Grafana 1.7.0-rc1 Released!

Grafana 1.7.0-rc1 has been released, featuring a range of new capabilities and architectural changes that pave the way for future enhancements. Key updates include the ability to use InfluxDB for dashboard storage and as a data source for annotations, as well as improvements in series aliasing. Additionally, Elasticsearch can now serve as an annotation data source, and new graph legend options such as aligning legends as a table or on the right side have been introduced. The documentation has been extensively improved, including a new Getting Started guide and a Troubleshooting guide. The release also includes various small improvements and fixes. Torkel Ödegaard, who is now working on Grafana full-time without sponsorship, is considering different funding models, including sponsorship or developing a paid premium version, to support ongoing development and maintenance. He is also open to speaking engagements about Grafana and related topics, despite potential travel challenges from his base in Stockholm, Sweden.