This article outlines methods for collecting metrics and notifications from OpenStack Nova, a critical component for managing virtual machines in an OpenStack cloud. It details how to use various agents and services to gain comprehensive visibility into compute resource utilization and operational health, which is essential for maintaining a stable and performant cloud infrastructure.
Read original on Datadog BlogMonitoring OpenStack Nova is fundamental for any organization operating an OpenStack cloud. Nova is responsible for provisioning and managing virtual machines, making its performance and health directly impact the availability and reliability of all hosted applications. Effective monitoring involves collecting data from various sources to gain a holistic view of the compute environment.
To achieve a complete monitoring solution, data needs to be gathered from several key components within the OpenStack Nova ecosystem. This includes the Nova API, scheduler, conductors, and compute services running on individual hypervisors. Each component provides unique insights into different aspects of the VM lifecycle and resource allocation.
OpenStack's Ceilometer project is designed for collecting measurements and events across the cloud. It uses various agents to gather data, which can then be used for billing, monitoring, and alarming. Integrating Ceilometer with Nova ensures that detailed resource utilization metrics are consistently collected and available for analysis.
Architectural Consideration: Monitoring Agent Placement
When designing your monitoring infrastructure, consider the overhead of monitoring agents. For large OpenStack deployments, centralizing metric collection through services like Ceilometer agents on compute nodes, or using dedicated monitoring infrastructure, can minimize impact on tenant workloads while providing comprehensive data.