Although there may be plenty of information in Your Splunk server(s) , it’s not worth the effort if you cannot gain valuable data from Splunk. One way to gain benefit from data is making use of dashboards.
In Splunk it is easy to build dashboards that look stunning. However, you must be cautious not to provide excessive information to users, which could cause them to feel overwhelmed by the information.
The information you get from the dashboard should be easy to understand and comprehend at first glance. The goal of dashboards is to provide answers to questions, not to make users ask questions such as “What’s the fuss about? What’s the reason there are numerous visualizations? Do I have to look at the graph?”
In Splunk there are many options for making an interactive dashboard. You can choose from various types of visualization such as fields, forms filtering, colors and drill-down options. Get your Splunk certification training today and become certified.
How do you build an efficient dashboard? Then you’re at the right spot. Let me give you a few Splunk dashboard examples.
Create a Search Query that is appropriate for your needs
All it takes is the right search query. The first thing to do is think about the user instead of the information that you are searching for.
What are the questions that users will ask and what information are they hoping to receive? How well are they acquainted with the information? Do you require a way to supplement the data by introducing an index table? What kind of data visualization will benefit the most?
The query you create will be from these queries. For instance, certain visualization applications require data in a certain format, such as the table that has two columns.
Additionally, a search request must return information quickly. There are some general guidelines to follow, including:
Do not use not to use expressions.
Use wildcards sparingly.
Make sure you use the transform commands in the right sequence.
A search query should be precise. The larger the field numbers you include the more precise. Additionally, when using fields, you are able to utilize variables to make search queries reusable. We’ll get into more detail about this in the future. Take the official documentation of Splunk to find out more about how to design more efficient queries. Check out this Splunk installation and configuration today.
Create Layouts and Interactions
When users visit a dashboard it should be possible for them to follow a process while looking at the display. This means that every dashboard should be accompanied by a narrative or story.
Be in contact with the clients and have them ask questions. For instance, you could ask them what is the first thing they’d want to see on the dashboard.
Let’s suppose we’re discussing an online site. The first thing users might be interested in is the website’s errors. Users may also be interested in knowing the latency numbers as well as the server’s CPU as well as the CPU of the servers.
Another suggestion is to make the most of the white space that are visible on screen. Make sure you don’t make any white spaces on the screen. You want to make the dashboard appear more neat and tidy.
Include all the information that the user will require, especially in the case of the first time using the dashboard. The context should be balanced, which means that the names you use on the labels must be correct and not be generated by a computer.
Don’t force users to scroll further down for more details. If this happens, it could be due to the fact that the information they’re looking for isn’t in the first place. Maybe there’s information that is no longer required.
Keep in mind that a great dashboard can answer your questions. Reduce noise.
Select the Best Visual
It is possible to look through the various visualization options you can find in Splunk before deciding on one.
For instance, a conventional pie chart can provide greater insight when you notice 5 thousand mistakes. Perhaps the volume of traffic has increased, but the percentage of errors is low.
Another instance is to add in the average latency of websites. In this instance you’ll choose one value type. You can alter the colors to create a semaphore-like effect, including money or percentage symbols, or labels.
Another great visualization tool is the gauge that lets you make a simulation of a semaphore or thermostat.
It is possible to even use an interactive map to help you answer questions quickly just by watching the graph. By default, there is an American map. United States, but you can make your own.
If you are deciding the type of visualization you’ll choose be sure to use the right search query as different types of visualizations don’t require the data in the same format.
An important feature of Splunk is that whenever you conduct a search you will be able to see an array of suggested visualization options in the event that you’re not sure which to choose.
Utilize Forms, Fields and Filters
One of the most beneficial features of Splunk is the capacity to explore the various panels of the dashboard. If you’re not sure you could include fields in the dashboard to filter out the results. The feature is called forms.
In the dashboard, you are able to include as many fields as you like. For instance, you could include the type of time ranges or you can add an option type that can be either dynamic or static information from another search query.
For example, if you’re collecting information from landing pages on your website, you could create a search request to find all the different names of landing pages and then make it an option within the drop-down. It’s not necessary to change the drop-down every time a new landing page is added.
If you’ve added fields to your dashboards, you may make use of the values that users will choose as parameters for an inquiry that panels use. Splunk uses the values from these fields to tokens.
By field use, you’ll help query to be more precise. Be aware of the default values for fields, since they’ll be the first value the dashboard uses to display visualizations.
Make use of drilldowns to expand the Workflow
Did you remember that I mentioned earlier that you should make the most efficient use of the space you’ve got?
If people want to know more information from a visual it is not necessary to add more panels on the dashboard. When you display dashboards on screens at work it is important to not scroll to the right or left to view more.
The best thing are you able to do? expand the process of interaction by including drill-downs in dashboards. Alongside forms, drill-downs make your dashboards more interactive.
What exactly is a drill-down you might ask? It’s simply a link feature that allows users to click on data points such as a table, row, or any other item in a visualization that gives an amount.
This value can be used to launch the dashboard in a different way, or the creation of a new search query and even an outside URL. This is done to give users the opportunity to gain greater insight and look into the data for more details.
Keep Your Dashboards Healthy
Also, make certain to check periodically which dashboards you’re currently using and which ones you’re not. The less dashboards you have, the more efficient you’ll be when you’re trying to solve them. Be sure to label your dashboards properly early to help you to identify any ineffective dashboards later on. Your users shouldn’t have to be wasting time looking for the information they require to answer their questions , when the dashboard must be designed in a way that answers are easily accessible.
Furthermore it is possible to keep your area clean by eliminating dashboards that are no more effective or relevant. Get feedback from your users. Perhaps you’ll discover that they click often before they’ve found the information they require.
A good dashboard runs fast, provides the data you require in the first glance and assists you in navigating through the information using forms as well as drill-downs, fields, and forms.
The most important thing is to not build dashboards yourself. Your feedback from users is vital to their effectiveness.