Getting Started - How to view your Infrastructure Metrics with Grafana

Before viewing your infrastructure metrics in Grafana, you may want to configure a data source if you haven't already.

From your Logit.io dashboard choose the Launch Metrics button in the top right of the screen, or choose Launch under the Infrastructure Metrics heading for your stack.

This will launch the Grafana viewer for your stack shown below.

First, we will take a look at the Ad-hoc Explore feature in Grafana allows you to interactively query and visualize your metrics data without the need to create a formal dashboard. It's a powerful tool for exploring your data, debugging issues and conducting ad-hoc analysis. Here's how to use it:

Accessing Ad-hoc Explore

Log in to your Grafana instance.

In the left sidebar, click on "Explore."

Select a Data Source

At the top of the Explore page, select the data source you want to query from the drop-down menu. You should have previously configured data sources in Grafana.

Choosing a Time Range

Set the time range for your query by selecting a predefined range or specifying a custom time range. You can adjust the time range using the calendar and clock icons in the top-right corner.

Query Builder

The Query Builder section allows you to construct your query.

Start by selecting a metric or measurement from the drop-down list. Depending on your data source, you may see different metrics and measurement options. In the example, we have chosen to select the cpu_usage_idle metric.

You can then add tags or labels to filter the data further. Tags help you narrow down your query to specific instances, services, or dimensions.

Once you have selected the metrics and labels required, choose Run Query in the top right corner.

Visualization Options

Choose the visualization type for your query results. Grafana supports various visualization options, including line graphs, bar charts, tables, and more.

You can customize visualization settings, such as colours, legends, and axes, to better understand your data.

Query Manipulation

Grafana allows you to manipulate your query further by adding additional conditions, aggregations, or transformations. You can do this directly within the query builder.

Save and Share

If you want to save the query for later use or share it with colleagues, you can do so by clicking the "Add to dashboard" button. This allows you to save the query as a dashboard panel or as part of an existing dashboard. You can then choose the share icon to see a range of options and ways to collaborate on the data.

Annotations

You can add annotations to your query results to highlight specific events or conditions in your data. Annotations can be helpful for correlating data with external events or incidents.

Inspecting Data

You can hover over data points on charts to see specific values and timestamps. This is useful for examining data in more detail.

Overall, the Ad-hoc Explore feature in Grafana provides a flexible and interactive way to query and visualize your metrics data on the fly, making it a valuable tool for troubleshooting, monitoring, and gaining insights into your infrastructure metrics.