Merge pull request #6107 from influxdata/docs/generalize-grafana-multinode

Enterprise multi-node recommendations and Python libraries update

Author: MeelahMe

assets/jsconfig.json

@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
   "baseUrl": ".",
   "paths": {
    "*": [
-    "*",
-    "../node_modules/*"
+    "*"
    ]
   }
  }

content/shared/v3-core-plugins/_index.md

@@ -523,27 +523,90 @@ influxdb3 create trigger \
 
 ### Install Python dependencies
 
-If your plugin needs additional Python packages, use the `influxdb3 install` command:
+Use the `influxdb3 install package` command to add third-party libraries (like `pandas`, `requests`, or `influxdb3-python`) to your plugin environment.  
+This installs packages into the Processing Engine’s embedded Python environment to ensure compatibility with your InfluxDB instance.
+
+{{% code-placeholders "CONTAINER_NAME|PACKAGE_NAME" %}}
+
+{{< code-tabs-wrapper >}}
+
+{{% code-tabs %}}
+[CLI](#)
+[Docker](#)
+{{% /code-tabs %}}
+
+{{% code-tab-content %}}
 
 ```bash
-# Install a package directly
+# Use the CLI to install a Python package
 influxdb3 install package pandas
+
 ```
 
+{{% /code-tab-content %}}
+
+{{% code-tab-content %}}
+
 ```bash
-# With Docker
+# Use the CLI to install a Python package in a Docker container
 docker exec -it CONTAINER_NAME influxdb3 install package pandas
 ```
 
-This creates a Python virtual environment in your plugins directory with the specified packages installed.
+{{% /code-tab-content %}}
+
+{{< /code-tabs-wrapper >}}
+
+These examples install the specified Python package (for example, pandas) into the Processing Engine’s embedded virtual environment.
+
+- Use the CLI command when running InfluxDB directly on your system.
+- Use the Docker variant if you're running InfluxDB in a containerized environment.
+
+> [!Important]
+> #### Use bundled Python for plugins
+> When you start the server with the `--plugin-dir` option, InfluxDB 3 creates a Python virtual environment (`<PLUGIN_DIR>/venv`) for your plugins.
+> If you need to create a custom virtual environment, use the Python interpreter bundled with InfluxDB 3. Don't use the system Python.
+> Creating a virtual environment with the system Python (for example, using `python -m venv`) can lead to runtime errors and plugin failures.
+> 
+>For more information, see the [processing engine README](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/blob/main/README_processing_engine.md#official-builds).
+
+{{% /code-placeholders %}}
+
+InfluxDB creates a Python virtual environment in your plugins directory with the specified packages installed.
 
 {{% show-in "enterprise" %}}
 
-### Connect Grafana to your InfluxDB instance
+## Distributed cluster considerations
+
+When you deploy {{% product-name %}} in a multi-node environment, configure each node based on its role and the plugins it runs.
+
+### Match plugin types to the correct node
+
+Each plugin must run on a node that supports its trigger type:
+
+| Plugin type        | Trigger spec             | Runs on                     |
+|--------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
+| Data write         | `table:` or `all_tables` | Ingester nodes              |
+| Scheduled          | `every:` or `cron:`      | Any node with scheduler     |
+| HTTP request       | `path:`                  | Nodes that serve API traffic|
+
+For example:
+- Run write-ahead log (WAL) plugins on ingester nodes.
+- Run scheduled plugins on any node configured to execute them.
+- Run HTTP-triggered plugins on querier nodes or any node that handles HTTP endpoints.
+
+Place all plugin files in the `--plugin-dir` directory configured for each node.
+
+> [!Note]
+> Triggers fail if the plugin file isn’t available on the node where it runs.
+
+### Route third-party clients to querier nodes
+
+External tools—such as Grafana, custom dashboards, or REST clients—must connect to querier nodes in your InfluxDB Enterprise deployment.
 
-When configuring Grafana to connect to an InfluxDB 3 Enterprise instance:
+#### Examples
 
-- **URL**: Use a querier URL or any node that serves queries
+- **Grafana**: When adding InfluxDB 3 as a Grafana data source, use a querier node URL, such as:
+`https://querier.example.com:8086`
+- **REST clients**: Applications using `POST /api/v3/query/sql` or similar endpoints must target a querier node.
 
-Example URL format: `https://querier.your-influxdb.com:8086`
 {{% /show-in %}}