Custom Grafana Dashboards for VPS Metrics

In this article, we'll walk through the complete process of working with grafana in a server environment. Understanding dashboards is essential for maintaining a reliable and performant infrastructure.

Stack Installation

Security should be a primary consideration when configuring grafana. Always use strong passwords, keep software updated, and restrict network access to only the necessary ports and IP addresses.

# docker-compose.yml for monitoring stack
version: '3.8'
services:
  prometheus:
    image: prom/prometheus:latest
    volumes:
      - ./prometheus.yml:/etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
      - prometheus_data:/prometheus
    ports:
      - "9090:9090"
    restart: unless-stopped

  grafana:
    image: grafana/grafana:latest
    volumes:
      - grafana_data:/var/lib/grafana
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=changeme
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  prometheus_data:
  grafana_data:

Make sure to restart the service after applying these changes. Some settings require a full restart rather than a reload to take effect.

Dashboard Configuration

Before making changes to the configuration, always create a backup of the existing files. This ensures you can quickly roll back if something goes wrong during the setup process.

# prometheus.yml
global:
  scrape_interval: 15s
  evaluation_interval: 15s

scrape_configs:
  - job_name: 'node'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['localhost:9100']
  - job_name: 'grafana'
    static_configs:
      - targets: ['localhost:9090']

Make sure to restart the service after applying these changes. Some settings require a full restart rather than a reload to take effect.

• Maintain runbooks for common operations
• Document all configuration changes
• Use version control for configuration files

Common Issues and Solutions

• Connection timeout: Verify your firewall rules allow traffic on the required ports. Use ss -tlnp to confirm the service is listening on the expected port.
• High memory usage: Review the configuration for memory-related settings. Reduce worker counts or buffer sizes if running on a low-RAM VPS.
• Slow performance: Check for disk I/O bottlenecks with iostat -x 1 and network issues with mtr. Review application logs for slow queries or requests.

Conclusion

This guide covered the essential steps for working with grafana on a VPS environment. For more advanced configurations, refer to the official documentation. Don't hesitate to reach out to our support team if you need help with your specific setup.