

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        10.1 Technical requirements

        10.2 Templating dashboards using Grafana variables

        10.3 Linking dashboards

            10.3.1 Grafana dashboard hierarchy

                Panel links

                Dashboard links

        10.4 Annotations

            10.4.1 Use annotations in dashboards

                Creating an annotation

        10.5 Exporting dashboards

            10.5.1 Sharing a dashboard

            10.5.2 Sharing a direct link

            10.5.3 Publishing a snapshot

            10.5.4 Exporting a dashboard

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    11. Exploring Logs with Grafana Loki

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        11.1 Technical requirements

        11.2 Loki architecture

        11.3 Installing Loki and Promtail

        11.4 Setting-up config files for Loki and Promtail

            11.4.1 Updating .yaml files

            11.4.2 Run Loki and Promtail locally

        11.5 Loki log visualization in Grafana

            11.5.1 Adding Loki as data source

            11.5.2 Visualizing logs in Grafana

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    12. Managing Authorization and Authentication

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        12.1 Technical requirements

        12.2 Understanding key permissions concepts

        12.3 Managing users in Grafana organization

        12.4 Establishing teams in Grafana

        12.5 Administering users and organizations in Grafana

        12.6 Configuring Google OAuth2 authentication

        12.7 Testing the Google OAuth2 authentication configuration

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    13. Blackbox Exporter

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        13.1 Technical requirements

        13.2 What is Blackbox Exporter?

        13.3 Installing Blackbox Exporter

        13.4 Setting-up Blackbox and .yml files

            13.4.1 Updating .yml files

            13.4.2 Run Prometheus and Blackbox Exporter locally

        13.5 Monitoring websites performance in Grafana

            13.5.1 Prerequisites

            13.5.2 Visualizing in Grafana

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    14. Synthetic Monitoring

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        14.1 Technical requirements

        14.2 Introduction of synthetic monitoring

        14.3 Initialization of synthetic monitoring

        14.4 Configuring synthetic monitoring check

            14.4.1 Recommended practices for synthetic monitoring alerts

                Recording rules

                Alert expressions

                Alerting on probes

                Testing alert expressions

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    15. Maximizing the Grafana Plug-in

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        15.1 Technical requirements

        15.2 What is the Grafana plugin?

        15.3 Types of Grafana plugins

            15.3.1 Data source plugins

            15.3.2 Apps plugins

            15.3.3 Panels plugins

        15.4 Best Grafana plugins to download

            15.4.1 Boom table

            15.4.2 FlowCharting

            15.4.3 Status panel

            15.4.4 Discrete

            15.4.5 Polystat

        15.5 Building your own plugin

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    16. Kubernetes Monitoring

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        16.1 Technical requirements

        16.2 Reasons to monitor Kubernetes

        16.3 Set up and access Prometheus and Grafana dashboards

            16.3.1 Prerequisites for exploring Prometheus on macOS

            16.3.2 Accessing the dashboards

            16.3.3 Visualizing Prometheus Data with Grafana

        16.4 Monitor Kubernetes resources and workloads

            16.4.1 Kubernetes cluster level compute resources dashboard

            16.4.2 Kubernetes node exporter dashboard

            16.4.3 Kubernetes CoreDNS dashboard

            16.4.4 Kubernetes namespace level compute resources dashboard

            16.4.5 Kubernetes API server dashboard

            16.4.6 Kubernetes node exporter utilization dashboard

            16.4.7 Prometheus overview dashboard

        16.5 Alerting for Kubernetes cluster with alert manager

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    17. Grafana Cloud

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        17.1 Technical requirements

        17.2 What is Grafana cloud

        17.3 Grafana cloud subscription

        17.4 Setting up data source

        17.5 Monitoring a Windows machine from Grafana cloud

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    18. AIOps Monitoring

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        18.1 Technical requirements

        18.2 Pros and cons of AIOps monitoring setup

            18.2.1 Pros of AIOps monitoring setup

            18.2.2 Cons of AIOps monitoring setup

        18.3 Popular AIOps monitoring tools available in market

        18.4 Moogsoft AIOps Plugin Integration with Grafana

            18.4.1 Plugin installation for Moogsoft AIOps

            18.4.2 Enable the Moogsoft AIOps Application:

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    19. Dashboard Setup for Performance Testing and Engineering

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        19.1 Technical requirements

        19.2 Performance testing and engineering

        19.3 Role of Grafana in performance testing and engineering

        19.4 Grafana dashboards for performance analysis

            19.4.1 JMeter load test

            19.4.2 OracleDB monitoring

            19.4.3 Zabbix for server monitoring

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    20. Best Practices of Working with Grafana

        Introduction

        Structure

        Objectives

        20.1 Technical requirements

        20.2 Significance of using Grafana best practices

        20.3 Designing effective dashboards

        20.4 Optimizing performance

        20.5 Ensuring security

        20.6 Collaboration and version control

        Conclusion

        Multiple choice questions

            Answers

    Index