Custom Plugins in Grafana

Introduction

Grafana is a powerful open-source platform for monitoring and observability. One of its standout features is the ability to extend its functionalities through plugins. Custom plugins allow developers to create tailored visualizations, data sources, and app integrations that cater to specific needs.

Types of Plugins

Grafana supports three main types of plugins:

• Data Source Plugins: These plugins allow Grafana to communicate with various data sources.
• Panel Plugins: They provide custom visualizations for displaying data.
• App Plugins: These plugins bundle data sources, panels, and other components into a single application.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Before you start creating a custom plugin, you need to set up your development environment. Follow these steps:

1. Install Node.js (version 14 or later).
2. Install npm, which comes with Node.js.
3. Install Grafana CLI using the command:
npm install -g @grafana/toolkit

Creating a Custom Plugin

To create a new custom plugin, you can use the Grafana toolkit. Here’s how to do it:

Replace my-panel-plugin with your desired plugin name. This command sets up a new directory with all the necessary files for a basic Grafana plugin.

Understanding the File Structure

After creating your plugin, you will see a directory structure like this:

my-panel-plugin/
├── README.md
├── package.json
├── src/
│   ├── module.ts
│   └── ...
├── dist/
├── .gitignore
└── ...
                

Each of these files and directories plays a crucial role in your plugin’s functionality:

• README.md: Documentation for your plugin.
• package.json: Contains metadata and dependencies for your plugin.
• src/: This directory contains the source code for your plugin.
• dist/: The directory where your built plugin will be stored.

Building and Running Your Plugin

To run your new plugin locally and see it in action, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your plugin directory:
cd my-panel-plugin
2. Run the following command to build your plugin:
npm run build
3. Start Grafana using the following command:
npm run start

Testing Your Plugin

After running your plugin, you can test it by navigating to Grafana in your web browser, typically at http://localhost:3000. You should see your custom panel available in the panel selection menu.

Conclusion

Custom plugins in Grafana offer an excellent way to extend the platform's capabilities and tailor it to your specific needs. With this guide, you should now have a solid foundation for creating your own custom plugins. Explore the Grafana documentation further to learn about advanced topics such as state management, data handling, and more.