Viewing Classic Dashboards

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This section describes how to view dashboards in the classic Skylar One (formerly SL1) user interface. You can access dashboards created in the classic Skylar One user interface on the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards).

Use the following menu options to navigate the Skylar One user interface:

  • To view a pop-out list of menu options, click the menu icon ().
  • To view a page containing all of the menu options, click the Advanced menu icon ().

What is a Classic Dashboard?

A classic dashboard is a page that displays one or more graphical reports, called widgets in the classic Skylar One user interface.

To define a widget, you first select from a list of pre-defined widget definitions, and then customize what will be displayed by the selected widget by supplying values in the option fields provided by that widget.

Viewing a Classic Dashboard

You can access dashboards created in the "classic" user interface on the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface).

To view a "classic" dashboard in Skylar One:

  1. Go to the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface).

  2. In the Select Dashboard drop-down list in the top-left corner of the page, select the dashboard you want to view. The drop-down list is divided by dashboard category. The dashboards listed in this field include default dashboards supplied by ScienceLogic and custom dashboards that have been configured by the users in your organization who are responsible for creating dashboards.

    The Select Dashboard drop-down list includes a filter-while-you-type search box. As you enter text in the search box, Skylar One will search for and display only dashboard names that match the text.

  3. The main pane of the dashboard will display one or more graphs, charts, and tables, called widgets. The basic widget types are described in the section on Classic Base Widgets. Other widgets are described in the section on Additional Widgets.
  4. The following buttons are always displayed in the Dashboards tab page:
  • Actions. Displays a drop-down list of additional options. The options in this drop-down list that can be used when viewing a dashboard are described in the following sections:
  • Reset. Reloads the entire dashboard, updating the dashboard and widgets with any changes or new data.
  • Pause. Each widget in a dashboard is configured to refresh automatically after a set period of time. Click this button to stop all widgets on the dashboard from automatically refreshing. Click this button again to allow all widgets on the dashboard to automatically refresh.
  • Refresh. Tells each widget in the dashboard to refresh and update with any new data. This button does not reload the dashboard itself; if another user has reconfigured or moved a widget, those changes will not be displayed if you click this button.

Viewing the Base Widgets

The Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface) for Skylar One includes several built-in widgets that are designed to cover most use-cases. For details on each of these widgets, see the section on base widgets.

The base widgets include:

Viewing Other Widgets

The Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface) for Skylar One includes additional widgets (in addition to the base widgets). These additional widgets perform a single task or collect data from a specific application.

For descriptions of the most commonly-used additional widgets that are available from ScienceLogic, see the section on additional widgets.

Using Control Widgets

On the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface), depending on how a dashboard is configured, you might be able to make selections in one or more widgets that define what is displayed in other widgets in the dashboard.

For example, an instance of the custom table widget might be configured to display a list of organizations from which you can select one or more organizations. An instance of the Leaderboard/Top-N widget on the same dashboard might be configured to display information about only the organizations selected in the custom table widget.

For details on widgets that drive context and widgets that are contextually driven, see the section on Creating a Dashboard with Context Selectors.

TIP: Your selections do not affect how other users view a dashboard. To familiarize yourself with the control widgets in a specific dashboard, try clicking on the graphical elements within each widget.

Widgets that Drive Context

The Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface) for Skylar One includes a Context Quick Selector widget that does not display information and is used only to control what is displayed in other widgets.

If the Context Quick Selector widget appears on a dashboard, you can control what is displayed in one or more other widgets by making the following selections in the Quick Selector widget:

  • If the time span selector is included in the Quick Selector widget, you can control the time span of information that is displayed by clicking one of the time span buttons to the left of the widget. You can set a custom time span by clicking the down arrow button (V) and entering a specific duration. You can set a custom start and end time by clicking the down arrow button (V) again and entering values in the Start Time and End Time fields.
  • If the appropriate selectors are enabled, you can control the entities that are displayed by selecting one or more Organizations, Devices, Device Groups, or IT Services from the drop-down lists:
  • When you select a drop-down list, a list of available Organizations, Devices, Device Groups, or IT Services is displayed with a checkbox for each Organization, Device, Device Group, or IT Service.
  • You can filter the items that are displayed in the list by entering text in the field that appears at the top of the list. The list will display only items that match the text you enter.
  • To de-select all checkboxes in a list, select the checkbox icon () that appears above the list.

In addition to the Quick Selector widget, the following widgets can be configured to allow you to select what is displayed in other widgets:

  • Context Quick Selector (VMware). Like the Context Quick Selector widget, the Context Quick Selector VMware widget does not display collected data. Instead, the Context Quick Selector VMware widget is used only to control what is displayed in other widgets (drive context), specifically widgets that display data from VMware.
  • Custom Table. If a checkbox is displayed for each row in the table, you can define which entities are displayed in one or more other widgets in the dashboard by selecting one or more checkboxes.
  • Leaderboard/Top-N. Depending on the configuration of the widget, selecting one or more graphical elements that represent utilization for a device will define which performance metrics are displayed in one or more other widgets in the dashboard. You can select multiple elements by holding down the Ctrl key (or Command on Apple computers).
  • Leaderboard/Top-N (Secondary Data). Depending on the configuration of the widget, selecting one or more graphical elements that represent utilization for a device will define which performance metrics are displayed in one or more other widgets in the dashboard. You can select multiple elements by holding down the Ctrl key (or Command on Apple computers).
  • Traffic Light. Depending on the configuration of the widget, you can select one or more devices, organizations, device groups, or IT Services and those selected entities will be displayed in other widgets in the dashboard.

NOTE: The Leaderboard/Top-N widget drives performance metrics only in the Gauge/Meter widget and the Multi-series Performance widget.

Saving a Context

On the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface), in a dashboard that allows you to select what will be displayed in one or more widgets, you can save one or more sets of selections. A set of selections is called a context. You can load a saved context using the Context Selector field (to the right of the New button).

To save a context, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the Context button and then select Create.
  2. In the pop-up window that appears, enter a name for the context and then click the OK button. This name will immediately appear in the Context Selector field.
  3. Make one or more selections in the widgets that define what is displayed in other widgets.
  4. To save your selections, click the Context button and then select Save. Your selections are saved in the context that is displayed in the Context Selector field.
  5. When you open this dashboard again, you can re-load the saved selections by choosing the context in the Context Selector field.
  6. The Context button includes the following menu entries:
  • Create. Create a new context and save its name. The new context is loaded into the Context Selector field by default. Any selections you make can be saved to the currently loaded context.
  • Delete. Delete a saved context.
  • Rename. Provide a new name for a saved context.
  • Save. Save current selections to the currently loaded context.
  • Set As Default. Initially, the default context is defined by the user who creates the dashboard. Subsequently, each user can define a new default context. To save a context as the default context, make selections in the dashboard and select this menu option.

Contexts are saved on a per-user basis, that is, when you create a context, it is viewable only to you. If a dashboard is shared, other users can save their own contexts, which you will not be able to view.

If you create a dashboard, the Context Selector field will include an option for Original Context, which is the first context defined for the dashboard. If you are viewing a dashboard but did not create it, the Context Selector field will include an option for Original Context only if the dashboard creator did not define a default context.

Widgets that Are Contextually Driven

On the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface), the following widgets can be configured to display information based on the selections in other widgets:

  • Custom Table. If an instance of the Custom Table widget is configured to read the selections you make, the Custom Table widget will update dynamically when you select specific organizations, device groups, IT Services, or devices.
  • Entity List. If an instance of the Entity List widget is configured to read the selections you make, the Entity List widget will update dynamically when you select a specific entity.
  • Gauge/Meter. If an instance of the Gauge/Meter widget is configured to read the selections you make, the Gauge/Meter widget will update dynamically when you select specific devices, IT Services, performance metrics, and/or a specific time span.
  • Leaderboard/Top-N. If an instance of the Leaderboard/Top-N widget is configured to read the selections you make, the Leaderboard/Top-N widget will update dynamically when you select specific organizations, device groups, IT Services, devices, and/or a specific time span.
  • Leaderboard/Top-N (Secondary Data). If an instance of the Leaderboard/Top-N (Secondary Data) widget is configured to read the selections you make, the Leaderboard/Top-N (Secondary Data) widget will update dynamically when you select specific organizations, device groups, IT Services, devices, and/or a specific time span.
  • Multi-series Performance. If an instance of the Multi-series Performance widget is configured to read the selections you make, the Multi-series Performance widget will update dynamically when you select specific devices, IT Services, performance metrics, and/or a specific time span.
  • SLA Gauge. If an instance of the SLA Gauge widget is configured to read the selections you make, the SLA Gauge widget will update dynamically when you select a specific IT Service and/or a specific time span.

Viewing Dashboards and Widgets in a Separate Window

The following options allow you to view an entire dashboard or a single widget in a separate window:

  • Dashboards tab > Actions menu > Kiosk. This option displays the current dashboard in a separate window with the header bar removed.
  • Dashboards tab > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Detach. This option displays the selected widget in a separate window. To detach a widget, click the Options menu for the widget (in the top-right corner of the widget pane) and then select Detach.

Printing and Exporting Classic Dashboards and Widgets

The following options allow you to view an entire dashboard or a single widget in a separate window:

  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > Actions menu >Print Dashboard. This option generates a static image of the current dashboard, in its current state, by calling the client browser's print function.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > Actions menu > Export Dashboard. This option generates a static image of the current dashboard, in its current state, by calling the client browser's print function.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Export. This option allows you to export a widget that displays a graph or chart, e.g. a Leaderboard/Top-N widget. To export a widget, click the Options menu for the widget (in the top-right corner of the widget pane) and then select Export. Skylar One displays the Export Widget modal page. For details. see the section on Exporting a Widget.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Print Chart. Loads a printer-friendly version of the widget in the same window as the dashboard and opens your browser's print dialog box. When the print dialog box closes, the window reverts back to displaying the dashboard.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Export:csv. Exports the data displayed in the widget in comma-separated values (.csv) format.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Export:png. Exports the graph or chart displayed in the widget as a .png image.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Export:xlsx. Exports the data displayed in the widget in Excel (.xlsx) format.
  • Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface > specific widget in dashboard > Options menu > Export:xlsx as pdf. Exports the data displayed in the widget in a spreadsheet in PDF format.

Scheduling a Dashboard

NOTE: This feature remains visible in Skylar One, but is not functional until a future Skylar One release.

You can export and email classic dashboards to users using the Schedule Dashboard option in the Actions menu. Skylar One will automatically export and email the dashboard to specified users at the specified date, time, and interval.

NOTE: Scheduled dashboards will use the default context of the user to whom they are being sent.

To schedule a classic dashboard:

  1. Go to the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface).
  2. Open the dashboard you want to export and email. You can do this by selecting the dashboard in the Select Dashboard field in the upper left.
  3. Click the Actions menu and select Schedule dashboard.
  4. The Dashboard Delivery Schedule modal page appears. The Dashboard Delivery Schedule modal page displays. It includes the following columns:
  • ID. Numeric ID assigned to the scheduled instance.
  • Wrench icon (). Click this icon to edit the scheduled instance of the dashboard. Leads to the Schedule Editor modal page.
  • Recipients. Specifies one or more users to whom Skylar One will email the exported dashboard.
  • Summary. Specifies the frequency at which Skylar One will export and email the dashboard.
  • Time. Specifies the time for the first time Skylar One exports and emails the dashboard.
  • Start. Specifies the date for the first time Skylar One exports and emails the dashboard.
  • Stop. Specifies the date at which Skylar One should stop automatically exporting and emailing the dashboard.
  • Bomb icon (). Deletes the scheduled dashboard.
  1. Click the Create button. The Schedule Editor modal page appears. Define the parameters for a new scheduled instance of a dashboard by entering values in the following fields:
  • Recipients. Specify one or more users to whom Skylar One will email the exported dashboard. When you click on this field, the Add Recipients modal page appears, where you can select one or more users.
  • Start. Click in the field and select the initial date on which Skylar One should export and email the dashboard.
  • Time. Click in the field and specify the initial time at which Skylar One should export and email the dashboard. Enter the time in the format hh:mm:ss (using a 24-hour clock).
  • Recurrence. Specify whether you want Skylar One to automatically export and email the dashboard at a specified interval. Choices are:
  • None.
  • By interval. Additional fields will appear that allow you to specify the interval.
  • Every X [weekday]. The instance will recur every month on the same week-number and weekday as the start date.
  • Every. Appears if you selected By Interval in the Recurrence field. Enter a number for the interval.
  • Interval. Appears if you selected By Interval in the Recurrence field. Select one of the following:
  • minutes
  • hours
  • days
  • years
  • no limit. Appears if you selected By Interval in the Recurrence field. Select this field if you do not want to specify an end-date for the scheduled dashboard.
  • until. Appears if you selected By Interval in the Recurrence field. Click in the field and select an end-date for the scheduled dashboard. Enter the date in the format .
  1. After defining and saving the fields in the Schedule Editor modal page, the Dashboard Delivery Schedule modal page displays the newly scheduled dashboard.

You can also view and manage all scheduled processes from the Schedule Manager page (Registry > Schedules > Schedule Manager). For more information, see the section on Managing Scheduled Tasks.

Editing a Scheduled Dashboard

To edit a scheduled instance of a classic dashboard:

  1. Go to the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface).

  1. Open the dashboard for which you want to edit the schedule. You can do this by selecting it in the Select Dashboard field in the upper left.
  2. Click the Actions menu and select Schedule dashboard.
  3. The Dashboard Delivery Schedule modal page appears. Click the wrench icon () for the scheduled dashboard you want to edit.
  4. The Schedule Editor modal page appears. In this page, you can edit one or more parameters for the scheduled dashboard.
  5. After defining and saving the fields in the Schedule Editor modal page, the Dashboard Delivery Schedule modal page displays the changes to the scheduled dashboard.

Deleting a Scheduled Instance

To delete a scheduled instance of a classic dashboard:

  1. Go to the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface).
  2. Open the dashboard for which you want to delete a schedule. You can do this by selecting it in the Select Dashboard field in the upper left.
  3. Click the Actions menu and select Schedule dashboard.
  4. The Dashboard Delivery Schedule modal page appears. Click the bomb icon () for the scheduled instance of the dashboard you want to delete.

Exporting a Widget with Its Own URL

The Export... option on the Classic Dashboards page (Dashboards > Classic Dashboards, or the Dashboards tab in the classic SL1 user interface) allows you to generate a URL that can be used to navigate directly to a specific widget. When you generate the URL, a unique record of the current configuration of the widget is saved. When a user navigates to the URL, they will see the widget as it was configured when you generated the URL but with updated information. The saved configuration includes all selections that are currently set in the dashboard context.

To generate a URL for a widget:

  1. Click the options menu for the widget (in the top-right corner of the widget pane) and then select Export.... The Export Widget modal page is displayed.
  2. Supply values in the following fields:
  • Server Address. Enter the URL or IP address of the Administration Portal, Database Server, or All-In-One Appliance to include in the generated URL. The default value in the Server Address field is the URL or IP address that you are currently using to access Skylar One. For example, if you are currently using secure HTTP to access an Administration Portal with the URL "em7.sciencelogic.com", the default value for this field is "https://em7.sciencelogic.com".
  • Authentication. Specify the method that Skylar One will use to authenticate a user that navigates to the URL. Choices are:
  • Standard EM7 Login. If a user navigates to the URL while they are not currently logged in to Skylar One, the user will be prompted to log in using the standard login screen.
  • HTTP Authentication. Skylar One will authenticate a request for the URL using standard HTTP authentication. To request the URL, you must supply a ScienceLogic username and password using the standard HTTP authentication mechanism.
  • Click the Export button to generate a URL with the specified parameters. The generated URL will appear in the Exported URL field.

  • If you want to include specific context settings in the URL, you can append context variables to the generated URL. To do this, use the following format:

    http://ap.server.url/em7/index.em7?exec=widget&standalone_widget_id=
    [1234]&context[<contextvar>]=<value>

    where:

  • contextvar. Is the type of context you want to set. Choices are:
    • devices. Specifies that you want to include device context.
    • devgroups. Specifies that you want to include device group context.
    • organization. Specifies that you want to include organization context.
    • services. Specifies that you want to include context for IT Services.
    • timespan. Specifies that you want to include context for date and time.
  • value. Is the value to assign to the context variable.

    • For the devices context variable, value is one or more device IDs.

    • For the devgroups context variable, value is one or more device group IDs.

    • For the organizations context variable, value is one or more organization IDs.

    • For the services context variable, value is one or more IT service IDs.

    • For the timespan context variable, value is a JSON-encoded value that specifies duration and interval. For example:

      &context[timespan]={"duration":2,"interval":"day"}

    • You can include an array of integers or strings as a value. For example, you could use something like the following to specify devices 1, 3, 4, 6, and 9:

      &context[devices]=1,3,4,6,9

NOTE: If you include a context variable in the URL, the context variable overrides the saved context for the exported widget. For example, if you export a widget that currently has a device context of device IDs "1", "2", and "3", and you use specify only device IDs "1" and "3" in the context variable, device ID "2" will not be included in the context.