Grafana & Atlassian – Making data visible, speeding up decision-making

Open-source observability, integrated with your Atlassian platform

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What is Grafana

Grafana is a leading open-source platform that enables teams to better understand and monitor their systems. Instead of having to search for metrics, logs and traces in lots of different places, Grafana brings this information together from almost any data source into flexible, interactive dashboards. This makes even complex system states quickly apparent – and teams can identify more quickly where things are going well, where risks are emerging and where they need to take action. 

Grafana is particularly valuable wherever technical data needs not only to be collected, but also to be presented in a way that is understandable for operations, development and decision-making.

An overview of core modules

Grafana Dashboards

Interactive visualisation of metrics from any data source

Grafana Alerting

Rule-based alerts with multi-channel notifications

Grafana Loki

Log aggregation and analysis (inspired by Prometheus)

Grafana Tempo

Distributed tracing for microservices architectures

Grafana Mimir

Long-term storage of Prometheus metrics at enterprise scale

Grafana OnCall

Incident Response and On-Call Management

Grafana Cloud

A fully managed SaaS service for the entire observability stack

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Smarter Together: How Grafana complements your Atlassian platform

1.
Alerts → Jira / JSM

When a Grafana alert is triggered, a Jira ticket or a JSM incident is automatically created. The metric, threshold and dashboard link are included straight away, so the team can get started without having to spend time searching.

2.
Confluence embedding

Grafana panels and dashboards can be embedded directly into Confluence pages. This allows stakeholders, project teams and architecture leads to view the latest key metrics right where reporting, post-mortems or documentation take place.

3.
Deployment annotations

Jira releases and Bitbucket deployments appear as annotations directly in Grafana dashboards. This makes it easy to see at a glance whether a deployment is linked to changes in performance, stability or user experience.

4.
Grafana OnCall + JSM

On-call escalations from Grafana OnCall can be routed directly to Jira Service Management. This ensures that alerts, responsibilities and incident handling remain seamlessly linked.

5.
Shared dashboards

Grafana dashboards can be shared directly as links within Jira tickets. This means that operations teams and developers are looking at the same data and can make joint decisions more quickly on what needs to be done.

6.
API-based automation

Using the Grafana API and Jira Automation, tickets can be created automatically according to clear rules, for example when metrics are out of the ordinary or recurring anomalies are detected. This reduces manual steps and ensures that relevant events are reliably routed to the correct workflow.

Grafana vs. Datadog – Complementary rather than mutually exclusive

Grafana and Datadog do not need to be viewed as competing with one another – in many teams, they deliver their greatest value precisely when used in tandem. Datadog offers robust APM and infrastructure capabilities, whilst Grafana supports open data sources, flexible dashboards and shared visibility across team boundaries. 

The table below shows how the two tools complement each other effectively and what roles they can play within a joint observability strategy.

Criterion
Licence model
Grafana
Open source (OSS) with optional commercial editions – ideal for teams that want to start flexibly and expand in a targeted manner later on
Datadog
Commercial SaaS model – suitable for teams that prefer a fully managed platform with a clearly defined set of features

 
Criterion
Data sources
Grafana
Highly compatible with Prometheus, InfluxDB, Elasticsearch, CloudWatch, custom databases and many other sources – useful if various monitoring stacks are already in use
Datadog
Strong on its own agents and with more than 750 integrations – useful when many systems need to be connected quickly and in a standardised way

 
Criterion
Hosting
Grafana
Self-managed, Grafana Cloud or dedicated environments such as StackIT – this allows hosting to be easily adapted to compliance, operational and data sovereignty requirements
Datadog
Fully managed SaaS service in US and EU regions – takes the operational burden off teams and enables a quick start without the need for in-house infrastructure

 
Criterion
Strength
Grafana
Grafana really comes into its own when different data sources need to be consolidated into flexible dashboards and made visible to multiple teams
Datadog
Datadog stands out with an integrated all-in-one platform, rapid onboarding and in-depth APM capabilities for applications and infrastructure

 
Criterion
Ideal for
Grafana
Teams with existing Prometheus or InfluxDB infrastructure, high data sovereignty requirements or a desire for an open visualisation layer
Datadog
Teams looking for a turnkey SaaS solution and wishing to utilise as many observability features as possible from a single source

 
Criterion
Can it be integrated?
Grafana
Yes. Grafana can integrate Datadog as a data source and incorporate existing Datadog metrics into shared, flexible dashboards
Datadog
Yes. Datadog provides valuable monitoring and APM data, which can be further visualised in Grafana and combined with other sources
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Typical use cases

Scenario 1:
Operations dashboards for SRE teams
For SRE and platform teams, Grafana provides a shared view of ongoing operations. Prometheus metrics, Loki logs and Tempo traces are consolidated into clear, organised dashboards, enabling everyone to understand what is happening more quickly. If a threshold is exceeded, this can automatically trigger a JSM incident – ensuring that observability and incident management are directly integrated.

Scenario 2:
Stakeholder reporting via Confluence
If technical metrics need to be made understandable to a wider audience, Grafana dashboards can be embedded directly into Confluence pages – for example, for sprint reviews, management updates or architecture documentation. Stakeholders can view up-to-date live data right where collaboration and decision-making take place, without having to open Grafana.

Scenario 3:
Deployment Correlation
Jira releases are displayed as annotations on Grafana dashboards, providing vital context for changes to the system. Teams can identify more quickly whether a deployment has affected performance or stability. If action is required, a Jira ticket can be created directly from the dashboard – ensuring that analysis and implementation remain closely linked.

Scenario 4:
Data-sovereign monitoring
For organisations with strict compliance requirements, Grafana Self-Managed can be run on StackIT or on their own infrastructure. This ensures that monitoring data remains in German data centres, whilst teams continue to work with flexible dashboards and Atlassian workflows. This creates a setup that combines control, transparency and collaboration.

Why Communardo?

Communardo supports you not only in implementing Grafana from a technical perspective, but also in integrating it effectively into your existing Atlassian platform and your work processes. Together, we’ll determine which data sources should be connected, which hosting model best suits your requirements and which Grafana edition is right for your project – drawing on concrete project experience rather than merely providing tool-based advice. We then provide support with setup, connecting data sources, creating dashboards, configuring alerts and integrating with Jira and Jira Service Management. Where data sovereignty is a key consideration, we also bring our experience with Grafana Self-Managed on StackIT and sovereign cloud infrastructure to bear. 

And even after go-live, we remain by your side: with managed services for day-to-day operations, updates, support and the monitoring of the monitoring system itself.

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Who can benefit from Grafana + Atlassian

Grafana and Atlassian become particularly valuable when technical metrics are not merely collected, but are directly utilised in operations, delivery and decision-making. This creates a shared view of systems, releases and risks – without creating additional silos.

For operations

  • Centralised dashboards consolidate metrics, logs and traces from various sources.
  • Alerts can automatically trigger Jira or JSM incidents – including context, threshold values and a dashboard link.
  • Teams can see what’s happening more quickly and prioritise incidents more effectively.

For Delivery & Engineering

  • Deployments, releases and pipeline metrics can be directly correlated with system behaviour.
  • Grafana dashboards in Confluence make technical metrics accessible for reviews, documentation and stakeholder updates.
  • Development and Operations work from the same data source rather than using separate tool views.

For Strategy, Governance & Procurement

  • The open-source core supports a vendor-neutral observability strategy.
  • Self-hosted options enable data-sovereign monitoring for regulated environments.
  • Costs remain manageable: start with OSS and add commercial features only where they are really needed.

Licensing & Procurement

Datadog offers licensing based on modules and volume. The right combination depends on your infrastructure and requirements:

Edition
Grafana OSS
The right choice for you if...
...you want to get started flexibly with a small team, in a start-up environment or in a lab, and value maximum openness
Highlights
Full range of dashboard features, community support
Licence model
Free (AGPLv3)

 
Edition
Grafana Cloud Free
The right choice for you if...
...you want to try out Grafana without any hassle to start with, or use a small setup without having to manage it yourself
Highlights
10,000 metrics, 50 GB of logs, 50 GB of traces
Licence model
Free

 
Edition
Grafana Cloud Pro
The right choice for you if...
...your team is growing, you need more capacity, and you want to make more professional use of alerting and SLO tracking step by step
Highlights
Extended limits, alerting, SLO tracking
Licence model
Pay-as-you-go

 
Edition
Grafana Cloud Advanced
The right choice for you if...
...you’re using Grafana in an enterprise environment and need greater control, security and reliable support
Key features
SSO, advanced RBAC, premium support
Licence model
Volume-based

 
Edition
Grafana Enterprise
The right choice for you if...
...you want to run Grafana yourself, but need enterprise features such as premium data sources, reporting and auditability
Highlights
Enterprise plugins, reporting, audit logs, premium data sources
Licence model
Subscription

 
Edition
Grafana Enterprise + StackIT
The right choice for you if...
...you work in a regulated environment and want to combine enterprise features with secure hosting
Highlights
All the features of Enterprise, hosted on secure infrastructure
Licence model
Subscription + Hosting

 

Communardo’s licensing benefits

  • Advice on the right edition and the optimal hosting model
  • Consolidated procurement alongside Atlassian and other partner licences
  • Support with migration from Grafana OSS to Cloud or Enterprise
  • Renewal management and proactive licence optimisation
Request advice on Grafana licences

FAQ

Grafana OSS is completely free and open source (AGPLv3). Commercial editions are available for enterprise features such as RBAC, reporting, audit logs and premium data source plugins. Grafana Cloud offers a free starter plan with limited capacity.

That depends on your setup. Grafana excels when it comes to custom data sources (Prometheus, InfluxDB, your own databases), data-sovereign hosting and maximum flexibility. Many companies use Datadog for APM and infrastructure, and Grafana for custom dashboards and data sources that Datadog does not natively support. The two can complement each other.

Yes – Grafana Self-Managed (OSS or Enterprise) can be run on StackIT infrastructure. This ensures that all monitoring data remains in German data centres. Communardo provides support with setup and operation.

Basic integration (Alerts → Jira, embedding dashboards in Confluence) can be set up within a few hours. For more complex set-ups (deployment annotations, OnCall integration, automated workflows), we typically allow 2–5 days, depending on the scope.

Yes – Grafana can visualise any data source that provides an API or database connection. This includes business KPIs from SQL databases, Google Sheets, Excel or your own APIs. This makes Grafana suitable for management dashboards in Confluence as well.

Do you have any questions or would you like some advice from us?

Arrange a personal, no-obligation consultation with our Atlassian Sales Experts.

Marlen Kaiser, Team Leader Customer Acquisition bei Communardo Software GmbH

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Marlen Kaiser
Team Lead Customer Acquisition

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