Local Grafana Setup with Docker

Link to Docker Files

How to start

• Fill out the .env file
• Start the docker with docker compose up
• (Optional): Add some dummy data to find out whether it actually works
• Next, we have to define influxdb as the data source in grafana. See below.
• If not done previously, we have to enable user_allow_other in the /etc/fuse.conf
• Lastly, we have to compile iofs (see roots README.md) and run it via

./iofs <PATH_TO_WHERE_YOU_WRITE> <PATH_ON_WHAT_YOU_MAP> --in-server=http://localhost:8086 --in-db=mydb --in-username=influx --in-password=influxdblongpassword123

If you changed the parameters in .env, change then here accordingly.

Now you can create your first dashboard!

(Optional): Add some dummy data

Update: This is also automated using the fill_influx.py script in the docker-devenv folder

This is optional, but recommended for the following reason: If you have an empty InfluxDB, Grafana can't verify whether the connection actually works. If you configure the data source correct, you can see the 200 returned by InfluxDB in your docker logs. But since the returned JSON contains no data, Grafana interprets it as a failed fetch, thus showing a false error. So, even if optional, this will make your debugging a lot easier.

1. Start the docker-container (check with docker container ls afterwards).
2. Get a shell into the influxdb container. By default, the container is named influxc:

docker exec -it influxc bash

3. Now manually connect to the influxdb-cli. Use credentials according to the .env file.

influx -username influx -password influxdblongpassword123 -precision rfc3339

The precision defines the date format and rfc3339 is used everywhere in the documentation 4. Once in the influxdb shell, use the database specified in the .env file.

USE mydb;

The database name should match the name specified in the .env. For created all databases, see

SHOW DATABASES;

5. Create some dummy data. Here the related docs.

INSERT treasures,captain_id=pirate_king value=2

Note that the semicolon is missing ;)

Add the (already initialized) influxdb to grafana

1. Start the docker-container (check with docker container ls afterwards).
2. Connect to grafana via http://localhost:3000/
3. Login with the credentials set in .env (grafana:grafana is default)
4. Go to Connections->Data Sources->Add Data Source->InfluxDB
5. Add the following configuration:

Query Language: Since we explicitly use influxdb version 1, we have to use InfluxQL.

URL: Since we use docker compose (instead of the default network bridge) container name DNS is enabled. Thus we can use http://influxc:8086.

InfluxDB Details: Use the Database, User, Password specified in the .env

6. Afterwards test the configuration via Save & test. If everything was configured successfully, it should show an alert with Data source is working. If you have the docker-compose logs open, you should see a request with a Grafana/x.x.x user agent as well.