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For a Linux VPS, the TICK stack provides a clear monitoring pipeline: Telegraf collects host measurements, InfluxDB stores them, Chronograf displays them, and Kapacitor evaluates data for alerts and other automated processing. A practical deployment starts with Telegraf writing to an InfluxDB instance, verifies that points are arriving in the default telegraf database, and only then adds dashboards and alert tasks.
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You can run all four services on one VPS for a small installation, or place Telegraf on application servers and send metrics to a separate InfluxDB host. Chronograf is optional for collection, and Kapacitor is optional for dashboards; Kapacitor becomes useful when you need threshold, relative, deadman, or notification workflows.
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What each TICK component does
The name TICK describes four separate services with different responsibilities. Keeping those responsibilities distinct makes installation and troubleshooting much easier.
| Component | Role | What you configure |
|---|---|---|
| Telegraf | Metrics-gathering agent | Input plugins and an InfluxDB output |
| InfluxDB | Time-series database | Database, access controls, and storage behavior |
| Chronograf | Web interface for the TICK stack | InfluxDB source and, optionally, Kapacitor |
| Kapacitor | Stream and batch processing, alert tasks, and event handlers | Tasks, conditions, and notification handlers |
The normal data path is Telegraf → InfluxDB. InfluxData’s Kapacitor guide describes getting started by using Telegraf to collect local system metrics and storing them in InfluxDB. Chronograf reads that stored data for exploration and dashboards. Kapacitor can process incoming streams or periodically query stored data, but it is not required for Telegraf collection or for using Chronograf.
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Choose an installation layout before changing the VPS
One VPS or separated services
A single-VPS installation is the simplest arrangement: install InfluxDB, Telegraf, Chronograf, and (if needed) Kapacitor on the same machine. Telegraf can then send to http://localhost:8086. This minimizes network configuration and administration overhead, which is appropriate for a small personal server or a low-volume test environment.
In a larger arrangement, install Telegraf on each application server and point its output at an InfluxDB host elsewhere. The official setup guidance explicitly describes this production pattern. Separation isolates database storage from application workloads and lets you administer services independently, but it adds network paths, firewall rules, credentials, and another host to maintain. The available documentation does not define a universal VPS size, CPU overhead, or traffic threshold at which you must split the services, so make that decision from your workload and observed resource use rather than a fixed specification.
Package services or Docker Compose
| Approach | Strengths | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution packages and systemd | Native service management, conventional files such as /etc/telegraf/telegraf.conf, and straightforward host-level logging |
Package names, repositories, and supported operating-system versions must be checked for your distribution |
| Docker Compose | Container lifecycle management and a repeatable multi-service definition | The documented Compose tutorial includes InfluxDB, Telegraf, and Kapacitor but does not include Chronograf; add Chronograf separately for a four-component deployment |
The archived Ubuntu 16.04 instructions are useful for understanding sequence and architecture, but they are not a current support guarantee. Before installing, verify that the package repositories or container images you plan to use support your Ubuntu release and CPU architecture.
Install the package-based stack on Ubuntu
The exact repository setup and package versions vary by release. Use the current installation instructions for your Ubuntu version, then apply the service and configuration sequence below. Do not assume that an archived Ubuntu 16.04 command will be appropriate for a newer release.
1. Prepare access and the firewall
Use an administrative account with sudo. Decide which administration networks need the Chronograf interface and whether Telegraf will contact a local or remote InfluxDB instance. On a public VPS, plan provider-level and host-level firewall rules before exposing any service. The service ports are listed later in this guide; the cited setup material documents the ports but does not prescribe one universal firewall policy.
2. Install and start InfluxDB first
Install the InfluxDB package appropriate for the operating system, enable its service using your distribution’s service manager, and start it before configuring Telegraf. When the database is on the same VPS, Telegraf will eventually use http://localhost:8086. For a separate host, substitute that host’s private address or resolvable name.
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Keep the InfluxDB endpoint on a private interface whenever remote access is not required. If remote Telegraf agents must connect, allow only their administration or application networks and enable the authentication controls provided by the installed InfluxDB version.
3. Install Telegraf and configure its output
Telegraf’s primary configuration file in the archived Linux setup is /etc/telegraf/telegraf.conf. The important part for this deployment is the [[outputs.influxdb]] block. A local single-VPS configuration has this shape:
[[outputs.influxdb]]
urls = ["http://localhost:8086"]
database = "telegraf"For a separated deployment, replace the URL with the InfluxDB host address. Preserve the database name unless you have a deliberate naming and access-control plan. With the default Telegraf setup, starting the agent causes it to send system metrics to InfluxDB, which automatically creates a database named telegraf.
Begin with host-level inputs supplied by Telegraf: CPU, memory, disk, and network measurements. Add application-specific input plugins only after the basic path works. This staged approach tells you whether a failure is in service connectivity or in a plugin configuration.
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Start the agent with:
sudo systemctl start telegrafUse the equivalent enable and status commands for your distribution if you want Telegraf to start automatically after a reboot. Confirm that the service remains active and inspect its journal when it exits or repeatedly restarts. Starting Telegraf before InfluxDB is available can produce connection errors; restart or reload the agent after correcting the database address.
5. Verify ingestion before installing dashboards
Do not begin dashboard work until points are arriving. Query the InfluxDB API for the telegraf database and inspect a CPU measurement such as usage_idle. A successful result should show recent timestamps and host tags, not merely an empty database name.
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The exact API command depends on the InfluxDB edition and authentication settings installed on your VPS. Use that edition’s query endpoint and credentials, then check these facts:
- The
telegrafdatabase exists. - A CPU measurement, including
usage_idle, has recent points. - The host tag identifies the VPS you expected.
- Timestamps advance while Telegraf is running.
If the database exists but measurements are absent, inspect Telegraf’s output URL, database spelling, authentication settings, and service logs before changing Chronograf.
6. Install Chronograf after collection works
Chronograf is the web interface for InfluxData’s TICK stack. Install it after InfluxDB and Telegraf have produced data, then open its web interface on port 8888. In the setup screen, add the InfluxDB hostname or IP address and port 8086. If Kapacitor is installed, add its address using port 9092 as an additional connection.
Chronograf can display and explore InfluxDB data without Kapacitor. Its host list and pre-created dashboards provide an initial view of the CPU, memory, disk, and network measurements collected by Telegraf. Restrict access to the interface with your VPS firewall and any authentication controls available in your installation.
7. Add Kapacitor only when processing or alerting requires it
Kapacitor is optional and is not required to use Chronograf. Install it when you need alert tasks, deadman checks, stream processing, batch queries, or event handlers. After starting the service, connect it in Chronograf at port 9092.
Kapacitor supports two broad task patterns:
- Stream tasks process data as it is written to InfluxDB.
- Batch tasks query and process data for a defined interval.
Choose a stream task when prompt evaluation of arriving points matters. Choose a batch task when evaluating an interval or periodically calculating a condition is more appropriate. Define the task against measurements that you have already verified; an alert built on a nonexistent measurement will never provide useful protection.
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Use Docker Compose without losing the four-part architecture
The documented Docker tutorial provides a Compose route for InfluxDB, Telegraf, and Kapacitor. Chronograf is not included in that package. If you want the complete TICK interface, add a compatible Chronograf service separately and connect it to the InfluxDB and Kapacitor service addresses exposed by your Compose network.
Containerized services change the operational details even though the data path remains the same. In particular, localhost inside a Telegraf container refers to that container, not automatically to the InfluxDB container or the VPS host. Set the Telegraf output URL to the reachable InfluxDB endpoint defined by your Compose arrangement, and make sure the data directory used by InfluxDB is persisted outside the disposable container layer.
Before bringing up the stack, decide which ports are published to the VPS and which remain internal to the Compose network. Publish only interfaces needed by administrators or remote agents. Add Chronograf separately, verify that it can reach InfluxDB on its configured connection, and then optionally register Kapacitor on port 9092.
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Ports and network exposure
| Port | Service or use | Recommended exposure |
|---|---|---|
8888 |
Chronograf web interface | Administration networks only |
8086 |
InfluxDB connection endpoint used by Chronograf and Telegraf | Private network or explicitly allowed Telegraf sources |
9092 |
Kapacitor URL used when connecting it in Chronograf | Private network or explicitly allowed administration sources |
These are documented service and connection defaults, not a reason to open every port to the internet. Keep InfluxDB and Kapacitor off the public internet unless remote access is genuinely required. Where authentication is enabled, use credentials appropriate to each service. Chronograf’s installation guidance notes that separate Chronograf and InfluxDB credentials can be used when distinct permissions are needed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Build a useful first dashboard in Chronograf
Start with host health
Use the host list and pre-created dashboards to inspect the measurements Telegraf already supplies. Check CPU utilization and idle time, memory consumption, disk activity and capacity, and network traffic. Look for gaps, a host that stopped reporting, or implausible values before adding application panels.
Add application measurements incrementally
Once host data is stable, enable the Telegraf input plugins relevant to your workload. Add one plugin at a time, restart or reload Telegraf as required by your installation, and verify that the new measurement appears in InfluxDB before building a panel around it. This keeps a plugin error from obscuring a previously healthy host data path.
Keep dashboard queries aligned with retention and tags
Use the same measurement names and host tags that you observed in the database. A dashboard that assumes a different host tag or measurement name can appear empty even while Telegraf is collecting correctly. The available documentation does not establish a universal retention period or dashboard query range, so choose time windows that match your storage policy and verify that the selected interval contains points.
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Decide whether you need Kapacitor
You do not need Kapacitor merely to collect metrics or view them in Chronograf. Add it when a condition must be evaluated automatically and produce an event. Examples include a sustained CPU threshold, a relative change from a baseline, or a deadman condition indicating that a host stopped reporting.
Use the alert types Chronograf exposes
Chronograf documents threshold, relative, and deadman alert types. A threshold alert evaluates a value against a defined boundary. A relative alert evaluates change in relation to another value or baseline. A deadman alert checks whether expected data continues to arrive. Choose the type that matches the failure mode instead of treating every warning as a simple high-value threshold.
Attach event handlers deliberately
Kapacitor can deliver events through handlers such as Slack and PagerDuty. Configure a destination only after you have tested the task with known data. Start with a non-disruptive notification or a controlled test condition, then tune evaluation windows and recovery behavior so a transient spike does not create an unmanageable stream of messages.
Keep alert definitions close to the measurements and tags they evaluate. If a task references the wrong database, measurement, or host tag, Kapacitor may remain healthy while silently evaluating no matching points. Verify the underlying query in InfluxDB first.
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| Symptom | Likely checks | Corrective action |
|---|---|---|
Telegraf is running but the telegraf database is empty |
InfluxDB service, output URL, database name, credentials, and Telegraf logs | Restore InfluxDB reachability, correct the [[outputs.influxdb]] block, then restart Telegraf |
| The database exists but no CPU points appear | System input configuration and recent timestamps | Confirm the CPU input is enabled and inspect the agent log for plugin errors |
| Chronograf opens but shows no hosts | InfluxDB address and port 8086, selected database, and query time range |
Correct the Chronograf source and confirm points through the InfluxDB API |
| Chronograf cannot connect to Kapacitor | Kapacitor service status, address, and port 9092 |
Start or fix Kapacitor, allow only the required network path, and register it again |
| Remote Telegraf agents cannot write | Private routing, provider firewall, host firewall, authentication, and InfluxDB bind address | Permit only the agent networks and use the remote InfluxDB address in each Telegraf output |
| Docker Telegraf reports connection refusal | Whether its output uses container-local localhost instead of the InfluxDB service address |
Use the reachable Compose network endpoint and verify published versus internal ports |
Operate the VPS safely after deployment
Check the data path after every change
After changing a package, container definition, firewall rule, output URL, or input plugin, validate in this order: service status, Telegraf logs, InfluxDB database and recent points, Chronograf host view, and finally Kapacitor task state. This order isolates collection failures from presentation and alerting failures.
Keep configuration and credentials controlled
Protect /etc/telegraf/telegraf.conf and any files containing database credentials. Back up configuration alongside the Compose definition if you use containers. Do not put InfluxDB or Kapacitor on a public interface simply to make Chronograf convenient; route administrative access through a restricted network instead.
Plan capacity from observation, not a universal number
The published setup material provides no benchmark for CPU overhead, memory requirements, retention duration, or a maximum host count. Monitor the VPS itself while adding inputs and dashboards. If storage growth or query load becomes a concern, separating services gives you independent scaling and administration options, but it does not remove the need to measure your workload.
A practical deployment checklist
- Confirm that the Ubuntu release and package or image versions are currently supported.
- Choose package services or Docker Compose and document where each component runs.
- Install and start InfluxDB before Telegraf.
- Set Telegraf’s
[[outputs.influxdb]]URL anddatabase = "telegraf". - Start Telegraf with
sudo systemctl start telegrafand verify that it stays active. - Query InfluxDB for recent CPU data such as
usage_idle. - Install Chronograf only after ingestion works; connect it to port
8086. - Add Kapacitor on port
9092only when processing or alerts justify it. - Restrict ports
8888,8086, and9092to required networks. - Test dashboards and alert tasks with known data before relying on them for incident response.
For most small VPS deployments, the reliable sequence is therefore: run InfluxDB, point Telegraf at it, prove that the telegraf database contains current host measurements, add Chronograf for visibility, and add Kapacitor only for automated processing and notifications. That order keeps the core monitoring path simple while leaving room to expand into dashboards and alerting.
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