gNMI and Sensu Integration

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This is not the recommended configuration for real-time query at scale. For query and compression optimization, high-speed ingest, and high availability, you may want to consider gNMI and InfluxDB.

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Powerful Performance, Limitless Scale

Collect, organize, and act on massive volumes of high-velocity data. Any data is more valuable when you think of it as time series data. with InfluxDB, the #1 time series platform built to scale with Telegraf.

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Input and output integration overview

The gNMI (gRPC Network Management Interface) Input Plugin collects telemetry data from network devices using the gNMI Subscribe method. It supports TLS for secure authentication and data transmission.

This plugin writes metrics events to Sensu via its HTTP events API, enabling seamless integration with the Sensu monitoring platform.

Integration details

gNMI

This input plugin is vendor-agnostic and can be used with any platform that supports the gNMI specification. It consumes telemetry data based on the gNMI Subscribe method, allowing for real-time monitoring of network devices.

Sensu

This plugin writes metrics events to Sensu via its HTTP events API. Sensu is a monitoring system that enables users to collect, analyze, and manage metrics from various components in their infrastructure. The plugin facilitates the integration of Telegraf, a server agent for collecting and reporting metrics, with the Sensu monitoring platform. Users can configure settings such as backend and agent API URLs, API keys for authentication, and optional TLS settings. The plugin’s core functionality is centered around sending metric events, including check and entity specifications, to Sensu, allowing for comprehensive monitoring and alerting. The API reference provides extensive details about the events and metrics structure, ensuring users can efficiently leverage Sensu’s capabilities for observability and incident response.

Configuration

gNMI


[[inputs.gnmi]]
  ## Address and port of the gNMI GRPC server
  addresses = ["10.49.234.114:57777"]

  ## define credentials
  username = "cisco"
  password = "cisco"

  ## gNMI encoding requested (one of: "proto", "json", "json_ietf", "bytes")
  # encoding = "proto"

  ## redial in case of failures after
  # redial = "10s"

  ## gRPC Keepalive settings
  ## See https://pkg.go.dev/google.golang.org/grpc/keepalive
  ## The client will ping the server to see if the transport is still alive if it has
  ## not see any activity for the given time.
  ## If not set, none of the keep-alive setting (including those below) will be applied.
  ## If set and set below 10 seconds, the gRPC library will apply a minimum value of 10s will be used instead.
  # keepalive_time = ""

  ## Timeout for seeing any activity after the keep-alive probe was
  ## sent. If no activity is seen the connection is closed.
  # keepalive_timeout = ""

  ## gRPC Maximum Message Size
  # max_msg_size = "4MB"

  ## Enable to get the canonical path as field-name
  # canonical_field_names = false

  ## Remove leading slashes and dots in field-name
  # trim_field_names = false

  ## Guess the path-tag if an update does not contain a prefix-path
  ## Supported values are
  ##   none         -- do not add a 'path' tag
  ##   common path  -- use the common path elements of all fields in an update
  ##   subscription -- use the subscription path
  # path_guessing_strategy = "none"

  ## Prefix tags from path keys with the path element
  # prefix_tag_key_with_path = false

  ## Optional client-side TLS to authenticate the device
  ## Set to true/false to enforce TLS being enabled/disabled. If not set,
  ## enable TLS only if any of the other options are specified.
  # tls_enable =
  ## Trusted root certificates for server
  # tls_ca = "/path/to/cafile"
  ## Used for TLS client certificate authentication
  # tls_cert = "/path/to/certfile"
  ## Used for TLS client certificate authentication
  # tls_key = "/path/to/keyfile"
  ## Password for the key file if it is encrypted
  # tls_key_pwd = ""
  ## Send the specified TLS server name via SNI
  # tls_server_name = "kubernetes.example.com"
  ## Minimal TLS version to accept by the client
  # tls_min_version = "TLS12"
  ## List of ciphers to accept, by default all secure ciphers will be accepted
  ## See https://pkg.go.dev/crypto/tls#pkg-constants for supported values.
  ## Use "all", "secure" and "insecure" to add all support ciphers, secure
  ## suites or insecure suites respectively.
  # tls_cipher_suites = ["secure"]
  ## Renegotiation method, "never", "once" or "freely"
  # tls_renegotiation_method = "never"
  ## Use TLS but skip chain & host verification
  # insecure_skip_verify = false

  ## gNMI subscription prefix (optional, can usually be left empty)
  ## See: https://github.com/openconfig/reference/blob/master/rpc/gnmi/gnmi-specification.md#222-paths
  # origin = ""
  # prefix = ""
  # target = ""

  ## Vendor specific options
  ## This defines what vendor specific options to load.
  ## * Juniper Header Extension (juniper_header): some sensors are directly managed by
  ##   Linecard, which adds the Juniper GNMI Header Extension. Enabling this
  ##   allows the decoding of the Extension header if present. Currently this knob
  ##   adds component, component_id & sub_component_id as additional tags
  # vendor_specific = []

  ## YANG model paths for decoding IETF JSON payloads
  ## Model files are loaded recursively from the given directories. Disabled if
  ## no models are specified.
  # yang_model_paths = []

  ## Define additional aliases to map encoding paths to measurement names
  # [inputs.gnmi.aliases]
  #   ifcounters = "openconfig:/interfaces/interface/state/counters"

  [[inputs.gnmi.subscription]]
    ## Name of the measurement that will be emitted
    name = "ifcounters"

    ## Origin and path of the subscription
    ## See: https://github.com/openconfig/reference/blob/master/rpc/gnmi/gnmi-specification.md#222-paths
    ##
    ## origin usually refers to a (YANG) data model implemented by the device
    ## and path to a specific substructure inside it that should be subscribed
    ## to (similar to an XPath). YANG models can be found e.g. here:
    ## https://github.com/YangModels/yang/tree/master/vendor/cisco/xr
    origin = "openconfig-interfaces"
    path = "/interfaces/interface/state/counters"

    ## Subscription mode ("target_defined", "sample", "on_change") and interval
    subscription_mode = "sample"
    sample_interval = "10s"

    ## Suppress redundant transmissions when measured values are unchanged
    # suppress_redundant = false

    ## If suppression is enabled, send updates at least every X seconds anyway
    # heartbeat_interval = "60s"

Sensu

[[outputs.sensu]]
  ## BACKEND API URL is the Sensu Backend API root URL to send metrics to
  ## (protocol, host, and port only). The output plugin will automatically
  ## append the corresponding backend API path
  ## /api/core/v2/namespaces/:entity_namespace/events/:entity_name/:check_name).
  ##
  ## Backend Events API reference:
  ## https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/api/events/
  ##
  ## AGENT API URL is the Sensu Agent API root URL to send metrics to
  ## (protocol, host, and port only). The output plugin will automatically
  ## append the correspeonding agent API path (/events).
  ##
  ## Agent API Events API reference:
  ## https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/api/events/
  ##
  ## NOTE: if backend_api_url and agent_api_url and api_key are set, the output
  ## plugin will use backend_api_url. If backend_api_url and agent_api_url are
  ## not provided, the output plugin will default to use an agent_api_url of
  ## http://127.0.0.1:3031
  ##
  # backend_api_url = "http://127.0.0.1:8080"
  # agent_api_url = "http://127.0.0.1:3031"

  ## API KEY is the Sensu Backend API token
  ## Generate a new API token via:
  ##
  ## $ sensuctl cluster-role create telegraf --verb create --resource events,entities
  ## $ sensuctl cluster-role-binding create telegraf --cluster-role telegraf --group telegraf
  ## $ sensuctl user create telegraf --group telegraf --password REDACTED
  ## $ sensuctl api-key grant telegraf
  ##
  ## For more information on Sensu RBAC profiles & API tokens, please visit:
  ## - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/rbac/
  ## - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/apikeys/
  ##
  # api_key = "${SENSU_API_KEY}"

  ## 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

  ## Timeout for HTTP message
  # timeout = "5s"

  ## HTTP Content-Encoding for write request body, can be set to "gzip" to
  ## compress body or "identity" to apply no encoding.
  # content_encoding = "identity"

  ## NOTE: Due to the way TOML is parsed, tables must be at the END of the
  ## plugin definition, otherwise additional config options are read as part of
  ## the table

  ## Sensu Event details
  ##
  ## Below are the event details to be sent to Sensu.  The main portions of the
  ## event are the check, entity, and metrics specifications. For more information
  ## on Sensu events and its components, please visit:
  ## - Events - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/events
  ## - Checks -  https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/checks
  ## - Entities - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/entities
  ## - Metrics - https://docs.sensu.io/sensu-go/latest/reference/events#metrics
  ##
  ## Check specification
  ## The check name is the name to give the Sensu check associated with the event
  ## created. This maps to check.metadata.name in the event.
  [outputs.sensu.check]
    name = "telegraf"

  ## Entity specification
  ## Configure the entity name and namespace, if necessary. This will be part of
  ## the entity.metadata in the event.
  ##
  ## NOTE: if the output plugin is configured to send events to a
  ## backend_api_url and entity_name is not set, the value returned by
  ## os.Hostname() will be used; if the output plugin is configured to send
  ## events to an agent_api_url, entity_name and entity_namespace are not used.
  # [outputs.sensu.entity]
  #   name = "server-01"
  #   namespace = "default"

  ## Metrics specification
  ## Configure the tags for the metrics that are sent as part of the Sensu event
  # [outputs.sensu.tags]
  #   source = "telegraf"

  ## Configure the handler(s) for processing the provided metrics
  # [outputs.sensu.metrics]
  #   handlers = ["influxdb","elasticsearch"]

Input and output integration examples

gNMI

  1. Monitoring Cisco Devices: Use the gNMI plugin to collect telemetry data from Cisco IOS XR, NX-OS, or IOS XE devices for performance monitoring.

  2. Real-time Network Insights: With the gNMI plugin, network administrators can gain insights into real-time metrics such as interface statistics and CPU usage.

  3. Secure Data Collection: Configure the gNMI plugin with TLS settings to ensure secure communication while collecting sensitive telemetry data from devices.

  4. Flexible Data Handling: Use the subscription options to customize which telemetry data you want to collect based on specific needs or requirements.

  5. Error Handling: The plugin includes troubleshooting options to handle common issues like missing metric names or TLS handshake failures.

Sensu

  1. Real-Time Infrastructure Monitoring: Utilize the Sensu plugin to send performance metrics from various servers and services directly to Sensu. This real-time data flow enables teams to visualize infrastructure health, track resource usage, and receive immediate alerts for any anomalies detected. By centralizing monitoring through Sensu, organizations can create a holistic view of their systems and respond swiftly to issues.

  2. Automated Incident Response Workflows: Leverage the plugin to automatically trigger incident response workflows based on the metrics events sent to Sensu. For example, if CPU usage exceeds a defined threshold, the Sensu system can be configured to alert the operations team, which can then initiate automated remediation processes, reducing downtime and maintaining system reliability. This integration allows for proactive management of system resources.

  3. Dynamic Scaling of Resources: Use the Sensu plugin to feed metrics into an auto-scaling system that adjusts resources based on demand. By tracking metrics like request load and resource utilization, organizations can automatically scale their infrastructure up or down, ensuring optimal performance and cost efficiency without manual intervention.

  4. Centralized Logging and Monitoring: Combine the Sensu with logging tools to send logs and performance metrics to a centralized monitoring system. This comprehensive approach allows teams to correlate logs with metric events, providing deeper insights into system behavior and performance, which aids in troubleshooting and performance optimization over time.

Feedback

Thank you for being part of our community! If you have any general feedback or found any bugs on these pages, we welcome and encourage your input. Please submit your feedback in the InfluxDB community Slack.

Powerful Performance, Limitless Scale

Collect, organize, and act on massive volumes of high-velocity data. Any data is more valuable when you think of it as time series data. with InfluxDB, the #1 time series platform built to scale with Telegraf.

See Ways to Get Started

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