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Dashboards

Dashboards provide powerful visualization capabilities for monitoring compliance metrics, system health, and key performance indicators. This section will guide you through understanding, creating, and managing dashboards.

Overview​

STATUS dashboards, powered by Grafana, allow you to:

  • Visualize Data: Create charts, graphs, and tables
  • Monitor Real-Time: Watch compliance status in real-time
  • Set Up Alerts: Configure alerts for compliance violations
  • Customize Layouts: Arrange panels to your needs
  • Share Insights: Share dashboards with team members

Dashboard Overview Figure 1: STATUS dashboard example.

⚠️

Dashboards are built on Grafana but integrated with STATUS for seamless access and authentication. You don't need a separate Grafana account.

Access Dashboards​

To access dashboards:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section from main navigation
  2. View the list of available dashboards
  3. Click on a dashboard name to open it
  4. The dashboard will open in a new tab with Grafana interface

Dashboards List Figure 2: Dashboards list view.

ℹ️

Some dashboards may require specific permissions to access. Contact your administrator if you cannot access a dashboard.

Dashboard Types​

STATUS provides different types of dashboards:

Compliance Dashboards​

Monitor overall compliance status:

  • Compliance Percentage: Overall compliance rate
  • Control Status: Status of individual controls
  • Trends Over Time: Compliance trends
  • Scope Breakdown: Compliance by scope

System Dashboards​

Monitor system health and performance:

  • System Status: Overall system health
  • Performance Metrics: Response times, throughput
  • Resource Usage: CPU, memory, disk usage
  • Error Rates: Error frequency and types

Operational Dashboards​

Monitor operational metrics:

  • Computation Status: Execution status of computations
  • Datasource Health: Status of datasources
  • Integration Health: Status of integrations
  • Alert Summary: Summary of active alerts

Dashboard Types Figure 3: Different dashboard types.

Create a Dashboard​

To create a new dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section
  2. Click on Create Dashboard button
  3. Configure the dashboard:
    • Name: Descriptive name for the dashboard
    • Description: What the dashboard displays
    • Folder: Organize dashboard in a folder
    • Tags: Add tags for easy searching
  4. Click Save to create the dashboard

Create Dashboard Form Figure 4: Create dashboard form.

Dashboard Editor​

After creating a dashboard, you'll enter the dashboard editor:

  1. Add Panels: Click Add to add new panels
  2. Configure Panels: Set up queries, visualizations, and options
  3. Arrange Layout: Drag and drop panels to arrange them
  4. Set Variables: Create template variables for dynamic dashboards
  5. Save Dashboard: Click Save to save your changes

Dashboard Editor Figure 5: Dashboard editor interface.

ℹ️

Grafana automatically saves drafts. Make sure to save your dashboard explicitly when you're done to make it available to others.

Dashboard Panels​

Panels are the building blocks of dashboards. Each panel displays data in a specific way.

Panel Types​

STATUS supports various panel types through Grafana:

Time Series​

Visualize data over time:

  • Use Cases: Trends over time, historical data
  • Features: Multiple series, thresholds, annotations
  • Customization: Colors, line styles, area fills

Time Series Panel Figure 6: Time series panel example.

Gauge​

Display current values with thresholds:

  • Use Cases: Current status, key metrics
  • Features: Thresholds, color coding, min/max
  • Customization: Orientation, labels, tick marks

Stat Panel​

Display key metrics at a glance:

  • Use Cases: Important numbers, summaries
  • Features: Large display, sparklines, color coding
  • Customization: Font size, colors, prefixes/suffixes

Stat Panel Figure 7: Stat panel example.

Table​

Display data in tabular format:

  • Use Cases: Detailed data, multiple fields
  • Features: Sorting, filtering, pagination
  • Customization: Column widths, colors, formatting

Pie Chart​

Show proportions and percentages:

  • Use Cases: Distribution, breakdowns
  • Features: Multiple categories, legends
  • Customization: Colors, labels, hole size

Pie Chart Panel Figure 8: Pie chart panel example.

Heatmap​

Show data density and patterns:

  • Use Cases: Patterns, distributions over time
  • Features: Color gradients, multiple axes
  • Customization: Color schemes, bucket sizes

Add a Panel​

To add a panel to a dashboard:

  1. Open dashboard in edit mode
  2. Click Add button in the top toolbar
  3. Select panel type from the panel picker
  4. The new panel will appear on the dashboard

Configure a Panel​

To configure a panel:

  1. Click on the panel title
  2. Select Edit from the dropdown menu
  3. Configure panel settings:
    • Title: Panel title
    • Queries: Data queries
    • Visualization Options: Type-specific options
    • Thresholds: Set warning/critical thresholds
    • Links: Add drill-down links
  4. Click Apply to save changes

Panel Configuration Figure 9: Panel configuration dialog.

⚠️

Each panel type has specific configuration options. Refer to Grafana documentation for detailed options for each panel type.

Dashboard Queries​

Queries define what data is displayed in panels.

Query Types​

STATUS data can be queried in different ways:

PostgreSQL Queries​

Query relational data from PostgreSQL:

SELECT
  date_trunc('day', created_at) as time,
  COUNT(*) as total,
  SUM(CASE WHEN value = true THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as passed
FROM computations
WHERE created_at > NOW() - INTERVAL '7 days'
GROUP BY date_trunc('day', created_at)
ORDER BY time;

MongoDB Queries​

Query document data from MongoDB:

db.computations.aggregate([
  {
    $match: {
      createdAt: { $gte: ISODate("2025-01-01") }
    }
  },
  {
    $group: {
      _id: "$controlId",
      count: { $sum: 1 },
      passed: { $sum: { $cond: ["$value", 1, 0] } }
    }
  }
])

Grafana Datasource Queries​

Use STATUS as a datasource in Grafana:

  1. Add STATUS as a datasource in Grafana
  2. Select the datasource in panel query editor
  3. Write your query using SQL or MongoDB syntax
  4. Configure time range and other options

Query Editor Figure 10: Grafana query editor.

Dashboard Variables​

Variables make dashboards dynamic and reusable.

Variable Types​

Query Variable​

Populate variable from a query:

SELECT DISTINCT catalog_name
FROM catalogs
ORDER BY catalog_name;

Custom Variable​

Define variable values manually:

  • Production
  • Staging
  • Development

Interval Variable​

Time interval options:

  • 1h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 7d, 30d

Constant Variable​

Fixed values for reuse:

  • Organization name
  • Default thresholds

Variable Configuration Figure 11: Variable configuration dialog.

Create a Variable​

To create a variable:

  1. Open dashboard in edit mode
  2. Click Dashboard settings (gear icon)
  3. Go to Variables tab
  4. Click Add variable
  5. Configure the variable:
    • Name: Variable name
    • Type: Variable type
    • Query/Data Source: Query or custom values
    • Selection Options: Multi-select, include all option
  6. Click Update to save variable
ℹ️

Variables are referenced in queries as $variable_name. Make sure to use the correct syntax in your queries.

Dashboard Alerts​

Alerts notify you when specific conditions are met.

Alert Types​

Threshold Alerts​

Alert when values exceed thresholds:

  • Warning: Value exceeds warning threshold
  • Critical: Value exceeds critical threshold
  • OK: Value returns to normal range

No Data Alerts​

Alert when no data is received:

  • No Data: No data for specified time period
  • OK: Data reception resumes

Query Alerts​

Alert based on query conditions:

  • Custom conditions using query results
  • Complex logic with multiple conditions

Alert Configuration Figure 12: Alert configuration panel.

Create an Alert​

To create an alert on a panel:

  1. Open dashboard in edit mode
  2. Click on a panel and select Edit
  3. Go to Alert tab
  4. Configure the alert:
    • Rule Name: Alert name
    • Condition: Alert condition (query, thresholds)
    • Frequency: How often to evaluate
    • No Data State: What to do when no data
    • Notification Channels: Where to send notifications
  5. Click Apply to save alert

Notification Channels​

STATUS supports various notification channels:

  • Email: Send alerts via email
  • Slack: Send alerts to Slack channels
  • Webhook: Send alerts to webhook URLs
  • Custom: Custom notification integrations
⚠️

Notification channels must be configured in Grafana. Contact your administrator if you need to set up new notification channels.

Manage Dashboards​

Once created, you can manage your dashboards:

Edit Dashboard​

To edit a dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section
  2. Click on the dashboard to open it
  3. Click Edit (gear icon) to enter edit mode
  4. Make your changes
  5. Click Save to save changes

Duplicate Dashboard​

To duplicate a dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section
  2. Click on the dashboard to open it
  3. Click Share (share icon)
  4. Select Save as
  5. Enter new dashboard name
  6. Click Save

Delete Dashboard​

To delete a dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section
  2. Click on the dashboard to open it
  3. Click Dashboard settings (gear icon)
  4. Click Delete dashboard
  5. Confirm deletion
ℹ️

Deleting a dashboard cannot be undone. Make sure you have exported a copy if you might need it later.

Export Dashboard​

To export a dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section
  2. Click on the dashboard to open it
  3. Click Share (share icon)
  4. Select Export
  5. Choose export format (JSON, etc.)
  6. Download the file

Import Dashboard​

To import a dashboard:

  1. Navigate to Dashboards section
  2. Click Import Dashboard button
  3. Upload the JSON file or paste JSON content
  4. Configure import options
  5. Click Import

Import Dashboard Figure 13: Import dashboard dialog.

Best Practices​

Follow these best practices for effective dashboards:

  1. Clear Purpose: Define clear purpose for each dashboard
  2. Target Audience: Design for intended users
  3. Optimize Performance: Use efficient queries and appropriate time ranges
  4. Use Variables: Make dashboards reusable with variables
  5. Logical Layout: Arrange panels logically (left-to-right, top-to-bottom)
  6. Consistent Naming: Use consistent naming conventions
  7. Document Dashboards: Add descriptions for dashboards and panels
  8. Monitor Alerts: Regularly review and update alerts
ℹ️

Effective dashboards require careful design and ongoing maintenance. Invest time in understanding your data and users' needs.

Troubleshooting​

Dashboard Not Loading​

If a dashboard is not loading:

  1. Check network connectivity
  2. Verify datasource connections
  3. Review browser console for errors
  4. Check Grafana logs
  5. Ensure you have necessary permissions

Queries Not Working​

If queries are not working:

  1. Verify query syntax is correct
  2. Check datasource is connected
  3. Ensure data exists for the time range
  4. Review query execution logs
  5. Test query in query editor

Alerts Not Firing​

If alerts are not firing:

  1. Verify alert conditions are correct
  2. Check notification channels are configured
  3. Ensure alerts are enabled
  4. Review alert evaluation logs
  5. Test alert with manual evaluation
⚠️

For complex issues, check Grafana documentation or contact support for assistance.