Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing Graphite, it’s essential to update your Ubuntu system to ensure all packages are up to date. Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Keeping your system updated is crucial for security and performance, whether you're setting up Graphite locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Graphite requires several packages to run. Install the necessary dependencies using the following command:

sudo apt install python3 python3-dev python3-pip libapache2-mod-wsgi-py3 -y
            

Additionally, install the following libraries:

sudo apt install build-essential libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-setuptools -y
            

Step 3: Install Graphite

You can install Graphite using pip. First, install the required Python packages:

sudo pip3 install graphite-web
            

Next, create a directory for Graphite:

sudo mkdir /opt/graphite

Then, navigate to the newly created directory:

cd /opt/graphite

Install the Graphite components:

sudo pip3 install graphite-web carbon
            

Step 4: Configure Graphite

Copy the sample configuration files for Graphite:

sudo cp /opt/graphite/conf/graphite.wsgi /opt/graphite/conf/graphite.wsgi.backup
sudo cp /opt/graphite/conf/local_settings.py.example /opt/graphite/conf/local_settings.py
            

Open the configuration file:

sudo nano /opt/graphite/conf/local_settings.py

Configure the database settings and the time zone according to your needs. This setup is crucial whether you’re hosting Graphite locally or on a Windows VPS Italy.

Step 5: Configure the Database

Graphite uses a SQLite database by default. Create the necessary database tables with the following command:

sudo python3 /opt/graphite/bin/carbon-cache.py collectd
            

Make sure to initialize the database:

sudo python3 /opt/graphite/bin/django-admin migrate

Step 6: Set Up Apache for Graphite

Create a new Apache configuration file for Graphite:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/graphite.conf

Add the following configuration, replacing your-domain.com with your actual domain:

    ServerAdmin admin@your-domain.com
    DocumentRoot /opt/graphite/webapp
    ServerName your-domain.com

    
        Require all granted
    

    WSGIDaemonProcess graphite user=www-data group=www-data threads=5
    WSGIScriptAlias / /opt/graphite/webapp/graphite.wsgi

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/graphite_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/graphite_access.log combined

            

Enable the new site and necessary Apache modules:

sudo a2ensite graphite.conf
sudo a2enmod wsgi
sudo systemctl restart apache2
            

Step 7: Access Graphite

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com or http://your-server-ip. You should see the Graphite web interface, where you can start monitoring your metrics.

This setup provides a fully functional monitoring system for your applications and servers, whether hosted locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.

Step 8: Secure Graphite with Let's Encrypt SSL

For enhanced security, it's advisable to secure your Graphite installation with SSL using Let's Encrypt. First, install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

Run Certbot to obtain and configure the SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d your-domain.com

Certbot will automatically configure Apache to use SSL, ensuring secure access to your Graphite instance, whether on a local server or hosted on a Windows VPS hosting UK.