Grafana Installation & GLPI 11 Integration¶

1. Introduction¶

This documentation provides a complete and production-ready guide for installing Grafana on Ubuntu Server 24.04 and integrating it with GLPI 11. It includes the latest secure APT repository method for Ubuntu 24.04, MariaDB remote-access configuration, and best practices for building GLPI dashboards.

The guide is intended for IT Infrastructure and System Administrators who require:

• Predictable installation steps

• Clean APT key management

• Secure database access

• Repeatable configurations suitable for enterprise deployment

Each command includes a clear, technical explanation to support auditing and training purposes.

2. System Requirements¶

2.1 Hardware Requirements¶

Grafana performance is influenced by dashboard complexity, query load, and refresh intervals.

2.2 Software Requirements¶

• Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (Noble)

• GLPI 11.0.2 with MariaDB

• Grafana OSS Repository (stable)

• Browser access to port 3000/tcp

2.3 Network Requirements¶

Requirements:

• Grafana → GLPI DB on port 3306 must be reachable

• Firewalls must allow LAN traffic

• Hostnames or DNS must resolve correctly

3. Process¶

3.1 Server Preparation¶

3.1.1 Update System Packages¶

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Purpose

• Ensures latest security patches

• Prevents dependency conflicts before adding new repositories

• Aligns system packages with Ubuntu 24.04 stable release

3.1.2 Install Essential Utilities¶

sudo apt install -y wget curl gpg software-properties-common

Purpose

• wget / curl: required for downloading repository keys

• gpg: converts ASCII-armored keys into binary format (Ubuntu 24.04 requirement)

• software-properties-common: provides repository management tools

3.2 Configure Grafana APT Repository (Ubuntu 24.04)¶

Ubuntu 24.04 requires keyrings to be stored inside /etc/apt/keyrings/ for security. This method prevents the common NO_PUBKEY 963FA27710458545 error.

3.2.1 Remove Old or Invalid Grafana Keys¶

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grafana.list
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.gpg

Purpose

• Ensures no corrupted or outdated APT repositories remain

• Prevents APT signature validation errors

• Guarantees a clean install state

3.2.2 Create Keyring Directory¶

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings

Purpose

• Mandatory structure for Ubuntu 24.04’s keyring-based repository validation

• Keeps key isolation per-application

3.2.3 Import Grafana GPG Key¶

wget -q -O - https://apt.grafana.com/gpg.key \
  | gpg --dearmor \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.gpg > /dev/null

sudo chmod 644 /etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.gpg

Purpose

• Downloads the official signing key

• Converts to .gpg binary format because APT no longer accepts ASCII keys

• Places key in a secure and readable location

3.2.4 Add Stable Grafana Repository¶

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.gpg] https://apt.grafana.com stable main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grafana.list

Purpose

• Registers Grafana as a trusted repository

• Ensures APT validates packages using the imported key

3.2.5 Update Repository Index¶

sudo apt update

Purpose

• Loads metadata from Grafana’s repository

• Confirms signature validation with no errors

3.3 Install Grafana¶

sudo apt install -y grafana

Purpose

• Installs Grafana backend, frontend, plugins, and systemd service units

• Ensures packages come from the secure Grafana repository

3.4 Enable and Start Grafana¶

sudo systemctl enable --now grafana-server

Purpose

• Enables automatic startup during boot

• Starts Grafana service immediately

3.4.1 Verify Service Status¶

sudo systemctl status grafana-server

Expected:

• Service is active (running)

• Port 3000/tcp is listening

3.5 Access Grafana Web UI¶

URL:

http://192.168.20.9:3000

Default credentials:

Grafana will require setting a new password.

3.6 Prepare GLPI Database for Grafana Access¶

GLPI uses MariaDB in Ubuntu 24.04. Correct config file:

/etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf

3.6.1 Allow Remote Access in MariaDB¶

Edit config:

sudo nano /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf

Find:

bind-address = 127.0.0.1

Change to:

bind-address = 0.0.0.0

Purpose

• Enables MariaDB to accept remote connections

• Required for Grafana → GLPI DB connectivity

Restart MariaDB:

sudo systemctl restart mariadb

3.6.2 Verify MariaDB Listens on 0.0.0.0¶

sudo ss -tulpn | grep 3306

Expected:

LISTEN 0.0.0.0:3306

3.6.3 Create Read-Only MySQL User for Grafana¶

Login:

sudo mysql

Run:

CREATE USER 'grafana'@'192.168.20.9' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPassword123!';
GRANT SELECT ON glpi.* TO 'grafana'@'192.168.20.9';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Purpose

• Protects GLPI database from accidental modification

• Strict source restriction increases security

3.6.4 Firewall Rule (If UFW Enabled)¶

sudo ufw allow from 192.168.20.9 to any port 3306

3.6.5 Test Database Connectivity¶

From Grafana server:

mysql -h 192.168.20.8 -u grafana -p

Should authenticate successfully.

3.7 Add GLPI Database as a Grafana Data Source¶

In Grafana UI → Connections → MySQL → Add Data Source

Fill in:

Click Save & Test

Expected: Database Connection OK

3.8 Example Queries for GLPI Dashboards¶

3.8.1 Total Tickets by Status¶

SELECT status, COUNT(*) AS total
FROM glpi_tickets
GROUP BY status;

3.8.2 Tickets by Technician¶

SELECT CONCAT(u.firstname, ' ', u.realname) AS technician,
       COUNT(t.id) AS total
FROM glpi_tickets t
LEFT JOIN glpi_users u ON u.id = t.users_id_lastupdater
GROUP BY technician
ORDER BY total DESC;

3.8.3 Tickets by Category¶

SELECT c.name AS category,
       COUNT(t.id) AS total
FROM glpi_tickets t
LEFT JOIN glpi_itilcategories c ON t.itilcategories_id = c.id
GROUP BY category;

4. Post-Installation Actions¶

4.1 UFW Rules (Optional)¶

sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp sudo ufw reload

4.2 Backup Grafana Configuration¶

sudo cp -r /etc/grafana /var/backups/grafana_$(date +%F)

4.3 Retest MySQL Remote Connectivity¶

mysql -u grafana -h 192.168.20.8 -p

5. Troubleshooting¶

6. Useful Commands¶

Grafana Service Control¶

sudo systemctl start grafana-server sudo systemctl restart grafana-server sudo systemctl stop grafana-server sudo systemctl status grafana-server

Grafana Logs¶

sudo journalctl -u grafana-server -f

Plugin Management¶

grafana-cli plugins list-remote grafana-cli plugins install <plugin> grafana-cli plugins update-all

Validate Keyring¶

gpg --show-keys /etc/apt/keyrings/grafana.gpg

Check Listening Ports¶

sudo ss -tulpn | grep grafana sudo ss -tulpn | grep 3306