Import Grafana Dashboards

Import Grafana Dashboards

SPPMon currently provides three template Dashboards. These dashboards are only an example of SPPMons capabilities and should help to easily start using SPPMon. Even though we try to constantly enhance them and implement a wide band of panels, any user is encouraged to actively change their dashboards and adjust them to their setup. Please feel free to add, change and delete Panels as well as Dashboards.

SPPMon does not display every available information on these dashboards. More data and information about available Data can be found within the Definitions of the InfluxDB-Tables.

1. SPPMon for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus - The main dashboard of SPPMon. It spans over 14 days and offers a compact overview of the heartbeat of the server. Other desired information is displayed below in its area while also providing alerts to notify on issues via Slack or Mail.\ Each SPP-Server has its own imported version of this dashboard.
2. Multiple Server Overview - The second most important dashboard of SPPMon. It displays the compact overview of any monitored server in a single dashboard, allowing the user to get a quick overview of the state of any server during a cup of coffee. It allows to quickly jump into each selected server via links to the individual dashboards.\ You may select either all or individual servers to be displayed.
3. SPPMon Long Term View (90 Days / Infinite) - The long-term view of SPPMon. It allows to detect trends within the monitored data and to take countermeasures. It allows an easy switch between the individual servers via a drop-down menu and supports two time periods: Either the last 90 Days are displayed with a 6-hour granularity or the lifetime data, aggregated over a week's worth of data.

If you want to request a panel to be added to the default dashboards, please open a pull request and explain your changes. We also have a folder with example customized dashboards. You may add your dashboard there via a pull request.

Example overview with a 1920 x 1080 resolution:

Connect to the previously installed Grafana instance

WARNING: Please make sure to run at least once the sppmon.py --all argument before importing the dashboard.

By default, Grafana has only one user, the admin with the template password admin. This password needs to be changed on the first login. You may access Grafana via http://SPPMON.HOSTNAME.com:3000 if no SSL is enabled. Use https://SPPMON.HOSTNAME.com:3000 for instances with SSL.

Create a new data source

Each SPP-Server has its own database within the InfluxDB instance. It is required to add each database one by one to Grafana. This is done via data sources.
Please repeat the following steps for each server monitored.

Note: In most cases, only one SPP-Server is monitored. Then it is only required to add one data source.

Each monitored server also requires its config file and needs to be added to the crontab setup

1. Go into the data sources menu
2. Press the Add data source button at the top right
3. Add an InfluxDB data source
4. Fill out the data source information exactly as described. Be aware it is case-sensitive.
   • Name - exactly the same as the InfluxDB-dbName written in the config file for this server.
     This name is used for templating within the dashboards afterward.

     Note: Be aware spaces and - are purged if using the install script, changing SPP-Server-1 to SPPServer1. If unsure, please review the config file and copy-paste.

   • Query Language - Keep InfluxQL selected from the drop-down menu.
   • URL - Address of the system the InfluxDB is running on. Examples:
     • No SSL enabled: http://INFLUXDB.HOSTNAME.com:8086
     • With SSL enabled: https://INFLUXDB.HOSTNAME.com:8086
   • Auth-ticks - Disable everything but Skip TSL-Verify if using unsafe SSL.
   • Database - Same as Name from above, the InfluxDB-dbName written in the [config file] (Creating-a-sppmon.conf-file) for this server.

     Note: Be aware spaces and - are purged if using the install script, changing SPP-Server-1 to SPPServer1. If unsure, please review the config file and copy-paste.

   • User - GrafanaReader
   • Password - Specified GrafanaReader password during setup of the InfluxDB (reset via changing passwords)
   • HTTP-Method - Select GET
5. Press Save & Test.\ On an error:
   • InfluxDB Error: Bad Request
     • Please verify if you use the right https:// / http:// variant.
     • Please check the spelling of GrafanaReader and his password.
   • InfluxDB Error: Bad Gateway
     • Please verify ticking the Skip TSL Verify if using SSL.
     • Please check your URL for typos and the correct :8086 port.
   • InfluxDB Error: error authorizing query: GrafanaReader not authorized to execute statement 'SHOW RETENTION POLICIES ON myServerMain', requires READ on myServerMain
     • Please execute SPPMon.py with --all arguments
     • Check for the database and data source name to match the name within the .config file.

       Note: Be aware spaces and - are purged if using the install script, changing SPP-Server-1 to SPPServer1. If unsure, please review the config file and copy-paste.

Import a dashboard

The template dashboards are stored within the spectrum-protect-sppmon/Grafana folder. It is recommended to import both the multiple server overview and long term view dashboard only once, while each monitored server requires its own SPPMon for IBM Spectrum Protect Plus dashboard.

WARNING: Importing the main dashboard for a server will overwrite existing dashboards for the same server without warnings. Rename the dashboard name and unique identifier - without breaking the variables - to keep any manual changes after importing.

1. Please press on the upload JSON file button and select the wanted dashboard within your file system
2. The page now changes, displaying name, folder, and unique identifier (UID). Please do not change any variables (${DS_DATASOURCE}) if present.
   • If importing the main dashboard for an SPP-Server, you need to select a data source. Please select via the drop-down the correct InfluxDB-Database name to import.

   This field is not available if importing the 90-Day or multiple-server overview!

3. After importing, it is required to hit the save-icon in the top right corner.

When importing the Multiple Overview Dashboard please change the variable from default to all.
The default variable does not work here but is required for importing.

Troubleshooting

1. Red-corners when viewing the dashboard with datasource not found or no data:
   • Make sure your data source name is identical to the database name imported.
   • Execute SPPMon at least once with --all argument and wait 1 minute for the data to show.
   • Go into the data sources tab and hit save & test, check for errors.
2. Multiple Dashboards Overview:
   • one Row says datasource not found:
     • Execute the same steps as for issue #1.
     • Only databases from a single InfluxDB instance may be displayed simultaneously. Make sure the default-data source has the same URL as the ones to display.
3. The Dashboards are there, and no errors are shown, but the content of the panel does not render:
   This happens if you rename a data source. It is required to delete the 14-days-dashboard and re-import it.