June 2018 Summaries

TimeShift Issue 51 highlights the release of Grafana v5.2.1, featuring new enhancements such as Elasticsearch alerting, native builds for ARM, improved Docker image support, and security improvements. The issue also includes numerous articles on topics like Bloomberg's telemetry evolution, tips for becoming a Grafana/Graphite power user, and monitoring solutions for Kubernetes and HiveMQ using Prometheus and Grafana. In addition, it introduces new and updated Grafana plugins, including the SVG Panel and Traffic Lights Panel, along with updates to the Worldmap Panel and Prometheus Alert Manager Data Source. The newsletter also promotes job openings at Grafana Labs and shares details of upcoming events, such as TimeSeries Boston, PromCon 2018, Sensu Summit 2018, and CloudNative London 2018, where experts will discuss monitoring and visualization techniques using Grafana and Prometheus.

Bloomberg's journey to develop a robust telemetry system was marked by the initial challenges of disparate and overlapping monitoring efforts, which lacked a cohesive global data view and resulted in inefficient systems. Initially, developers were responsible for creating monitoring solutions for their applications, leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies. To address these issues, Bloomberg embraced open-source software to build a centralized and flexible monitoring and alarming service. The initial solution involved a homegrown StatsD agent, but scaling challenges led them to explore other options, such as Metrictank, which provided significant improvements in handling high cardinality data and processing complex queries efficiently. The transition to Metrictank allowed Bloomberg to enhance their monitoring capabilities while making the system more user-friendly and scalable, demonstrating the importance of adaptability, networking, and the willingness to evolve systems based on feedback and technological advancements.

Grafana v5.2 introduces significant updates, including the much-anticipated Elasticsearch alerting and native builds for ARM, addressing key community requests. This release enhances security by prompting users to change the default administrator password and improves the Docker image with support for Docker secrets, allowing sensitive configuration data to be securely managed. Prometheus support is refined with alignment enhancements for consistent query results, while InfluxDB gains a new mode function. Grafana now includes an alert notification channel for Discord and introduces improvements in dashboard management, such as enhanced import functionality and clearer options for saving time ranges and variables. The release is a result of collaboration with the community, emphasizing gratitude for their contributions, and offers improved cross-platform support through an updated build pipeline.

TimeShift celebrated its first anniversary with the release of Grafana v5.2.0-beta3, which introduced several new features and improvements, including a focus on security, user management, and UI enhancements. The new release addresses issues such as API key security, panel title wrapping, and mobile notifications for Microsoft Teams. Additionally, several plugins received updates, including the introduction of a new radar graph panel using the Chart.JS library, and enhancements to existing plugins like SimpleJson and Boom Table Panel. The newsletter also highlighted talks and events, such as those at Zabbix Moscow Meetup and TimeSeries Boston, where experts discussed the integration of Grafana with other tools and how to enhance monitoring capabilities. Grafana Labs is hiring and actively sponsoring events like PromCon 2018 and the Sensu Summit, emphasizing the company's commitment to the open-source community and industry engagement.

Natel Energy, a company specializing in hydropower turbines, utilizes Grafana to optimize the operation and control of its power plants, as highlighted by developer Ryan McKinley at GrafanaCon EU. McKinley described how Grafana's tools have transformed the company's industrial control systems from cumbersome, chart-heavy interfaces to more efficient, user-friendly dashboards. By integrating Visual Basic with Influx and Grafana, Natel improved data visualization and accessibility, replacing complex SQL database processes with simpler, effective solutions. This innovation extended to a new plant in Freedom Falls, Maine, where an upgraded control system enabled remote monitoring and diagnostics, accommodating both expert and novice operators. Grafana's flexible plugin infrastructure allowed for customization tailored to Natel's evolving needs and has led to contributions back to the open-source community. One notable feature is the company's license tracking graph, which integrates with Slack to notify team members about software license availability, showcasing Grafana's versatility in various applications across Natel.

TimeShift Issue 49 covers recent updates and events related to Grafana, including the latest Grafana 5.2.0-beta1 release that offers new features such as Elasticsearch alerting, improved Docker image, and Discord alert notifications. The issue highlights videos from Monitorama PDX 2018, guidance on developing Grafana plugins, and insights into monitoring microservices with Prometheus and Grafana. It also details how to visualize NetApp HCI performance using a customizable Grafana setup and offers a walkthrough for installing Prometheus and Grafana on Scaleway. Updates to the Pie Chart Panel plugin are noted, as well as opportunities for employment at Grafana Labs. The newsletter mentions upcoming events like TimeSeries Boston, PromCon 2018 in Munich, and Sensu Summit in Portland, promoting community involvement and knowledge exchange on monitoring technologies. A featured tweet showcases the effectiveness of using Grafana's Heatmap Panel for data visualization.

TimeShift's Issue 48 highlights Grafana's participation in the Monitorama conference in Portland, where they engaged with a community of data and monitoring enthusiasts. During the week, Grafana released version 5.2.0-beta1, featuring enhancements like Elasticsearch alerting and improvements for ARM and Mac platforms, Docker images, Prometheus, and Discord alert notifications. The issue also discusses reactions to Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub, with GitLab observing an initial spike in project migrations, and provides links to various blog posts related to Grafana and Prometheus installation and configuration. Additionally, it introduces new and updated plugins, including the Status Group By Panel and updates to the Breadcrumbs Panel, KairosDB Data Source, and Clickhouse Data Source. Grafana is hiring for positions in New York, Stockholm, and remotely, and they are sponsoring and attending events such as InfluxDays London 2018 and the Sensu Summit in Portland. The issue concludes with a call for feedback and engagement with the Grafana community through social media and their forum.

TimeShift's 47th issue, authored by Trent White, explores a variety of topics ranging from general monitoring principles to home automation and CERN's use of open-source projects in particle acceleration work. It highlights Grafana's latest release, version 5.1.3, which addresses a Firefox-specific scrolling issue and introduces improvements in visualizing data from disparate sources on a single dashboard. The issue features several articles, including a presentation on monitoring with Azure and Grafana, CERN's advocacy for open-source software, and techniques for building home automation systems using Grafana. It also discusses the integration of alerting capabilities in Grafana and showcases Google’s open-source project Cloudprober for black-box monitoring. Additionally, the issue promotes various upcoming events and conferences, including Monitorama PDX and InfluxDays London, while inviting interested individuals to explore job opportunities at Grafana Labs.