IPMI Sensor and Clarify Integration

Input and output integration overview

The IPMI Sensor Plugin facilitates the collection of server health metrics directly from hardware via the IPMI protocol, querying sensor data from either local or remote systems.

The Clarify plugin allows users to publish Telegraf metrics directly to Clarify, enabling enhanced analysis and monitoring capabilities.

Integration details

IPMI Sensor

The IPMI Sensor plugin is designed to gather bare metal metrics via the command line utility ipmitool, which interfaces with the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI). This protocol provides management and monitoring capabilities for hardware components in server systems, allowing for the retrieval of critical system health metrics such as temperature, fan speeds, and power supply status from both local and remote servers. When configured without specified servers, the plugin defaults to querying the local machine’s sensor statistics using the ipmitool sdr command. In scenarios covering remote hosts, authentication is supported through username and password using the command format ipmitool -I lan -H SERVER -U USERID -P PASSW0RD sdr. This flexibility allows users to monitor systems effectively across various environments. The plugin also supports multiple sensor types, including chassis power status and DCMI power readings, catering to administrators needing real-time insight into server operations.

Clarify

This plugin facilitates the writing of Telegraf metrics to Clarify, a platform for managing and analyzing time series data. By transforming metrics into Clarify signals, this output plugin enables seamless integration of collected telemetry data into the Clarify ecosystem. Users must obtain valid credentials, either through a credentials file or basic authentication, to configure the plugin. The configuration also provides options for fine-tuning how metrics are mapped to signals in Clarify, including the ability to specify unique identifiers using tags. Given that Clarify supports only floating point values, the plugin ensures that any unsupported types are effectively filtered out during the publishing process. This comprehensive connectivity aligns with use cases in monitoring, data analysis, and operational insights.

Configuration

IPMI Sensor

[[inputs.ipmi_sensor]]
  ## Specify the path to the ipmitool executable
  # path = "/usr/bin/ipmitool"

  ## Use sudo
  ## Setting 'use_sudo' to true will make use of sudo to run ipmitool.
  ## Sudo must be configured to allow the telegraf user to run ipmitool
  ## without a password.
  # use_sudo = false

  ## Servers
  ## Specify one or more servers via a url. If no servers are specified, local
  ## machine sensor stats will be queried. Uses the format:
  ##  [username[:password]@][protocol[(address)]]
  ##  e.g. root:passwd@lan(127.0.0.1)
  # servers = ["USERID:PASSW0RD@lan(192.168.1.1)"]

  ## Session privilege level
  ## Choose from: CALLBACK, USER, OPERATOR, ADMINISTRATOR
  # privilege = "ADMINISTRATOR"

  ## Timeout
  ## Timeout for the ipmitool command to complete.
  # timeout = "20s"

  ## Metric schema version
  ## See the plugin readme for more information on schema versioning.
  # metric_version = 1

  ## Sensors to collect
  ## Choose from:
  ##   * sdr: default, collects sensor data records
  ##   * chassis_power_status: collects the power status of the chassis
  ##   * dcmi_power_reading: collects the power readings from the Data Center Management Interface
  # sensors = ["sdr"]

  ## Hex key
  ## Optionally provide the hex key for the IMPI connection.
  # hex_key = ""

  ## Cache
  ## If ipmitool should use a cache
  ## Using a cache can speed up collection times depending on your device.
  # use_cache = false

  ## Path to the ipmitools cache file (defaults to OS temp dir)
  ## The provided path must exist and must be writable
  # cache_path = ""

Clarify

[[outputs.clarify]]
  ## Credentials File (Oauth 2.0 from Clarify integration)
  credentials_file = "/path/to/clarify/credentials.json"

  ## Clarify username password (Basic Auth from Clarify integration)
  username = "i-am-bob"
  password = "secret-password"

  ## Timeout for Clarify operations
  # timeout = "20s"

  ## Optional tags to be included when generating the unique ID for a signal in Clarify
  # id_tags = []
  # clarify_id_tag = 'clarify_input_id'

Input and output integration examples

IPMI Sensor

1. Centralized Monitoring Dashboard: Utilize the IPMI Sensor plugin to gather metrics from multiple servers and compile them into a centralized monitoring dashboard. This enables real-time visibility into server health across data centers. Administrators can track metrics like temperature and power usage, helping them make data-driven decisions about resource allocation, potential failures, and maintenance schedules.

2. Automated Power Alerts: Incorporate the plugin into an alerting system that monitors chassis power status and triggers alerts when anomalies are detected. For instance, if the power status indicates a failure or if watt values exceed expected thresholds, automated notifications can be sent to operations teams, ensuring prompt attention to hardware issues.

3. Energy Consumption Analysis: Leverage the DCMI power readings collected via the plugin to analyze energy consumption patterns of hardware over time. By integrating these readings with analytics platforms, organizations can identify opportunities to reduce power usage, optimize efficiency, and potentially decrease operational costs in large server farms or cloud infrastructures.

4. Health Check Automation: Schedule regular health checks by using the IPMI Sensor Plugin to collect data from a fleet of servers. This data can be logged and compared against historical performance metrics to identify trends, outliers, or signs of impending hardware failure, allowing IT teams to take proactive measures and reduce downtime.

Clarify

1. Automated Data Monitoring: By integrating the Clarify plugin with sensor data collection, organizations can automate the monitoring of environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity. The plugin processes metrics in real-time, sending updates to Clarify where they can be analyzed for trends, alerts, and historical tracking. This use case makes it easier to maintain optimal conditions in data centers or production environments, reducing the risk of equipment failures.

2. Performance Metrics Analysis: Companies can leverage this plugin to send application performance metrics to Clarify. By transmitting key indicators such as response times and error rates, developers and operations teams can utilize Clarify’s capabilities to visualize and analyze application performance over time. This insight can drive improvements in user experience and help identify areas in need of optimization.

3. Sensor Data Aggregation: Utilizing the plugin to push data from multiple sensors to Clarify allows for a comprehensive view of physical environments. This aggregation is particularly beneficial in sectors such as agriculture, where metrics from various sensors can be correlated to decision-making about resource allocations, pest control, and crop management. The plugin ensures the data is accurately mapped and transformed for effective analysis.

4. Real-Time Alerts and Notifications: Implement the Clarify plugin to trigger real-time alerts based on predefined thresholds within the metrics being sent. For instance, if temperature readings exceed certain levels, alerts can be generated and sent to operational staff. This proactive approach allows for immediate responses to potential issues, enhancing operational reliability and safety.

Feedback

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