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diff --git a/docs/configure/common-changes.md b/docs/configure/common-changes.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..6749384ac --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/configure/common-changes.md @@ -0,0 +1,214 @@ +<!-- +title: "Common configuration changes" +description: "See the most popular configuration changes to make to the Netdata Agent, including longer metrics retention, reduce sampling, and more." +custom_edit_url: https://github.com/netdata/netdata/edit/master/docs/configure/common-changes.md +--> + +# Common configuration changes + +The Netdata Agent requires no configuration upon installation to collect thousands of per-second metrics from most +systems, containers, and applications, but there are hundreds of settings to tweak if you want to exercise more control +over your monitoring platform. + +This document assumes familiarity with using [`edit-config`](/docs/configure/nodes.md) from the Netdata config +directory. + +## Change dashboards and visualizations + +The Netdata Agent's [local dashboard](/web/gui/README.md), accessible at `http://NODE:19999` is highly configurable. If +you use Netdata Cloud for [infrastructure monitoring](/docs/quickstart/infrastructure.md), you will see many of these +changes reflected in those visualizations due to the way Netdata Cloud proxies metric data and metadata to your browser. + +### Increase the long-term metrics retention period + +Increase the values for the `page cache size` and `dbengine multihost disk space` settings in the [`[global]` +section](/daemon/config/README.md#global-section-options) of `netdata.conf`. + +```conf +[global] + page cache size = 128 # 128 MiB of memory for metrics storage + dbengine multihost disk space = 4096 # 4GiB of disk space for metrics storage +``` + +Read our doc on [increasing long-term metrics storage](/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md) for details, including a +[calculator](/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md#calculate-the-system-resources-RAM-disk-space-needed-to-store-metrics) +to help you determine the exact settings for your desired retention period. + +### Reduce the data collection frequency + +Change `update every` in the [`[global]` section](/daemon/config/README.md#global-section-options) of `netdata.conf` so +that it is greater than `1`. An `update every` of `5` means the Netdata Agent enforces a _minimum_ collection frequency +of 5 seconds. + +```conf +[global] + update every = 5 +``` + +Every collector and plugin has its own `update every` setting, which you can also change in the `go.d.conf`, +`python.d.conf`, `node.d.conf`, or `charts.d.conf` files, or in individual collector configuration files. If the `update +every` for an individual collector is less than the global, the Netdata Agent uses the global setting. See the [enable +or configure a collector](/docs/collect/enable-configure.md) doc for details. + +### Disable a collector or plugin + +Turn off entire plugins in the [`[plugins]` section](/daemon/config/README.md#plugins-section-options) of +`netdata.conf`. + +To disable specific collectors, open `go.d.conf`, `python.d.conf`, `node.d.conf`, or `charts.d.conf` and find the line +for that specific module. Uncomment the line and change its value to `no`. + +## Modify alarms and notifications + +Netdata's health monitoring watchdog uses hundreds of preconfigured health entities, with intelligent thresholds, to +generate warning and critical alarms for most production systems and their applications without configuration. However, +each alarm and notification method is completely customizable. + +### Add a new alarm + +To create a new alarm configuration file, initiate an empty file, with a filename that ends in `.conf`, in the +`health.d/` directory. The Netdata Agent loads any valid alarm configuration file ending in `.conf` in that directory. +Next, edit the new file with `edit-config`. For example, with a file called `example-alarm.conf`. + +```bash +sudo touch health.d/example-alarm.conf +sudo ./edit-config health.d/example-alarm.conf +``` + +Or, append your new alarm to an existing file by editing a relevant existing file in the `health.d/` directory. + +Read more about [configuring alarms](/docs/monitor/configure-alarms.md) to get started, and see the [health monitoring +reference](/health/REFERENCE.md) for a full listing of options available in health entities. + +### Configure a specific alarm + +Tweak existing alarms by editing files in the `health.d/` directory. For example, edit `health.d/cpu.conf` to change how +the Agent responds to anomalies related to CPU utilization. + +To see which configuration file you need to edit to configure a specific alarm, [view your active +alarms](/docs/monitor/view-active-alarms.md) in Netdata Cloud or the local Agent dashboard and look for the **source** +line. For example, it might read `source 4@/usr/lib/netdata/conf.d/health.d/cpu.conf`. + +Because the source path contains `health.d/cpu.conf`, run `sudo edit-config health.d/cpu.conf` to configure that alarm. + +### Disable a specific alarm + +Open the configuration file for that alarm and set the `to` line to `silent`. + +```conf +template: disk_fill_rate + on: disk.space + lookup: max -1s at -30m unaligned of avail + calc: ($this - $avail) / (30 * 60) + every: 15s + to: silent +``` + +### Turn of all alarms and notifications + +Set `enabled` to `no` in the [`[health]` section](/daemon/config/README.md#health-section-options) section of +`netdata.conf`. + +### Enable alarm notifications + +Open `health_alarm_notify.conf` for editing. First, read the [enabling +notifications](/docs/monitor/enable-notifications.md#netdata-agent) doc for an example of the process using Slack, then +click on the link to your preferred notification method to find documentation for that specific endpoint. + +## Improve node security + +While the Netdata Agent is both [open and secure by design](https://www.netdata.cloud/blog/netdata-agent-dashboard/), we +recommend every user take some action to administer and secure their nodes. + +Learn more about a few of the following changes in the [node security doc](/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md). + +### Disable the local Agent dashboard (`http://NODE:19999`) + +If you use Netdata Cloud to visualize metrics, stream metrics to a parent node, or otherwise don't need the local Agent +dashboard, disabling it reduces the Agent's resource utilization and improves security. + +Change the `mode` setting to `none` in the [`[web]` section](/web/server/README.md#configuration) of `netdata.conf`. + +```conf +[web] + mode = none +``` + +### Use access lists to restrict access to specific assets + +Allow access from only specific IP addresses, ranges of IP addresses, or hostnames using [access +lists](/web/server/README.md#access-lists) and [simple patterns](/libnetdata/simple_pattern/README.md). + +See a quickstart to access lists in the [node security +doc](/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md#restrict-access-to-the-local-dashboard). + +### Stop sending anonymous statistics to Google Analytics + +Create a file called `.opt-out-from-anonymous-statistics` inside of your Netdata config directory to immediately stop +the statistics script. + +```bash +sudo touch .opt-out-from-anonymous-statistics +``` + +Learn more about [why we collect anonymous statistics](/docs/anonymous-statistics.md). + +### Change the IP address/port Netdata listens to + +Change the `default port` setting in the `[web]` section to a port other than `19999`. + +```conf +[web] + default port = 39999 +``` + +Use the `bind to` setting to the ports other assets, such as the [running `netdata.conf` +configuration](/docs/configure/nodes.md#see-an-agents-running-configuration), API, or streaming requests listen to. + +## Reduce resource usage + +Read our [performance optimization guide](/docs/guides/configure/performance.md) for a long list of specific changes +that can reduce the Netdata Agent's CPU/memory footprint and IO requirements. + +## Organize nodes with host labels + +Beginning with v1.20, Netdata accepts user-defined **host labels**. These labels are sent during streaming, exporting, +and as metadata to Netdata Cloud, and help you organize the metrics coming from complex infrastructure. Host labels are +defined in the section `[host labels]`. + +For a quick introduction, read the [host label guide](/docs/guides/using-host-labels.md). + +The following restrictions apply to host label names: + +- Names cannot start with `_`, but it can be present in other parts of the name. +- Names only accept alphabet letters, numbers, dots, and dashes. + +The policy for values is more flexible, but you can not use exclamation marks (`!`), whitespaces (` `), single quotes +(`'`), double quotes (`"`), or asterisks (`*`), because they are used to compare label values in health alarms and +templates. + +## What's next? + +If you haven't already, learn how to [secure your nodes](/docs/configure/secure-nodes.md). + +As mentioned at the top, there are plenty of other + +You can also take what you've learned about node configuration to tweak the Agent's behavior or enable new features: + +- [Enable new collectors](/docs/collect/enable-configure.md) or tweak their behavior. +- [Configure existing health alarms](/docs/monitor/configure-alarms.md) or create new ones. +- [Enable notifications](/docs/monitor/enable-notifications.md) to receive updates about the health of your + infrastructure. +- Change [the long-term metrics retention period](/docs/store/change-metrics-storage.md) using the database engine. + +### Related reference documentation + +- [Netdata Agent · Daemon](/health/README.md) +- [Netdata Agent · Daemon configuration](/daemon/config/README.md) +- [Netdata Agent · Web server](/web/server/README.md) +- [Netdata Agent · Local Agent dashboard](/web/gui/README.md) +- [Netdata Agent · Health monitoring](/health/REFERENCE.md) +- [Netdata Agent · Notifications](/health/notifications/README.md) +- [Netdata Agent · Simple patterns](/libnetdata/simple_pattern/README.md) + +[](<>) |