Babl/Grafana WebModule: Update dashboards/graphs/configurations

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This document explains on how to update the current web-module babl/grafana internal configuration and database data. Module information/web-content can be found here:

• https://babl.sh/babl/grafana
• https://grafana.babl.bablusercontent.com/

Grafana current setup requires to embed 2 files into the docker container babl web-module, '/etc/grafana/grafana.ini' for the service configuration settings and an sqlite database file '/var/lib/grafana/grafana.db' to store all the dasboard, graphs, users credentials, api tokens, application configuration data.

Grafana.ini

Changing the service configuration data can be done in 2 different ways:

1. by updating the repository file, re-building docker container and re-publish the module:

    > git clone git@git.babl.sh:babl/grafana babl_grafana
    > cd babl_grafana
    # edit the grafana.ini file and save changes
    > nano grafana_ini/grafana.ini
    > git add .
    > git commit -m "Updating grafana.ini default service settings"
    > babl-build build
    > git push origin master
    # new module will be automatically re-published
   

2. by overriding the values by using environment variables: http://docs.grafana.org/installation/configuration/

    export GF_SERVER_HTTP_PORT=8080
   

   For example, grafana service is set to run on a default port 3000 (can be adjusted to other value in the grafana.ini file, server.http_port=8080), but for babl current setup this value requires to be adjusted externally via $PORT env. variable. This would also require to re-publish the new docker container with the required changes:

    > git clone git@git.babl.sh:babl/grafana babl_grafana
    > cd babl_grafana
    # edit the Dockerfile file, add the following command and save changes:
    ## CMD ["GF_SERVER_HTTP_PORT=$PORT /run.sh"]
    > nano Dockerfile
    > git add .
    > git commit -m "Updating Dockerfile: set env. var GF_SERVER_HTTP_PORT with $PORT value"
    > babl-build build
    > git push origin master
    # new module will be automatically re-published
   

Grafana.db

Updating the sqlite database will require additional work, a local grafana instance should be running (and pointing to this respository database) so that all new configurations are reflected on that database. Once the babl/grafana docker container is re-build it will include that database and all the new configurations.

1. Clone the babl/grafana module

    > cd ~
    > git clone git@git.babl.sh:babl/grafana babl_grafana
    # Enter the [BABL_GRAFANA_REPO]
    > cd babl_grafana
   

2. Install grafana locally:

   • Linux installation: http://docs.grafana.org/installation/debian/

   • Mac OS X - building from source: http://docs.grafana.org/project/building_from_source/

   • Running from a Docker container: http://docs.grafana.org/installation/docker/

     NOTE: The Docker container exposes two volumes, make sure to adjust the volumes to point to the required babl/grafana repository files ([BABL_GRAFANA_REPO]/grafana_db, [BABL_GRAFANA_REPO]/grafana_ini).

3. Run grafana with the required babl/grafana database path ([BABL_GRAFANA_REPO]/grafana_db) :

    // Scenario: Mac OS X - building from source
    > cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/grafana/grafana/
   
    # env. variable to contain the full path of the database ([BABL_GRAFANA_REPO]/grafana_db)
    > export GF_PATHS_DATA=/Users/nelson/babl_grafana/grafana_db
   
    > ./bin/grafana-server web
   

   Make the new configurations, adjust dashboards, graphs, etc. Exit from './bin/grafana-server'.

4. Re-publish the babl/grafana module:

    > cd ~
    # Enter the [BABL_GRAFANA_REPO]
    > cd babl_grafana
    > git add .
    > git commit -m "Updating grafana.db database data"
    > babl-build build
    > git push origin master
    # new module will be automatically re-published
   

   Confirm that your database updates were depolyed with the re-published module here: https://grafana.babl.bablusercontent.com/