Troubleshooting

• Custom Grafana Dashboard - YML Files not being processed
• Resolving “Login failed: User sync failed” Error in Grafana

Custom Grafana Dashboard - YML Files not being processed

What

You may notice that your Grafana dashboard won’t process data from YML files. This can happen if the API key is regenerated for FileWave, but the file that Grafana uses is not updated. As recently as FileWave 14.9.0, this can be an issue with an easy solution outlined below. Development is looking at possibly always overwriting this file at server startup which would eliminate this problem from appearing, and it should only appear as an issue if the API key for the server is regenerated, causing it to not match. For most customers, this is not likely to be an issue.

When/Why

When you 3.1.2 Testing the Prometheus Scrape as you set up a custom Dashboard with a YML file, you may see that the files show “DOWN,” as seen below. This is a sign that you are experiencing this issue. You’ll also see no data on your widgets in the Dashboard.

How

To fix this issue, SSH to your server and remove the file, as shown below. the bearer_token_file has the wrong API key, and if you restart FileWave after deleting it, then a new correct one will be regenerated. If you are a hosted customer, then you will need support to remove this file for you, and very likely, they helped you upload the YML file, to begin with.

rm /usr/local/etc/filewave/prometheus/conf.d/bearer_token_file
/usr/local/bin/fwcontrol server restart

Resolving “Login failed: User sync failed” Error in Grafana

What

This article addresses the issue of encountering a “Login failed: User sync failed” error when logging into Grafana through FileWave Anywhere.

When/Why

This error occurs when there is a username conflict between Grafana and FileWave. Specifically, if an administrator user named “admin” is created in FileWave Central, it conflicts with Grafana’s internal use of the “admin” username. This issue is common when administrators use the “admin” username in FileWave Central -> Preferences -> Manage Administrators and then attempt to log in to the FileWave Dashboard via Grafana.

How

To resolve this issue, you need to avoid using the “admin” username in FileWave. Follow these steps assuming the user is a built-in user rather than one coming from an LDAP or IdP:

1.  Access FileWave Central:
   • Open FileWave Central.
   • Navigate to Preferences -> Manage Administrators.
2. Rename the “admin” Account:
   • Identify if an “admin” user exists.
   • Rename this user to a specific named account, such as “Bob Randall”.
   • Ensure the new username is unique and does not conflict with other system usernames.
3. Create Named Accounts:
   • Create individual named accounts for each administrator. For example, use names like “Jane Doe” or “John Smith”.
   • This practice not only prevents conflicts with Grafana but also ensures clarity and accountability.
4. Update Login Credentials:
   • Inform all administrators about their new login credentials.
   • Update any saved login credentials in browsers or password managers accordingly.

Related Links

• Managing FileWave Administrators

Digging Deeper

Grafana, a popular open-source platform for monitoring and observability, utilizes a default “admin” user account for its initial setup. FileWave administrators often use the “admin” username for simplicity, which leads to conflicts. It is a best practice to avoid generic usernames such as “admin” or “root” in any system to prevent potential conflicts and security issues.

By adopting named accounts, organizations can enhance their security posture and improve user accountability. Named accounts make it easier to track who made specific changes, which is crucial for auditing and compliance purposes.

For more information on managing administrators in FileWave and avoiding username conflicts, refer to the official FileWave and Grafana documentation linked above.