Skip to main content
NC State Stormwater Engineering Group

Server Management & Dashboard Setup

Overview

A step-by-step tutorial for connecting to AWS EC2, managing Node.js servers, and setting up Grafana dashboards if you are using NC State’s data service.

Requirements

  • Access to NC State University network (either on-campus WiFi or VPN connection)
  • The SSH private key file
  • The Node.js server code
  • Visual Studio Code installed on your computer

Getting Connected to Your EC2 Instance

Step 1: Ensure Network Access

  • If you’re on campus: Connect to NC State Wi-Fi
  • If you’re remote: Connect to NC State VPN
    • This document explains how to connect to the NC State VPN if it is your first time

Step 2: Open VS Code and Set Up SSH Connection

  • Launch Visual Studio Code
  • Open the Command Palette
    • Windows/Linux: Press Ctrl + Shift + P
    • Mac: Press Cmd + Shift
  • Add New SSH Host
    • Type: Remote-SSH: Add New SSH Host…
    • Select it from the dropdown
  • Enter the SSH Connection Command
    • Type: ssh -i "C:\user\rsa.pem" ubuntu@12.345.678.90
    • Press Enter
      • Replace the path with your actual key file location
  • You’re now connected! VS Code is running directly on the EC2 server.

Step 3: Connect and Open Your Project

  • Connect to the Server
    • Select your newly added SSH from the SSH Targets list
    • Choose “Connect to Host in Current Window”
  • Open Your Project Folder

Managing Your Node.js Server

Think of your EC2 server as having two main parts:

  • Your Node.js application – managed by PM2
  • Background services (database, monitoring tools) – managed by Docker

Let’s handle them one at a time.

Managing Background Services with Docker

Starts your database (InfluxDB) and other supporting services

Starting Your Services

  • Navigate to the main directory
    • cd /home/ubuntu/v1
  • Start all services in the background
    • docker-compose up -d

Monitoring Your Services

  • See status of all services
    • docker-compose ps
  • Check logs for a specific service (e.g., InfluxDB)
    • docker-compose logs influxdb
  • Follow logs in real-time
    • docker-compose logs -f influxdb

Stopping Services

  • Stop all services
    • docker-compose down

Managing Your Node.js App with PM2

Runs your actual application code and keeps it running even if it crashes

Initial Setup (One-time only)

  • Install the PM2 tool
    • npm install -g pm2

Daily Server Operations

  • Navigate to your server code
    • cd /home/ubuntu/NotorioS/Middleware/Server
  • Start your server
    • pm2 start server.js –name server2
  • Check running processes
    • pm2 list
  • View server logs
    • pm2 logs server2
  • Restart server without downtime
    • pm2 reload server2

Setting Up Grafana Dashboards

Grafana creates charts and graphs from your data. Instead of building charts from scratch, you can use pre-made templates and modify them.

Step 1: Find a Dashboard

Step 2: Export the Dashboard

  • Click the Share icon on the dashboard page
  • Select “Export” from the dropdown
  • Click “Save JSON” to download the dashboard file

Step 3: Import into Your Grafana

  • Access your Grafana instance (usually at http://your-server:3000)
  • Click the “+” button in the left sidebar
  • Select “Import”
  • Upload your JSON file or paste the JSON content
  • Click “Load”

Step 4: Customize for Your Data

  • Click on any chart panel you want to modify
  • Select “Edit”
  • Update the InfluxDB query to match your database structure:
    • SELECT mean(“your_field”) FROM “your_measurement” WHERE $timeFilter GROUP BY time($__interval)

Getting Help

  • For EC2 Issues: Check AWS Console or contact your system administrator
  • For Docker Problems: Review logs with docker-compose logs
  • For Node.js Errors: Check PM2 logs with pm2 logs server2
  • For Grafana Questions: Check the official Grafana Documentation