Data explorer

Data explorer greatly enhances your abilities to query and chart metrics.

• Analyze multidimensional metrics, whether built in to Dynatrace or ingested from StatsD, Prometheus, Telegraf, and others channels.
• Choose from several visualization types.
• Add your visualization right to your dashboards for easy access and sharing.
• Provides a foundation for metric calculation in charts on dashboards.

Quick start

Create a chart

1. In the Dynatrace menu, go to Explore data.

2. On the Build tab, add a metric to your query.

   • Select a metric such as CPU usage % (builtin:host.cpu.usage)
   • Choose an aggregation (for example, Average, Minimum, or Maximum)
   • Select Split by dimensions
   • Specify Filter by criteria

   For details on building a query, see Query components and concepts and Examples below.

3. optional To review or edit the code for your query, switch to the Code tab.

4. Add and delete metrics as needed.

   • To add a new empty row, select Add metric and then repeat the previous step to define that row.
   • To make a copy of a metric that you have already added to the query, select More (…) > Duplicate and then edit the copy as needed.
     
   • To delete a metric, select More (…) > Delete.

5. optional To add or remove metric transformations for a row, select the transformations (+) button and then select or clear checkboxes as needed.
   

6. When you have specified your metrics, select Run query to take a first look at the chart.

7. Use the Settings panel to configure chart settings. The chart is updated with each change.

When you are satisfied with your chart, you can use it within Data explorer immediately or save it to a dashboard for future use.

Use the chart in 'Data explorer'

Chart elements are active. For example:

• To see details in tooltips, hover over chart elements
• To drill down from a problematic (red) element, select it.
• To hide or show a chart element, select the corresponding label in the chart legend

Pin the chart to a dashboard

To save the chart as a dashboard tile, select Pin to dashboard.

To return from the dashboard to Data explorer with the chart open for viewing and editing, open the menu in the upper-right corner of the tile and select View details. Now two buttons are displayed in the upper-right of the Data explorer:

• Save changes to dashboard—saves the chart to a same tile and dashboard you used to open the Data explorer. If you have made any changes, they will update the tile on your dashboard.
• Pin to dashboard—saves the chart as a tile on a different dashboard. You might want to pin the same chart (perhaps with filtering differences) to various dashboards.

For details about pinning tiles to dashboards, see Pin tiles to your dashboard.

Query components and concepts

Every metric query is composed of multiple optional components:

Limitations

• 5 metrics maximum per chart
• 100 series per metric

Examples

Table with two metrics (split)

In this example, we select metrics CPU usage % and Memory used %, break it down by host for both, and display it as a table, so that the rows are hosts and the columns show the metric values per host.

• A: CPU usage % (builtin:host.cpu.usage), Average, Split by Host
• B: Memory used % (builtin:host.mem.usage), Average, Split by Host
• Visualization: Table

The complete query should look like this:

Example tile:

Graph with two metrics

In this example, we select the same metrics and display them as a graph.

When you set Visualization to Graph, the Visual settings are displayed, where you can select how to graph each metric. In this case, CPU usage % is an area chart (the area between 0 and the value of the metric is filled in) and Memory used % is a line chart (a single line representing the value of the metric over time).

• A: CPU usage % (builtin:host.cpu.usage), Average, Split by Host
• B: Memory used % (builtin:host.mem.usage), Average, Split by Host
• Visualization: Graph
• Visual settings:
  • A = Area
  • B = Line

The complete query should look like this:

Example tile:

See below to explore other visualization types.

Visual settings

The visual settings determine how each metric is displayed.

Visualization

Dynatrace offers the following visualization types.

Graph

Shows query results as a graph.

Example query

Example tile

• A graph can show up to 20 series per metric.

• Each metric can be displayed as a line, column, or area, and can have its own color palette.

• Each chart has three threshold color settings and corresponding percentage values.

• Shows a chart of selected metrics within the query.

  To change the metric selection

  Select the letters next to the metrics you want to visualize. In this example, we would change the selection from A (CPU usage % only) to both A and B (CPU usage % and Memory used %).
  

Pie

Shows query results as a pie chart.

Example tile

• By default, visualizes the first metric in the query.

  To change the metric selection

  Select the letter next to the metric you want to visualize. In this example, we would change the selection from A (CPU usage %) to B (Memory used %).
  

Single value

Shows query results as a single value charted over time.

Example tile

• Shows the first metric of a multi-metric query, and merges all dimensions to a single aggregate.

  To change the metric selection

  Select the letter next to the metric you want to visualize. In this example, we would change the selection from A (CPU usage %) to B (Memory used %).
  

• optional Threshold background determines whether the threshold color is reflected in the background color of the tile.

  Threshold background off and on

  Threshold background off (top row) and on (bottom row):

• optional Display sparkline determines whether the tile displays a sparkline.

  Sparkline on

  

Table

Shows a table of selected metrics within the query.

Example tile

• Shows a table of selected metrics within the query.

  To change the metric selection

  Select the letters next to the metrics you want to visualize. In this example, we would change the selection from A (CPU usage % only) to both A and B (CPU usage % and Memory used %).
  

Top list

Shows query results as a top list.

Example tile

• By default, visualizes the first metric in the query.

  To change the metric selection

  Select the letter next to the metric you want to visualize. In this example, we would change the selection from A (CPU usage %) to B (Memory used %).
  

Heatmap

Shows query results as a heatmap.

Example

• By default, visualizes the first metric in the query.

  To change the metric selection

  Select the letter next to the metric you want to visualize. In this example, we would change the selection from A (CPU usage %) to B (Memory used %).
  

• The bucket settings are the number of buckets you want to display on each axis.

Show legend

To show or hide the chart legend, in the Visual settings section, turn Show legend on or off.

Connect gaps

To connect gaps in a chart, in the Visual settings section, turn on Connect gaps.

Connect gaps: before

Connect gaps: after

Rename a metric

You can change the name of a metric as it is displayed on the chart and in the chart legend. The query definition retains the metric's original name.

To rename a metric

1. In the Visual settings section, select Edit (pen icon) for the metric you want to rename.

   Example

   

2. Edit the name, and then select the checkmark to save the new name.

Chart mode

To change the chart mode for a metric, in the Visual settings section, set Chart mode to one of the following:

• Line
• Column
• Area

Color palette

To change the color palette for a metric, in the Visual settings section, select a new Color palette.

Entity linking

For better drilldown capabilities, we have added links to entities.

In this example, the visualization was showing a host behaving erratically. We selected it to see details about the host in a pop-up, and we can select the View host button to drill down directly to the Dynatrace page for that host.

Thresholds

To enhance your visualizations, you can set thresholds that are reflected in your visualization when the thresholds are exceeded. In this example, the red threshold is set to 70% and is reflected in two different example visualizations.

Graph chart example

In this example, everything above 70 percent is displayed with a red background because the red threshold is set to 70.

Single value example

In this example, the text is red because the metric value exceeded the red threshold.

Fold transformations and trendlines

(Applies only to value visualizations such as single value, pie, top list, and table.)

In certain cases, you need to see the last reported value for a metric, not the total aggregate over the time span. To do this, you can change Fold transformation from Total to Last value.

This will help you understand the current state and not the aggregated state over the time period. To also be able to determine if the current state is the common behavior of the time period, you can turn on Show trendline.

Axes

In the Axes section, you can control how the X axis and each Y axis of your graph are displayed.

Walkthrough of axis settings

In this walkthrough, you add some metrics to a graph and see how to adjust the axis settings in the Axes section of the Settings for your graph.

1. In the Dynatrace menu, go to Explore data.

2. In the Data explorer, add metric builtin:host.mem.used, split by Host, and select Run query.

   • The X axis, which is displayed along the bottom of the graph, is the current timeframe as determined by the timeframe selector.
     • The X axis has no name by default, but you can name it: in the Axes section, find X axis, select Edit (pen icon) in the X axis row, change the name (for example, to Time), and then select the checkmark to save the new name.
     • To toggle the display of the X axis on and off, select View (eye icon) in the X axis row.
   • The Y axis by default is displayed up the left side of the graph.
     • There can be more than one Y axis on a chart. The first one is automatically labeled Y axis 1 in the Axes section. In this example, it displays memory used in GB, corresponding to the first metric you have added to your chart, Memory used (builtin:host.mem.used).
     • As with the X axis, you can name and hide/show the Y axis: find Y axis 1 in the Axes section and select Edit (pen icon) and View (eye icon) accordingly.
     • To move the Y axis to the right of the chart, change Position from Left to Right.
     • To specify the range of a Y axis, change Min, Max from Auto, Auto to numeric values. For example, set Min, Max for this metric (Memory used) to 5, 10 to chart values between those values.

3. Select Add metric and add metric builtin:host.cpu.usage, split by Host, and select Run query again.

   • The Y axis for the second metric (CPU usages %) is displayed up the right side of the graph to indicate CPU usage percentage. (If you moved the Y axis in the previous step, now they both run up the same side of the chart.)
   • In the Axes section, a new Y axis 2 section is displayed.

Additional Y axes are not created automatically for any subsequent metrics you add to the chart, but you can add them manually: after you add the metric to your query, select Add Y axis in the Axes section, select in the empty Axis Metric box, and then select the metric you want to display for the new axis. Below, a third metric has been added with a third Y axis for .NET memory consumption (Large Object Heap).

Name an axis

To name an axis

1. In the Axes section, find the axis you want to rename.
2. Select Edit (pen icon) next to the axis name.
3. Enter a new name and select the checkmark to save the change.
   The axis name is displayed vertically next to a Y axis and horizontally under the X axis.

Hide or show an axis

To hide an axis

1. In the Axes section, find the axis you want to hide.
2. Select View (eye icon).
   To unhide the axis, select View again.

Define an axis position

To specify the side of the chart on which to display a Y axis

1. In the Axes section, find the Y axis you want to move.
2. Set Position to Left or Right.

Set an axis minimum and maximum

By default, minimum and maximum axis values are set automatically.

To set custom minimum and maximum values for an axis

1. In the Axes section, find the axis for which you want to define a minimum and maximum.
2. Change the value of Min, Max from Auto, Auto to a comma-separated pair of values corresponding to the values on the selected axis.

Advanced query editor

To fully utilize the power of the Metrics API v2 queries from within the web UI, switch to the Code tab.

The Code tab enables you to create metric expressions, timeframe shifts, and much more directly in the web UI and, of course, use this power to create vizualizations for your dashboards. Start by checking out metric expression examples.

For Code tab details, see Data explorer Code tab (advanced query editor).

URL sharing

If you are doing analysis in the Data explorer and find some interesting results that you want to share with another authenticated user, or if you want to be able to revisit the same results yourself using a later timeframe

1. Open the browse menu in the upper-right corner of the Data explorer
   
   and select Share.
   
2. If you want to share or save the query link with the current timeframe, turn on Use the current timeframe. Otherwise, the shared/saved query link will specify the current query and settings except the timeframe.
3. Select Copy to copy the link to your clipboard.

Now you can share the link with any other authenticated Dynatrace user and you can keep a copy for your own use.

Sort

By default, results are sorted in descending order based on the aggregation chosen.

To explicitly set the sort order through the query editor

1. Select the + button.
2. Select Sort by.
3. Set Sort by to Ascending or Descending.

Limit

By default, the number of metrics you see if they are split by a dimension is 10.

To explicitly set a limit through the query editor

1. Select the + button.
2. Select Limit.
3. Set Limit to 1, 10, 20, or 100.

Migration from custom charts

If you have created custom charts in the past, your old charts are still supported, but you will now see a small warning icon in the upper-right corner of each custom chart tile on your dashboard. Hover over the warning icon to see an explanation.

Can I keep my custom charts?

We recommend that you migrate your custom charts to Data explorer—we are confident that you will prefer it, and we aren't going to support custom charts forever—but don't worry if you're not ready to switch:

• Your custom charts are still safely pinned to your dashboards.
• You can still create and edit custom charts.
• You have plenty of time to switch to Data explorer. We are still receiving and addressing feedback from customers like you. There isn't even an official end-of-life date yet. We promise to let you know the date as soon as it's settled.

To migrate a custom chart to the new Data explorer chart format

1. Review Migration limitations below.
2. Display the dashboard containing your custom chart and then select Edit to edit the dashboard.
3. Select the custom chart and then select Configure custom chart to open it on the Custom chart page.
4. In the You're missing out on better charts message box, select Preview upgraded chart.
   This loads your custom chart in Data explorer, where you can review and adjust chart settings.
5. When you are satisfied with the chart appearance, save it to a dashboard.
   • If you no longer need the original chart and you want to replace it with the new (converted) chart on the same dashboard, select Save changes to dashboard.
   • If you want to keep a copy of the original chart for now, select Pin to dashboard to pin the converted chart as a new chart to the same dashboard or another dashboard.

Migration limitations

The chart migration process has the following limitations:

• While the Data explorer offers more powerful filtering capabilities, it does not support some custom chart filters. When migrating charts, these filters are skipped.
• The Data explorer does not support some metrics configured before Summer 2019. These metrics have been deprecated for two years and cannot be imported over the API. When migrating custom charts with these metrics to Data explorer, Dynatrace will display an empty Data explorer page.
• In some cases, a migrated chart configuration can only be viewed on the Code tab and not on the Build tab.