Monitoring MySQL Metrics on Grafana via Prometheus

Table of Contents

1. Problem Statement

2. Solution Overview

3. Step-by-Step Implementation

   • 1. Install and Configure the MySQL Exporter

   • 2. Configure Prometheus to Scrape MySQL Metrics

   • 3. Import MySQL Dashboard into Grafana

4. Optional Enhancements

5. Conclusion

   
   

Problem Statement

The client wants to monitor MySQL metrics in Grafana using Prometheus. This requires collecting and visualizing metrics such as database health, query performance, and resource usage in real time.

Solution Overview

To achieve this, you need to:

1. Install and configure the MySQL Exporter, which acts as a bridge between Prometheus and the MySQL database.

2. Configure Prometheus to scrape metrics from the MySQL Exporter.

3. Import a pre-built MySQL dashboard into Grafana for visualization.

   
   

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Install and Configure the MySQL Exporter

Download and extract the exporter:

wget https://github.com/prometheus/mysqld_exporter/releases/latest/download/mysqld_exporter-<version>.linux-amd64.tar.gz tar -xvzf mysqld_exporter-<version>.linux-amd64.tar.gz cd mysqld_exporter-<version>.linux-amd64 sudo mv mysqld_exporter /usr/local/bin/

Create a Monitoring User in MySQL

• Log into MySQL as a root user:

mysql -u root -p

• Create a user with appropriate permissions:

CREATE USER 'exporter'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password'; GRANT PROCESS, REPLICATION CLIENT, SELECT ON . TO 'exporter'@'localhost'; FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Run MySQL Exporter

• Start the exporter with connection details:

mysqld_exporter --mysql.user=exporter --mysql.password=password

• Alternatively, create a .my.cnf file with credentials:

[client] user=exporter password=password

• Then run:

mysqld_exporter --config.my-cnf=/path/to/.my.cnf

2. Configure Prometheus to Scrape MySQL Metrics

• Edit the Prometheus configuration file (prometheus.yml):

scrape_configs: - job_name: 'mysql' static_configs: - targets: ['<exporter-host>:9104']

• Restart Prometheus to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart prometheus

3. Import MySQL Dashboard into Grafana

1. Log into Grafana.

2. Navigate to Dashboards > Import.

3. Enter the dashboard ID for a pre-built MySQL dashboard, e.g., 7362 (MySQL Overview).

4. Set the Prometheus data source.

5. Import and verify that the dashboard displays real-time MySQL metrics.

   
   

Optional Enhancements

• Configure Alerts in Grafana:Set up alerts for metrics like high query latency, high memory usage, or connection saturation.

• Secure MySQL Exporter:Use a .my.cnf file with restricted permissions to store credentials securely:

chmod 600 /path/to/.my.cnf

• Optimize Prometheus Queries:Reduce query overhead by configuring Prometheus rules for aggregating common metrics.

• Enable TLS Encryption:Secure the Prometheus and Grafana communication using SSL/TLS certificates.

Conclusion

By setting up the MySQL Exporter, configuring Prometheus to scrape metrics, and importing a pre-built Grafana dashboard, you can effectively monitor MySQL performance.

Optional enhancements further secure and optimize the setup for enterprise-grade reliability.

Would you like assistance with automating this process or creating custom dashboards?