Installing InfluxDB 2 on Rocky Linux 9: A Step-by-Step Guide
In today's data-driven world, managing time series data efficiently and securely is crucial. This article outlines best practices for deploying InfluxDB 2 on Rocky Linux 9, focusing on secure and scalable time series data handling.
First, system preparation and partitioning are essential for optimizing performance and easing backups. Allocate separate partitions for data storage and the operating system, such as a root partition of at least 50 GB and a dedicated data partition of at least 150 GB for InfluxDB data and metadata storage. Bind-mount system directories as needed to separate storage volumes for data isolation and management.
Ensure system-wide Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronization is enabled on all nodes hosting InfluxDB for time consistency, which is critical for time series data accuracy and clustering setups.
Next, secure configuration and secrets management are vital for protecting InfluxDB credentials and tokens. Reference secrets securely, such as using secure filesystem references or environment variables, instead of hardcoding them in configuration files. Run InfluxDB with least privilege user permissions and properly configure access controls like role-based access control (RBAC) and HTTPS for client communications. Enable Transport Layer Security (TLS) to secure data in transit.
Scalability measures include using dedicated storage volumes with fast I/O throughput (e.g., SSDs) and considering volume size based on expected data retention and write load for time series data. Consider clustering or high-availability setups for InfluxDB 2 if supported/needed, to distribute load and provide failover capabilities. Maintain synchronized time among nodes. Integrate InfluxDB with monitoring and metrics collection agents like Telegraf, which can be configured flexibly and maintained via configuration management tools, facilitating scalable metric ingestion and centralized management.
Regular snapshot backups of InfluxDB data volumes and metadata are crucial, ideally to separate backup storage. Monitor disk utilization closely to avoid write failures.
System and network security are also essential. Harden Rocky Linux 9 by disabling unused services, applying the latest security patches, and setting up firewalls to limit access to necessary ports only. Run an SSH server on all nodes with strong authentication methods and restrict access with firewall rules or VPNs for secure operational access.
Utilize InfluxDB’s own monitoring features and external tools for performance tracking. Regularly check logs for anomalies. Use tools like k6 for load testing the InfluxDB API endpoints under simulated load to verify scalability prior to production rollout.
In conclusion, deploying InfluxDB 2 on Rocky Linux 9 ensures enterprise-grade stability, long-term support, and compatibility with modern Linux security and service management tools. A VPS plan with at least 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 10 GB SSD is required. Enabling HTTPS in InfluxDB 2 is critical for production deployments that expose the API or dashboard, and Rocky Linux 9 supports hardened TLS via OpenSSL 3 and SELinux. InfluxDB can be integrated with Ansible, GitOps workflows, and container platforms on Rocky Linux 9. The VPS can be created and connected on Shape.Host. Rocky Linux 9 offers a robust, predictable environment with 10+ years of support, especially suitable for regulated environments or where enterprise RHEL clones are standard.
Technology and data-and-cloud-computing are vital in today's world, as demonstrated in the efficient and secure handling of time series data using InfluxDB 2 on Rocky Linux 9. Best practices include optimizing performance and easing backups through system preparation, securing configuration and secrets management, enhancing scalability, and implementing regular snapshots for backup purposes, all of which are technology-driven strategies for managing data efficiently.
