Create custom analysis dashboards

Analysis dashboards allow you to troubleshoot multi-faceted issues, consolidate data views as charts and graphs, and compare metrics, data, and logs. Instead of finding individual entities in the Entity Explorer and reviewing data separately, create a custom analysis dashboard to compare metrics for all or individual entities.

Create an analysis dashboard

Use this type of Dashboard when you want to perform an analysis by vertically comparing metric time series in a single view.

1. Click Dashboards in the left column.

2. Click Create Dashboard in the top right.

3. Select Analysis.

4. Add widgets for analysis.

   1. In the Available Data panel, find a metric to display in the widget. To quickly locate the metric, search for the metric by name or select an entity type to filter the list of metrics by type.

      To view descriptions of the key metrics for each entity in SolarWinds Observability SaaS, see Metrics for SolarWinds Observability SaaS entities.

   2. To show a single entity's data in the widget, select an entity type and entity from the drop-down menus.

      Depending on the entity selected, the Related Entities drop-down may display other entities that are related to the selected entity or monitored elements for the selected entity. Select an entity or element from the drop-down to see its data and add it to the dashboard.

   3. Click and drag a metric from the list to the dashboard on the right.

5. Optionally, refine the widget's data, look, and title. Click Edit () on the widget and edit as necessary. See Edit or delete widgets.

6. Optionally, change the position or size of widgets on the dashboard.

   1. To move a widget, click the widget and drag it to its new position.

   2. To change a widget size, position the mouse cursor over the bottom right corner of the widget. When the cursor changes, drag the corner to adjust the widget size.

7. Click Save.

8. Type a name for the dashboard and click Create Dashboard.

   To hide the dashboard for all users except for you, select the Private box.

Edit the widgets in the dashboard

1. In SolarWinds Observability SaaS, click Dashboards in the left column.

2. Find the analysis dashboard you want to modify. See View a dashboard for how to find a dashboard.

3. Click to view the dashboard, then click Edit Dashboard.

4. While in edit mode, you can add widgets, drag and drop widgets, edit, or delete widgets.

5. When you finish the edits, click Save. Your changes are applied.

Add widgets to the dashboard

Add widgets for analysis.

1. In the Available Data panel, find a metric to display in the widget. To quickly locate the metric, search for the metric by name or select an entity type to filter the list of metrics by type.

   To view descriptions of the key metrics for each entity in SolarWinds Observability SaaS, see Metrics for SolarWinds Observability SaaS entities.

2. To show a single entity's data in the widget, select an entity type and entity from the drop-down menus.

   Depending on the entity selected, the Related Entities drop-down may display other entities that are related to the selected entity or monitored elements for the selected entity. Select an entity or element from the drop-down to see its data and add it to the dashboard.

3. Click and drag a metric from the list to the dashboard on the right.

Change the position or size of widgets on the dashboard

1. To move a widget, click the widget and drag it to its new position.

2. To change a widget size, position the mouse cursor over the bottom right corner of the widget. When the cursor changes, drag the corner to adjust the widget size.

Edit or delete widgets

1. To delete a widget, click delete () on the widget.

   

2. To edit a widget, click Edit () on the widget. Change the widget definition.

   1. Define data for the widget.

      1. Expand Data and click Add Series.

      2. Select an entity type and entity.

      3. Select a Metric.

         To view descriptions of the key metrics for each entity in SolarWinds Observability SaaS, see Metrics for SolarWinds Observability SaaS entities.

      4. If appropriate, specify the unit.

      5. To set decimal places, select the box, and type the number of places into the Precision box.

         The number in the box sets how many figures will be displayed in the tooltip, both before and after the decimal point. To only display the integer, select the Max Decimal Places box. Numbers larger than the setting in the box are displayed as integers. For example, if the box says 2, numbers like 100,000 will be displayed as 100.

         

      6. To limit displayed data, select a tag or type a string into the Filter box. Only data corresponding to the selected data will be shown.

      7. Select the Aggregation Method and Group By options in the drop-down menus.

         For Network Devices, you can use the sw.collector.Nodes.DisplayName to group devices by display name and show the name together with the corresponding metric on your widget.

      8. Click the use Custom color toggle, and then select a color from the palette.

         • Enter a specific RGB, HSL, or HEX color code. Click the arrows at the bottom to select the desired code type, and then enter your color code.

         • Click the color dropper icon and then select the desired color.

         

      9. Specify whether you want to show data from the top or from the bottom and refine the number of items to be shown.

         

      10. To display another data set, click Add Series and repeat steps 2b - 2e.

   2. Define the look of the widget.

      1. Expand Visualization.

      2. Select a Chart Type.

      3. Specify the label, minimum value, maximum value, and decimal places for the Y axis.

      4. Specify the minimum and maximum values for Y-Axis values, or select the Auto checkbox.

         • To use values specified by the widget, select Auto. The field will be grayed out.

         • To specify the Min or Max value, clear the Auto checkbox, and specify the value.

      5. Review the decimal places for the Y axis and adjust if necessary.

      6. Specify the conversion factor.

      7. Select Show Legend to display an automatically generated legend.

         

   3. Define the title and subtitle.

      1. Click Options and type a title for the widget.

      2. If appropriate, provide a subtitle.

      3. To add a link to the widget, select Add Link, and provide a label and link URL. The link is displayed as a button on the widget.

3. When you finish the edits, click Save. Your changes are applied.

Rename a dashboard

1. In SolarWinds Observability SaaS, click Dashboards in the left column.

2. Find the dashboard you want to modify. See View a dashboard for how to find the dashboard.

3. Click the vertical ellipsis at the end of the row and click Edit, or click to view the dashboard, then click the vertical ellipsis in the upper-right corner of the dashboard and click Dashboard Settings.

4. Adjust the Dashboard name.

5. Click Update to save the changes.

Make a dashboard private or public

1. In SolarWinds Observability SaaS, click Dashboards in the left column.

2. Find the dashboard you want to modify. See View a dashboard for how to find the dashboard.

3. Click the vertical ellipsis at the end of the row and click Edit, or click to view the dashboard, then click the vertical ellipsis in the upper-right corner of the dashboard and click Dashboard Settings.

4. Select or clear the Private checkbox to set the visibility of the dashboard.

   • To make the dashboard visible only to you, select the Private box.
   • To make the dashboard the rest or your organization, clear the Private box.

5. Click Update to save the changes.