Skip To Content

Add serial charts

A serial chart visualizes one or more series of data points along a category (x) axis and a value (y) axis and is especially useful when plotting temporal data such as metrics or comparing the relationship of two fields. Serial charts can be configured to visualize data as a line, bar, or scatter chart. You can also invert the axis to display the data in a horizontal or vertical format. To add a serial chart to an analysis view, complete the following steps:

  1. Access edit mode for the analysis view to which you want to add a serial chart.
  2. Click Add element > Serial chart.

    The Select dataview dialog box appears with a list of dataviews.

  3. Click Create dataview or proceed to step 9 to use an existing dataview.

    The Create dataview dialog box appears.

  4. Provide a name for the dataview in the Name text box.
  5. Optionally, provide a description for the dataview in the Description text box.
  6. Use the expression builder to choose the type of data to display in the chart.

    For example, to build an expression that contains the CPU Utilized metric for components, do the following:

    1. Click Resource and choose Components.
    2. Next to Components, click Join and choose Metrics.

      The join clause appears under Components.

    3. Next to Metrics, click Where.

      The where clause appears under Metrics.

    4. Under Metrics, click the Select a field drop-down arrow and choose Identifier.
    5. Leave the operator set to is.
    6. Click the Select drop-down arrow and choose cpu_utilized.
      Tip:

      To provide a custom value, click Source type: Choose value Source type: Choose value and click Enter value.

    7. Next to Metrics, click Join and choose Metrics data.

      The join clause appears under Metrics.

  7. Optionally, click Test to test the expression.

    Data that matches the expression appears on the tabs next to the expression.

  8. Click Create dataview.

    The dataview appears in the Dataviews list and is automatically selected.

    Tip:

    To duplicate a dataview and use it as a base for similar types of data, click More options and click Duplicate Duplicate. To edit a dataview, click More options and click Edit Edit. To delete a dataview, click More options and click Delete Delete.

  9. Choose a dataview from the list and click Select.

    The Serial chart dialog box appears.

  10. Optionally, click Filter to create a query to filter the data returned by the dataview.
  11. Click the Category field drop-down arrow and choose the field to use for the category.

    For example, to group CPU Utilized metric values by the time they were observed, choose Observed at.

    Tip:

    Click the tabs under the chart preview to view the data returned by the dataview.

  12. Click the Statistic type drop-down arrow and choose the type of statistic to show in the chart.

    For example, to show an average of the CPU Utilized metric values over the course of the view's time range, choose Average.

  13. Click the Statistic field drop-down arrow and choose the field that contains the data to evaluate.

    For example, to show the value of the CPU Utilized metric, choose Value.

  14. Optionally, click Split by field and configure the data series.
    1. Click the Split by field drop-down arrow and choose the field to use to split the data.

      For example, to split the data by component name, choose Component Name.

    2. Click the Order by field drop-down arrow and choose the field to use to sort the series.
    3. Click the sort order drop-down arrow under Order by field and choose the method to use to sort the field values.

      The order is inherited from the aggregation defined in the chart's value axis.

    4. Provide a value in the Series limit text box to limit the number of data series that appear in the chart.

      The maximum number of data series is 10.

    Tip:

    To turn off Split by field, click Remove.

  15. Optionally, click Date filter and choose a date field from the Date filter field drop-down menu to allow the chart to be filtered by the analysis view's time range options.

    If the field you chose for Category field is a datetime field, date filtering is automatically enabled and cannot be modified.

    Tip:

    To turn off date filtering, click Remove Remove.

  16. Click Chart on the side of the dialog box.

    The Chart tab appears.

  17. Choose a chart type next to Type.

    The chart preview is updated to match the chosen chart options.

  18. If you chose Bar as the Type value, optionally, turn on the Stacked toggle button to create a stacked bar chart.
  19. If you chose Line as the Type value, optionally, turn off Show vertices to remove vertices from the chart.
  20. Choose the chart orientation next to Orientation.
  21. Optionally, provide a title for the chart's category axis in the Category axis title text box.
  22. Optionally, provide a title for the chart's statistic axis in the Statistic axis title text box.
  23. Optionally, provide a value for the series name in the Format series name text box.

    You can manually type a value in the text box and add dynamic text by clicking Add field Add field and choosing fields from the pop-up menu.

  24. Optionally, turn on the Legend toggle button to add a legend to the chart, and choose a Position setting.
    Tip:

    The legend can also be used to hide a data series in the chart or to show a data series that was hidden.

  25. Optionally, choose one of following settings under Show related alerts to configure how alert thresholds and alert windows appear in the chart:
    • Never—No alert thresholds or alert windows appear in the chart.
    • On hover—Alert thresholds and alert windows are shown when you hover over a series in the chart or the name of the series in the chart's legend.
    • Always—Alert windows are always shown in the chart.

      When Show related alerts is set to Always, the alert window shows the series with the highest status level by default. To show the alert window and alert threshold for an individual series, hover over the series in the chart or the name of the series in the chart's legend.

    Show related alerts is only available when the Category field value is set to Metrics data: Observed at, the Statistic field value is set to Metrics data: Value, and the Split by field value is set to Metrics data: Metric ID or Metrics: ID.

  26. Optionally, turn on the Show alert ranges toggle button to show alert ranges and the duration of alerts for a data series when you hover over a data point in the chart or an item in the chart's legend.
  27. Click General on the side of the dialog box.

    The General tab appears.

  28. Optionally, provide a title for the chart in the Title text box.
  29. Optionally, provide a description for the chart in the Description text box.
  30. Click Done.

    The chart appears in the analysis view.

  31. Optionally, hover over the chart and use the buttons to perform the following actions:
    • Drag Move Move to move the chart to a new location in the analysis view.
    • Click Configure Configure to edit the chart.
    • Click Duplicate Duplicate to duplicate the chart.
    • Click Delete Delete to delete the chart.
    • Drag Resize Resize to change the size of the chart.
  32. When you finish adding elements to the analysis view, click Save.
    Tip:

    You can also click the Save drop-down arrow and click Save as to save the analysis view with a new name and description.

Related topics