Bob Sets Up Advanced Monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana on AlmaLinux

Bob’s next task was to implement an advanced monitoring solution for his AlmaLinux server. He learned to use Prometheus, a powerful monitoring system, and Grafana, a visualization tool, to monitor system metrics and present them in beautiful, interactive dashboards.

“With great monitoring comes great control—time to set it up!” Bob said, diving into the world of observability.

Chapter Outline: “Bob Sets Up Advanced Monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana”

1. Introduction: Why Advanced Monitoring?

   • The importance of monitoring and visualization.
   • Overview of Prometheus and Grafana.

2. Installing Prometheus

   • Setting up Prometheus on AlmaLinux.
   • Configuring Prometheus to collect metrics.

3. Setting Up Grafana

   • Installing Grafana.
   • Integrating Grafana with Prometheus.

4. Monitoring AlmaLinux Metrics

   • Using Prometheus exporters.
   • Creating dashboards in Grafana.

5. Alerting with Prometheus and Grafana

   • Configuring Prometheus alerts.
   • Setting up notifications in Grafana.

6. Conclusion: Bob Reflects on Monitoring Mastery

Part 1: Introduction: Why Advanced Monitoring?

Bob learned that advanced monitoring provides insights into system performance, helps identify bottlenecks, and ensures issues are resolved before they become critical.

Why Prometheus and Grafana?

• Prometheus: A monitoring tool that collects and stores metrics.
• Grafana: A visualization platform that creates interactive dashboards.

“Prometheus and Grafana give me visibility into every corner of my server!” Bob said.

Part 2: Installing Prometheus

Step 1: Download and Install Prometheus

• Download the latest Prometheus tarball:

  curl -LO https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/releases/download/v2.47.0/prometheus-2.47.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz
  

• Extract the archive:

  tar -xvf prometheus-2.47.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz
  

• Move the binaries:

  sudo mv prometheus /usr/local/bin/
  sudo mv promtool /usr/local/bin/
  

Step 2: Configure Prometheus

• Create a Prometheus configuration file:

  sudo mkdir -p /etc/prometheus
  sudo nano /etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
  

• Add the following content:

  global:
    scrape_interval: 15s
  
  scrape_configs:
    - job_name: 'node'
      static_configs:
        - targets: ['localhost:9090']
  

Step 3: Start Prometheus

• Run Prometheus:

  prometheus --config.file=/etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
  

• Verify Prometheus is running by visiting:

  http://<server-ip>:9090
  

“Prometheus is live and collecting metrics!” Bob said.

Part 3: Setting Up Grafana

Step 1: Install Grafana

• Add the Grafana repository:

  sudo dnf install -y https://dl.grafana.com/enterprise-release/grafana-enterprise-10.2.0-1.x86_64.rpm
  

• Install Grafana:

  sudo dnf install -y grafana
  

Step 2: Start Grafana

• Enable and start the Grafana service:

  sudo systemctl enable grafana-server --now
  

• Access Grafana in a browser:

  http://<server-ip>:3000
  

• Default login:

  • Username: admin
  • Password: admin

Part 4: Monitoring AlmaLinux Metrics

Step 1: Using Prometheus Exporters

Bob installed the Node Exporter to collect Linux system metrics.

• Download the Node Exporter:

  curl -LO https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter/releases/download/v1.6.0/node_exporter-1.6.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz
  

• Extract and move the binary:

  tar -xvf node_exporter-1.6.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz
  sudo mv node_exporter /usr/local/bin/
  

• Start the Node Exporter:

  node_exporter &
  

• Add the Node Exporter to Prometheus:

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

• Restart Prometheus:

  sudo systemctl restart prometheus
  

Step 2: Creating Dashboards in Grafana

• Add Prometheus as a data source in Grafana:

  1. Navigate to Configuration > Data Sources.

  2. Add a new Prometheus data source with URL:

     http://localhost:9090
     

• Import a prebuilt Node Exporter dashboard:

  1. Go to Create > Import.
  2. Use Dashboard ID 1860 from Grafana’s repository.

“Now I can visualize my server’s health in real time!” Bob said.

Part 5: Alerting with Prometheus and Grafana

Step 1: Configuring Prometheus Alerts

• Add an alert rule to Prometheus:

  alerting:
    alertmanagers:
      - static_configs:
          - targets: ['localhost:9093']
  
  rule_files:
    - "alerts.yml"
  

• Create alerts.yml:

  groups:
    - name: ExampleAlert
      rules:
        - alert: HighCPUUsage
          expr: node_cpu_seconds_total > 80
          for: 1m
          labels:
            severity: critical
          annotations:
            summary: "High CPU usage detected"
  

• Restart Prometheus to apply changes:

  sudo systemctl restart prometheus
  

Step 2: Setting Up Grafana Notifications

• In Grafana, go to Alerting > Notification Channels.
• Add an email or Slack notification channel.
• Test notifications with a sample alert.

“Alerts make sure I catch issues before users notice!” Bob said.

Conclusion: Bob Reflects on Monitoring Mastery

Bob successfully deployed Prometheus and Grafana, enabling advanced monitoring and alerting for his AlmaLinux server. With real-time insights and historical data, he could proactively manage system performance and uptime.

Next, Bob plans to explore High Availability and Clustering on AlmaLinux.