This is the basic ITU_MiniTwit application (Python 3 and SQLite) with added support for monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana as a Dashboard.

The application is Dockerized. To build the application and a client which simulates users clicking around the front page you have to:

• Build the application:

$ docker build -f docker/minitwit/Dockerfile -t <youruser>/minitwitserver .

• Build the test client:

$ docker build -f docker/minitwit_client/Dockerfile -t <youruser>/minitwitclient .

• Start the application:

$ docker compose up

Alternatively, you can build and run the application in one step:

$ docker compose up --build

To stop the application again run:

$ docker compose down -v

After starting the entire application, you can reach:

• ITU-MiniTwit at http://localhost:5000
• ITU-MiniTwit metrics for this node at http://localhost:5000/metrics
• The Prometheus web-client at http://localhost:9090
• Grafana at http://localhost:3000 (default login and password: admin)

Starting Grafana and Instantiating a Dashboard

Navigate your browser to http://localhost:3000 and login with the default credentials admin/admin. Remember later to change the password for your projects!

Now, do the following:

• Click Add your first data source

• Select the Prometheus data source
• Set the Name to a name that you deem suitable
• Under Connection set the Url to http://prometheus:9090
• Finally, scroll down to the bottom and press Save & test
• If there's a Successfully queried the Prometheus API. message, click on building a dashboard

Now, click Add visualization, select the Prometheus data source you just added

The default visualization type is a Time series. Change it to a Stat.

In the Metrics browser, find minitwit_http_responses_total and click Run queries

Click on Apply

This is a good point to save the dashboard using the diskette icon :)

Play a bit around with more visualizations. Try make a Time series that display the query rate(minitwit_http_responses_total[$__rate_interval])

Test what happens if you visit the minitwit server at http://localhost:5000/public and perform some actions.

Installing plugins

In case you need another panel type for example a clock and in case you are running Grafana via Docker follow the steps below.

• Navigate to https://grafana.com/plugins?type=panel
• Choose a panel of your liking, e.g., https://grafana.com/grafana/plugins/grafana-clock-panel/?tab=overview
• Copy the installation command, which has to be run on the Grafana server (machine)

$ docker exec -it itu-minitwit-monitoring-grafana-1 /bin/bash
root@9c17c8757ffb:/# grafana cli plugins install briangann-gauge-panel
✔ Downloaded and extracted briangann-gauge-panel v2.0.1 zip successfully to /var/lib/grafana/plugins/briangann-gauge-panel

Please restart Grafana after installing or removing plugins. Refer to Grafana documentation for instructions if necessary.

root@9c17c8757ffb:/# exit
exit
$ docker restart itu-minitwit-monitoring_grafana_1
itu-minitwit-monitoring_grafana_1

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This minitwit.py application was adapted to be monitored with Prometheus with the help of this blog post.

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Credits

• 2024: Leonora updated the scenario to a modern Prometheus and Grafana setup. Thanks a lot!