Unleash the power of openstack: how to install gnocchi for cloud monitoring

Gnocchi, an open-source monitoring service, empowers users to collect, store, and analyze time-series metrics in OpenStack environments. This guide will provide a step-by-step walkthrough of the installation process, ensuring seamless integration with your OpenStack deployment.

Prerequisites

Before embarking on the installation, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

• OpenStack environment with Keystone, Glance, Nova, Cinder, and Neutron
• Python 3.6 or later
• pip installed
• MySQL or PostgreSQL database
• MongoDB database (optional)

Installation Procedure

1. Install Gnocchi Packages

“`bash
pip install gnocchi
“`

2. Create the Gnocchi Database

For MySQL:

“`bash
mysql -u root -p
CREATE DATABASE gnocchi;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON gnocchi.* TO ‘gnocchi’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘password’;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
“`

For PostgreSQL:

“`bash
psql -U postgres
CREATE DATABASE gnocchi;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE gnocchi TO gnocchi;
ALTER ROLE gnocchi SET password TO ‘password’;
“`

3. Configure Gnocchi

Edit the `/etc/gnocchi/gnocchi.conf` file and make the following changes:

“`ini
[database]
connection = mysql+pymysql://gnocchi:password@localhost/gnocchi
“`

4. Start Gnocchi Services

“`bash
systemctl start gnocchi-api
systemctl start gnocchi-metricd
“`

5. Configure Keystone

Create a Gnocchi service and endpoint:

“`bash
openstack service create –name gnocchi –description “Gnocchi Metrics Service” metric
openstack endpoint create —region RegionOne metric public http://controller:8041
openstack endpoint create —region RegionOne metric internal http://controller:8041
openstack endpoint create —region RegionOne metric admin http://controller:8041
“`

6. Configure Ceilometer

Edit the `/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf` file and make the following changes:

“`ini
[DEFAULT]
metering_secret = gnocchi
“`

7. Restart Ceilometer

“`bash
systemctl restart ceilometer-agent-central
“`

Monitoring Gnocchi

To monitor the health of Gnocchi services, use the following commands:

“`bash
systemctl status gnocchi-api
systemctl status gnocchi-metricd
“`

Metrics Collection

Gnocchi collects metrics from various sources, including:

• OpenStack services (e.g., Nova, Glance)
• Ceilometer agents
• Custom plugins

Metric Storage

Gnocchi stores metrics in a time-series database, which can be either MySQL or PostgreSQL. MongoDB can be used as an optional cache.

Data Analysis

Gnocchi provides a command-line interface (CLI) and a REST API for querying and analyzing metrics. The CLI commands include:

• `gnocchi metric list`: List available metrics
• `gnocchi metric get`: Get a specific metric
• `gnocchi aggregation`: Perform aggregation operations on metrics

Metrics Dashboard

The Gnocchi dashboard provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for visualizing and analyzing metrics. It can be accessed at `http://controller:8041/dashboard`.

Advanced Configuration

For advanced configuration options, refer to the official Gnocchi documentation: https://docs.openstack.org/gnocchi/latest/

Wrapping Up

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Gnocchi in your OpenStack environment. This powerful monitoring service will provide you with invaluable insights into the performance and health of your cloud infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the benefits of using Gnocchi?

A: Gnocchi provides centralized metric collection, storage, and analysis, enabling comprehensive monitoring of OpenStack environments.

Q: Can I use Gnocchi with other cloud platforms?

A: Yes, Gnocchi can be used with other cloud platforms, such as AWS and Azure, through the use of adapters.

Q: How do I troubleshoot Gnocchi issues?

A: Check the log files (`/var/log/gnocchi/`) and use the `gnocchi-debug` command for detailed troubleshooting information.