Grafana Server Monitoring Plugin

In modern computational environments, optimizing resource usage is crucial. This data visualization tool enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of server resource management.

Overview

This Grafana plugin provides a comprehensive overview of server resource usage. It focuses on key metrics such as CPU, GPU, RAM, and drive usage, alongside a reservation system for servers Alfa and Beta. By visualizing these metrics, users can monitor and optimize resource allocation more effectively.

Features

• Real-time monitoring of CPU, GPU, RAM, and drive usage.
• Reservation system for servers Alfa and Beta.
• Custom dashboards with Grafana scenes.
• Anonymous view access enabled for easier sharing.
• Configurable root URL based on the server deployment.

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Release & Deployment Guide

Follow these steps to release and deploy the Grafana plugin on a target server.

1. Prepare the Release (GitHub Actions)

A GitHub Action workflow (Build and Release Grafana Plugin) is already configured. It automatically:

• Builds the plugin (npm run build).
• Signs the plugin with Grafana’s signing tool. The steps to do this are explained here: Sign a Plugin
• Packages everything into a single archive: grafana-plugin-release.tar.gz
• Publishes it as a GitHub Release.

You can also trigger it manually from the Actions tab.

2. Download the Release Artifact

On the target server, download the latest release:

wget https://github.com/xforman2/monitoring-dashboard/releases/latest/download/grafana-plugin-release.tar.gz

3. Extract Files

tar -xzf grafana-plugin-release.tar.gz

This creates the following structure:

monitoring-plugin/
├── dist/
└── provisioning/
Home.json
docker-compose.yaml
.env.example

4. Configure Environment Variables

Copy .env.example and adjust it to your server setup:

cp .env.example .env
vim .env

Fill in values such as:

# The hostname or IP of the server where Grafana will be accessible
SERVER_NAME=your.server.hostname

# Database hostname or IP (e.g., localhost, db.example.com)
DB_HOST=...

# Database port (default for PostgreSQL is 5432, MySQL is 3306)
DB_PORT=...

# Database username (used by Grafana to connect)
DB_USER=...

# Database password (for the above DB_USER)
DB_PASS=...

# Database name (the schema Grafana should connect to)
DB_NAME=...

5. Start Grafana with Docker Compose

Run:

docker compose up --build -d

This will:

• Start Grafana Enterprise (grafana/grafana-enterprise:10.3.1).
• Mount the plugin under /var/lib/grafana/plugins/xforman2-servermonitoring-scenesapp.
• Apply provisioning configs and the Home.json dashboard.

6. Verify Deployment

Access Grafana in the browser:

http://<SERVER_NAME>:3000

You should see:

• The home dashboard (Home.json).
• The Server Monitoring App under Apps.

7. Updating

For updates:

1. Download the new release tarball.
2. Extract and replace files.
3. Run docker compose up --build -d again.

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