Docker and Loki Integration

Input and output integration overview

The Docker input plugin allows you to collect metrics from your Docker containers using the Docker Engine API, facilitating enhanced visibility and monitoring of containerized applications.

The Loki plugin allows users to send logs to Loki for aggregation and querying, leveraging Loki’s efficient storage capabilities.

Integration details

Docker

The Docker input plugin for Telegraf gathers valuable metrics from the Docker Engine API, providing insights into running containers. This plugin utilizes the Official Docker Client to interface with the Engine API, allowing users to monitor various container states, resource allocations, and performance metrics. With options for filtering containers by names and states, along with customizable tags and labels, this plugin supports flexibility in monitoring containerized applications in diverse environments, whether on local systems or within orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Additionally, it addresses security considerations by requiring permissions for accessing Docker’s daemon and emphasizes proper configuration when deploying within containerized environments.

Loki

This Loki plugin integrates with Grafana Loki, a powerful log aggregation system. By sending logs in a format compatible with Loki, this plugin allows for efficient storage and querying of logs. Each log entry is structured in a key-value format where keys represent the field names and values represent the corresponding log information. The sorting of logs by timestamp ensures that the log streams maintain chronological order when queried through Loki. This plugin’s support for secrets makes it easier to manage authentication parameters securely, while options for HTTP headers, gzip encoding, and TLS configuration enhance the adaptability and security of log transmission, fitting various deployment needs.

Configuration

Docker

[[inputs.docker]]
  ## Docker Endpoint
  ##   To use TCP, set endpoint = "tcp://[ip]:[port]"
  ##   To use environment variables (ie, docker-machine), set endpoint = "ENV"
  endpoint = "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"

  ## Set to true to collect Swarm metrics(desired_replicas, running_replicas)
  ## Note: configure this in one of the manager nodes in a Swarm cluster.
  ## configuring in multiple Swarm managers results in duplication of metrics.
  gather_services = false

  ## Only collect metrics for these containers. Values will be appended to
  ## container_name_include.
  ## Deprecated (1.4.0), use container_name_include
  container_names = []

  ## Set the source tag for the metrics to the container ID hostname, eg first 12 chars
  source_tag = false

  ## Containers to include and exclude. Collect all if empty. Globs accepted.
  container_name_include = []
  container_name_exclude = []

  ## Container states to include and exclude. Globs accepted.
  ## When empty only containers in the "running" state will be captured.
  # container_state_include = []
  # container_state_exclude = []

  ## Objects to include for disk usage query
  ## Allowed values are "container", "image", "volume" 
  ## When empty disk usage is excluded
  storage_objects = []

  ## Timeout for docker list, info, and stats commands
  timeout = "5s"

  ## Whether to report for each container per-device blkio (8:0, 8:1...),
  ## network (eth0, eth1, ...) and cpu (cpu0, cpu1, ...) stats or not.
  ## Usage of this setting is discouraged since it will be deprecated in favor of 'perdevice_include'.
  ## Default value is 'true' for backwards compatibility, please set it to 'false' so that 'perdevice_include' setting
  ## is honored.
  perdevice = true

  ## Specifies for which classes a per-device metric should be issued
  ## Possible values are 'cpu' (cpu0, cpu1, ...), 'blkio' (8:0, 8:1, ...) and 'network' (eth0, eth1, ...)
  ## Please note that this setting has no effect if 'perdevice' is set to 'true'
  # perdevice_include = ["cpu"]

  ## Whether to report for each container total blkio and network stats or not.
  ## Usage of this setting is discouraged since it will be deprecated in favor of 'total_include'.
  ## Default value is 'false' for backwards compatibility, please set it to 'true' so that 'total_include' setting
  ## is honored.
  total = false

  ## Specifies for which classes a total metric should be issued. Total is an aggregated of the 'perdevice' values.
  ## Possible values are 'cpu', 'blkio' and 'network'
  ## Total 'cpu' is reported directly by Docker daemon, and 'network' and 'blkio' totals are aggregated by this plugin.
  ## Please note that this setting has no effect if 'total' is set to 'false'
  # total_include = ["cpu", "blkio", "network"]

  ## docker labels to include and exclude as tags.  Globs accepted.
  ## Note that an empty array for both will include all labels as tags
  docker_label_include = []
  docker_label_exclude = []

  ## Which environment variables should we use as a tag
  tag_env = ["JAVA_HOME", "HEAP_SIZE"]

  ## Optional TLS Config
  # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
  # tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
  # tls_key = "/etc/telegraf/key.pem"
  ## Use TLS but skip chain & host verification
  # insecure_skip_verify = false

Loki

[[outputs.loki]]
  ## The domain of Loki
  domain = "https://loki.domain.tld"

  ## Endpoint to write api
  # endpoint = "/loki/api/v1/push"

  ## Connection timeout, defaults to "5s" if not set.
  # timeout = "5s"

  ## Basic auth credential
  # username = "loki"
  # password = "pass"

  ## Additional HTTP headers
  # http_headers = {"X-Scope-OrgID" = "1"}

  ## If the request must be gzip encoded
  # gzip_request = false

  ## Optional TLS Config
  # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
  # tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
  # tls_key = "/etc/telegraf/key.pem"

  ## Sanitize Tag Names
  ## If true, all tag names will have invalid characters replaced with
  ## underscores that do not match the regex: ^[a-zA-Z_:][a-zA-Z0-9_:]*.
  # sanitize_label_names = false

  ## Metric Name Label
  ## Label to use for the metric name to when sending metrics. If set to an
  ## empty string, this will not add the label. This is NOT suggested as there
  ## is no way to differentiate between multiple metrics.
  # metric_name_label = "__name"

Input and output integration examples

Docker

1. Monitoring the Performance of Containerized Applications: Use the Docker input plugin in order to track the CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network activity of applications running in Docker containers. By collecting these metrics, DevOps teams can proactively manage resource allocation, troubleshoot performance bottlenecks, and ensure optimal application performance across different environments.

2. Integrating with Kubernetes: Leverage this plugin to gather metrics from Docker containers orchestrated by Kubernetes. By filtering out unnecessary Kubernetes labels and focusing on key metrics, teams can streamline their monitoring solutions and create dashboards that provide insights into the overall health of microservices running within the Kubernetes cluster.

3. Capacity Planning and Resource Optimization: Use the metrics collected by the Docker input plugin to perform capacity planning for Docker deployments. Analyzing usage patterns helps identify underutilized resources and over-provisioned containers, guiding decisions on scaling up or down based on actual usage trends.

4. Automated Alerting for Container Anomalies: Set up alerting rules based on the metrics collected through the Docker plugin to notify teams of unusual spikes in resource usage or service disruptions. This proactive monitoring approach helps maintain service reliability and optimize the performance of containerized applications.

Loki

1. Centralized Logging for Microservices: Utilize the Loki plugin to gather logs from multiple microservices running in a Kubernetes cluster. By directing logs to a centralized Loki instance, developers can monitor, search, and analyze logs from all services in one place, facilitating easier troubleshooting and performance monitoring. This setup streamlines operations and supports rapid response to issues across distributed applications.

2. Real-Time Log Anomaly Detection: Combine Loki with monitoring tools to analyze log outputs in real-time for unusual patterns that could indicate system errors or security threats. Implementing anomaly detection on log streams enables teams to proactively identify and respond to incidents, thereby improving system reliability and enhancing security postures.

3. Enhanced Log Processing with Gzip Compression: Configure the Loki plugin to utilize gzip compression for log transmission. This approach can reduce bandwidth usage and improve transmission speeds, especially beneficial in environments where network bandwidth may be a constraint. It’s particularly useful for high-volume logging applications where every byte counts and performance is critical.

4. Multi-Tenancy Support with Custom Headers: Leverage the ability to add custom HTTP headers to segregate logs from different tenants in a multi-tenant application environment. By using the Loki plugin to send different headers for each tenant, operators can ensure proper log management and compliance with data isolation requirements, making it a versatile solution for SaaS applications.

Feedback

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