Creating RMF data sources

To access RMF Monitor III metrics in Grafana, you need to connect to the Distributed Data Server (DDS) by adding an RMF data source.

Before you begin

You must have installed the RMF for z/OS Grafana plugin. See Installing the RMF for z/OS plugin on Grafana.
You must know the hostname and port number of DDS.

Go to Apps > IBM RMF > Add RMF Data Source.
Alternatively, you can click Administration > Data sources > + Add new data source, then search for the IBM RMF to choose a data source type.
Note: The navigation of the user interface can differ based on the Grafana version that is currently installed.
Enter a name for the data source in the Name field.
Optional: Set Default to ON to make the added data source the default one.

Note: When you create new panels, the default data source is preselected.

Enter the details for the following fields in the HTTP section:

Fields	Action
DDS URL	Enter the URL of the DDS in this field. The format of the URL is http://`hostname`:`port_number`[/`path`] or https://`hostname`:`port_number`[/`path`] Important: In the DDS URL, the /`path` is optional, and you must exclude it in the default network configuration. However, it might be required in more advanced setups, such as when DDS functions behind a reverse proxy.
Timeout	Specify the duration, in seconds in this field, for which Grafana is allowed to wait for a connection to the DDS before it closes the connection. The default value is `60`.
Compression	This option is enabled by default, which means that when RMF requests data from DDS, HTTP compression is utilized, provided that the DDS is operating on a maintenance level OA67541. The compression setting is ignored if DDS is not at this maintenance level. You can turn off HTTP compression by setting the Compression option to `OFF`, resulting in DDS data being always transferred in an uncompressed format.

Optional: Set the Skip TLS Verify option to ON if you are accepting any certificate presented by the DDS and any hostname listed in that certificate. However, this practice is not considered secure and is typically used in development or testing environments.

Note: By default, the Skip TLS Verify option is set to OFF.
Set the Basic Auth option to ON to create the data source with basic authentication.
Enter the credentials of the DDS in the User and Password fields.

Note: The User and Password fields are visible only when you enable the basic authentication.
Specify the size of the cache (in MB) for the data source in the Size field.

Remember: The value must be greater than or equal to 128. The default value is 1024.
Click Save & test.
The Data source is working message is displayed if the connection to DDS succeeds.

You have added the RMF data source.

You can refer to the RMF master dashboard topic for information about RMF master dashboard and its features.