EEdukron DevOps Library
ObservabilityIntermediate8 submodules

Grafana Dashboards and Alerting

Turn metrics and logs from Prometheus and Azure Monitor into usable Grafana dashboards, variables, queries, panels, and alerts for engineering and operations audiences.

How this module works

From concept to production evidence

Start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

Learning outcomes

  • Configure data sources
  • Design dashboard information hierarchy
  • Create panels, variables, and queries
  • Integrate Prometheus and Azure Monitor
  • Build actionable Grafana alerts

Flow diagram

Grafana Dashboards and Alerting end-to-end flow

Use this sequence as the operating backbone for every submodule note and hands-on exercise.

  1. 01
    Connect sourceGrafana Dashboards and Alerting stage 1: connect source with an auditable result before the next stage begins.
  2. 02
    Write queryGrafana Dashboards and Alerting stage 2: write query with an auditable result before the next stage begins.
  3. 03
    Transform dataGrafana Dashboards and Alerting stage 3: transform data with an auditable result before the next stage begins.
  4. 04
    Render panelGrafana Dashboards and Alerting stage 4: render panel with an auditable result before the next stage begins.
  5. 05
    Compose dashboardGrafana Dashboards and Alerting stage 5: compose dashboard with an auditable result before the next stage begins.
  6. 06
    Evaluate and route alertGrafana Dashboards and Alerting stage 6: evaluate and route alert with an auditable result before the next stage begins.

Integrated hands-on lab

Build a service-operations dashboard

  1. Connect Prometheus and Azure Monitor
  2. Create service and environment variables
  3. Build traffic, error, latency, and saturation panels
  4. Add drill-down links
  5. Create and test an alert

Complete module contents

8 full submodule notes

Read in order
01

Data sources

Data sources preserves durable information with explicit ownership, consistency, access, lifecycle, replication, and recovery guarantees within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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02

Dashboards

Dashboards turns service behavior into evidence that supports detection, diagnosis, capacity decisions, and measurable reliability within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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03

Panels

Panels provides a concrete platform capability that must be configured, secured, validated, observed, and owned throughout its lifecycle within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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04

Variables

Variables turns a manual or repeated decision into versioned, parameterized, testable, and observable execution within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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05

Queries

Queries provides a concrete platform capability that must be configured, secured, validated, observed, and owned throughout its lifecycle within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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06

Alerts

Alerts turns service behavior into evidence that supports detection, diagnosis, capacity decisions, and measurable reliability within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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07

Prometheus integration

Prometheus integration turns service behavior into evidence that supports detection, diagnosis, capacity decisions, and measurable reliability within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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08

Azure Monitor integration

Azure Monitor integration turns service behavior into evidence that supports detection, diagnosis, capacity decisions, and measurable reliability within Grafana Dashboards and Alerting. It is not an isolated definition: its value appears when it supports start from a decision the viewer must make, select the correct data source and query, use variables without creating expensive fan-out, show context and thresholds, and connect every alert to ownership and action.

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