Grafana database WAL setting added.

Change Summary

This git diff introduces a new environment variable GF_DATABASE_WAL set to true in the argocd_application resource for Grafana within the main.tf file. This change is aimed at enhancing the performance and reliability of the Grafana database by enabling Write-Ahead Logging (WAL).

Technical Details

• File Modified: IaC/modules/monitoring/main.tf
• Resource: argocd_application named “grafana”
• Added Environment Variable: GF_DATABASE_WAL with value true

The specific change is as follows:

@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ resource "argocd_application" "grafana" {
           env = {
             GF_SERVER_ROOT_URL = "https://grafana.stinkyboi.com/"
+            GF_DATABASE_WAL    = true
           }
         })
       }

Key Learnings & Insights

• Performance Improvement: Enabling GF_DATABASE_WAL enhances Grafana’s database performance by ensuring that data is written to a log file before being committed to the database. This reduces the risk of data loss and improves transaction reliability.
• Configuration Management: This change demonstrates the importance of managing configuration through Infrastructure as Code (IaC). By adding the environment variable in main.tf, we ensure that the configuration is version-controlled and consistently applied across environments.
• Best Practices: Using environment variables to configure application settings is a best practice. It allows for easy adjustments without modifying the codebase, promoting flexibility and maintainability.

Impact Assessment

• Performance: The primary impact is a potential performance boost in Grafana’s database operations due to the WAL mechanism.
• Maintainability: This change improves maintainability by centralizing configuration in the main.tf file, making it easier for future adjustments.
• No Breaking Changes: There are no breaking changes introduced by this modification. However, ensure that the Grafana version supports the GF_DATABASE_WAL environment variable.

Developer Notes

• Gotchas: Ensure that the Grafana instance is configured to handle WAL, and verify that there are no conflicts with existing database settings.
• Edge Cases: Monitor the Grafana logs for any unexpected behavior post-deployment, especially concerning database performance and transaction handling.
• Future Improvements: Consider adding additional monitoring to track the performance impact of WAL and explore other Grafana configuration options that could further optimize database operations.