HOWTO Install and Configure Glances + InfluxDB + Grafana

HOWTO Install and Configure Glances + InfluxDB + Grafana
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Screenshots

[ https://imgur.com/a/9O9jzxP ]
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1)	Install and Test Glances

	There are several methods to Install Glances on your system. Choose your weapon!

	GNU/Linux

		Glances is available on many Linux distributions, so you should be able to
		install it using your favorite package manager. Be aware that when you use
		this method the operating system package for Glances may not be the latest
		version.

	=== Valuable resources to guide you through the Glances Install ===

	* Glances PyPI Project :: https://pypi.org/project/Glances/
	* Glances Main Website :: https://nicolargo.github.io/glances/
	* Glances GitHub Repo  :: https://github.com/nicolargo/glances


	* * * I prefer to Install Glances using pip * * *

	$ pip install glances

	* * * Install Optional Features * * *

Optionally Install the following libraries in order to
use optional features (like the Web interface, exports modules...):

	$ pip install 'glances[action,browser,cloud,cpuinfo,docker,export,folders,gpu,graph,ip,raid,snmp,web,wifi]'

Done Installing Glances and optional libraries.

Test Glances:

Run glances locally from terminal:

	$ glances

Run glances in local web server mode:

	$ glances -w

Glances Web User Interface started on http://0.0.0.0:61208/

You can stop right here if glances worked as expected.

You can also read on and learn some more...

Usage

For the standalone mode, run:

	$ glances

For the Web server mode, run:

	$ glances -w

and enter the URL http://<ip>:61208 in your favorite web browser.

NOTE:	If you only plan on using Glances to monitor your local machine,
		from you local machine, on your local machine, like you would run
		conky, gkrellm, htop, top, or any sensor applet or gadget on your
		desktop on a single machine, you can *STOP RIGHT HERE*. =)

=== If you want to monitor multiple remote machines then follow the white rabbit... ===

Glances client/server mode:

Port 61209/tcp needs to be open on the glances-server.

ie:	The glances-server machine you run [ $ glances -s ] on.

NOTE:	If you have a firewall running on the glances-server
	you need to open port [ 61209/tcp ] on the glances-server.
	The glances-server is the machine you want to be remotely monitored.
	The glances-server is the machine you will run [ $ glances -s ]

For a very clear, simple example, I will define the server and the client here.

glances-server (Machine you want to remotely monitor)
glances-client (Machine that will monitor the remote Glances server machine)

On the glances-server, run...

	$ glances -s

HINT: Don't forget to open Port 61209 on the glances-server machine.

On the glances-client (Machine that will do the monitoring), run...

	$ glances -c <ip>

In other words: [ $ glances -c INSERT-glances-server-IP-HERE ]

If all went well, you are now monitoring glances-server from/on glances-client.

This concludes the Glances installation and basic usage testing.

Note:	glances.conf and systemd service /etc/systemd/system/glances.service

	A glances.conf is NOT NEEDED if you are only going to use glances
	on your local machine with no bells and whistles. In other words,
	if you are not going to use glances in conjunction with InfluxDB
	or Grafana, for example.

	You can even use glances in server/client mode to monitor remote
	machines, as explained in detail above, without any need for a glances.conf.
	Open port (61209/tcp) in the firewall on the glances-server if you plan
	on monitoring a remote machine in server/client mode.

	If you plan on using Grafana and InfluxDB for a full fledged
	System Monitoring solution there is a need for glances.conf as
	well as a systemd service for glances. ie: /etc/systemd/glances.service

	***  THIS SPACE RESERVED FOR FUTURE INFORMATION REGARDING ***
	***  glances.conf and SystemD -- /etc/systemd/glances.service

====== Everything Below Is Not Complete ---  More to come... ======
......

	Install Grafana

	Start Grafana Using systemd:

If you're Logging in to Grafana for the first time:

To run Grafana open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000/.
3000 is the default http port that Grafana listens to if you haven’t
configured a different port. -> [ http://docs.grafana.org/installation/configuration/#http-port ]
Then follow the instructions here. -> [ http://docs.grafana.org/guides/getting_started/ ]

Default username:	admin
Default password:	admin

When you log in for the first time you will be asked to change your password.

We strongly encourage you to follow Grafana’s best practices and change the
default administrator password. You can later go to user preferences and
change your user name.

Before you create your first dashboard you need to add your data source.

	How to add a data source in Grafana

I will use InfluxDB for a data source.

	How to install InfluxDB

Each major Linux Distribution should have a Influxdb package in the repos.

openSUSE InfluxDB Installation

	$ zypper install influxdb

	$ systemctl enable influxdb

	$ systemctl start influxdb

Configure InfluxDB In Glances

	https://glances.readthedocs.io/en/latest/gw/influxdb.html?highlight=influxdb

You can export statistics to an InfluxDB server (time series server).
The connection should be defined in the Glances configuration file as following:

Create /etc/glances.conf (or ~/.local/glances/glances.conf -- more on this later)
and insert the following text:

NOTE: DO NOT INCLUDE THE DOTS ...

...
[influxdb]
host=localhost
port=8086
user=root
password=root
db=glances
tags=foo:bar,spam:eggs
...

See this link for detailed information on Glances Configuration:

https://glances.readthedocs.io/en/latest/config.html