Task 01:

In the sidebar, hover your cursor over the Create (plus sign) icon and click Dashboard.
Click Add a new panel.
In the Query editor below the graph, enter the query from earlier and then press Shift + Enter:

sum(rate(tns_request_duration_seconds_count[5m])) by(route)

In the Legend field, enter {{route}} to rename the time series in the legend. The graph legend updates when you click outside the field.
In the Panel editor on the right, under Settings, change the panel title to “Traffic”.
Click Apply in the top-right corner to save the panel and return to the dashboard view.
Click the Save dashboard (disk) icon at the top of the dashboard to save your dashboard.
Enter a name in the Dashboard name field and then click Save.

Here’s a clear breakdown of Task 01 to guide you through building your first Grafana dashboard panel using the provided query:

✅ Task 01: Create a Traffic Panel in Grafana

1. Create a New Dashboard

On the left sidebar, hover over the Create icon (➕).
Click Dashboard.

2. Add a New Panel

Click Add a new panel in the center.

3. Enter the Query

In the Query editor (below the graph area):

Paste this query:

  sum(rate(tns_request_duration_seconds_count[5m])) by(route)

Press Shift + Enter to run the query.

4. Customize the Legend

In the Legend field (below the query), enter:
```
  {{route}}
```
Click outside the field to update the graph legend.

5. Change Panel Title

On the right, in the Panel editor > Settings section:
- Change the Panel title to:
```
  Traffic
```

6. Apply Changes

Click Apply (top-right corner) to save the panel and return to the dashboard view.

7. Save the Dashboard

Click the Save dashboard icon (💾) at the top of the screen.
In the Dashboard name field, enter a name like:
```
  Web Traffic Dashboard
```
Click Save.

Alerting

What is Alerting?

Alerting is the process of continuously monitoring data from systems, services, or applications and generating notifications when certain predefined conditions or thresholds are met.

In the context of monitoring tools like Grafana, alerting helps identify issues such as high traffic, increased error rates, or resource exhaustion. It ensures that problems are detected early so that action can be taken promptly.

Key Components of Alerting:

Alert Rule: Defines what condition should trigger an alert.
- Example: If CPU usage is above 90% for 5 minutes.
Condition: The specific logic that evaluates whether the threshold is breached.
Evaluation Interval: How often the system checks the condition.
Notification Channel (Contact Point): Where the alert is sent (e.g., email, Slack, webhook).
Alert State: Indicates whether the condition is active (firing), resolved, or pending.

Task-02

Setup Grafana cloud
Setup sample alerting

1. Set up Grafana Cloud

A. Create a Grafana Cloud Account

Go to: https://grafana.com/signup
Sign up using your email, GitHub, or Google account.
Choose the Grafana Cloud Free plan.

B. Create Your Stack

After signing in, click "Create Stack".
Choose:
- Stack name: (e.g., vanshika-devops)
- Region: Choose the nearest to you.
Click "Create Stack"

C. Access Grafana

From your dashboard, click "Launch Grafana."
You’ll be taken to your Grafana Cloud instance (e.g., https://your-stack.grafana.net)

2. Set Up a Sample Alert

We’ll simulate a basic alert using Grafana’s built-in metrics (or with Prometheus if you connect it).

A. Go to Alerting Section

In the left menu, click "Alerting" > "Alert rules."
Click "New alert rule."

B. Define the Alert Rule

Choose a data source. If no source is added, add Grafana TestData DB for demo purposes:
- Go to Connections > Data sources
- Add TestData DB
- Return to alert creation

C. Configure the Query

Query A:
- Choose TestData DB
- Select scenario: Random walk
Set Condition: When avg() of query A is above 50
Set Evaluation interval: Every 1 minute

D. Add Summary & Labels

Summary: Demo Alert: Random walk is too high
Labels: severity=low, team=devops

E. Add a Contact Point

Go to Alerting > Contact points
Click New contact point
Choose method: Email, Slack, Webhook, etc.
Enter destination details and save

F. Link Contact Point to Alert Rule

Go to Alerting > Notification policies
Add a policy that matches your labels (e.g., severity=low)
Select the contact point you created

G. Save the Alert Rule

Back in the alert rule editor, click Save rule

Final Step: Test the Alert

Temporarily lower the threshold to ensure the alert triggers.
Check your email or Slack to see if you receive a notification.

Grafana Cloud

Task - 03

Set up alerts for EC2 instances.
Set up alerts for AWS Billing Alerts.

Part 1: Set up Alerts for EC2 Instances

A. Connect AWS CloudWatch to Grafana Cloud

In Grafana Cloud:
- Go to Connections > Data Sources
- Click "Add data source."
- Choose CloudWatch
Enter AWS credentials:
- Choose Access & secret key or IAM role (via AWS plugin).
- Provide:
  - Access Key ID
  - Secret Access Key
  - Region (e.g., us-east-1)
- Click Save & Test

For secure and production-ready use, prefer IAM roles or use AWS CloudWatch integration in Grafana Cloud's AWS plugin.

B. Create an Alert Rule for EC2

Go to Alerting > Alert Rules
Click New alert rule
Select CloudWatch as data source
Build query:
- Namespace: AWS/EC2
- Metric Name: CPUUtilization
- Statistics: Average
- Dimensions: Choose your instance ID
Set condition:
- WHEN avg() of query A IS ABOVE 80 for 5 minutes
Add summary:
- High CPU usage on EC2 instance {{instance_id}}
Save and attach a notification policy/contact point.

Part 2: Set up Alerts for AWS Billing

AWS Billing metrics are only available in the us-east-1 region. Ensure CloudWatch billing alerts are enabled in AWS first.

A. Enable Billing Metrics in AWS

Go to AWS Console > CloudWatch
In the left sidebar, click Billing
Click Enable billing metrics (if not already enabled)

B. Create an Alert Rule for Billing in Grafana

In Grafana Cloud, go to Alerting > Alert rules
Click New alert rule
Select CloudWatch as the data source
Build the query:
- Namespace: AWS/Billing
- Metric Name: EstimatedCharges
- Dimensions:
  - Currency = USD
  - (Optional) ServiceName = AmazonEC2
Set condition:
- WHEN avg() of query A IS ABOVE 10
Summary:
- Billing alert: AWS charges have exceeded $10
Save and assign to a contact point (e.g., email or Slack)

Build a Grafana dashboard

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