Interactive Graphs

Some of the PerformanceGuard graphs, such as the TCP Counters and the Performance Counters, are highly interactive.

Tip

The graphs that you can view in widgets on dashboards are equally interactive, but because they’re meant to work together with other widgets on the dashboards, the way you work with their interactivity is slightly different. You can read more about them in Dashboards and Widgets.

When you have added data to a graph like the TCP Counters graph or the Performance Counters graph, you can quickly and intuitively zoom in on areas of interest, change time span, add the graph to reports, and much more.

Important

Why is there sometimes a lot of white space above or below the lines in the graph?

The graph by default shows average data, but you can choose to view peak data too (see Change Way that Graph Shows Content > Show Peaks in the following). The white space is thus there to accommodate peak data.

Important

What does the term “Series” mean?

A series, or time series, is a sequence of data points, typically successive points in time so that a line can be drawn between them to visualize how values move up or down over time. Some of the buttons in the PerformanceGuard interactive graphs use the term series, which is technically correct, but if you want to keep things simple, you can simply substitute the term series with data.

View Data Point Details

To view details about a specific data point in the graph, place your mouse pointer over the data point.

If your graph contains many data points, the data points may overlap and be difficult to make out. For this reason PerformanceGuard automatically draws a thin guideline that helps you easily view details about each individual data point in the graph.

Zoom

To zoom in on an area of interest in the graph, drag your mouse pointer over the area of interest. You can zoom in as many times as you require.

When you have zoomed in on an area, two buttons appear in the bar below the graph: one that lets you undo the last zoom, and one that lets you reset your zoom level:

Time Settings

Provided data is available you can view data from points in time before and after your current view. You can also change the graph’s time span so that it covers a different interval than the default 24 hours.

Move Forward and Back in Time

You can navigate forward or back in time relative to the graph’s initial time span if you click the left (back in time) and right (forward in time) arrows in the bar below the graph:

Change Time Span

You can change the graph’s time span if you click the clock button in the bar below the graph:

This lets you select between a number of predefined time spans (such as the last 30 minutes). If the predefined time spans don’t suit you, you can define your own custom time span based on an interactive calendar.

Remember to click the SAVE button when you have selected or defined a time span.

Update Graph Content

New data may become available while you view the graph. To update the content of the graph, click the update button in the bar below the graph:

Change Way that Graph Shows Content

There are several ways in which you can change the way that the graph shows data:

Make Graph Larger

To enlarge the graph so that it becomes as large as the window in which you view it, click the toggle chart size button in the bar below the graph:

To return to normal size, simply click the button again. Alternatively, press ESC on your keyboard.

Remove Unwanted Data

To remove unwanted data from the graph, click the remove icon next to the legend that represents the data that you no longer want to view

Tip

If you don’t want to remove the data completely, you can hide it instead. See Hide Data in the following.

Hide Data

You can toggle the show of individual data off and on: Click the legend that represents the data that you want to hide, and then click the HIDE SERIES button.

When the data is hidden, its legend becomes gray. To show the data on again, click the legend and then click the SHOW SERIES button.

Change Y-Axis

You can change the Y-axis (vertical axis) interval for individual data as well as for all data on your graph:

Individual Data

1. Click the legend that represents the required data, and then click the CHANGE Y-MIN AND Y-MAX button.
2. Specify required minimum and maximum values (both are required).
3. Click the SET button.

Caution

Note that the Y-axis change only affects the selected data. If your graph includes other data, that data won’t be affected, but you can of course change the Y-axis interval for other data separately.

To reset a changed Y-axis interval to its default values, click the legend that represents the required data, and then click the UNSET Y-MIN AND Y-MAX button.

All Data on Graph

When you want to compare the performance counters on your graph, it sometimes makes sense to use the same Y-axis range for all the counters:

1. Click the customize y-axis button in the bar below the graph:
2. Specify required minimum and maximum values (both are required).
3. Click the SET button.

To reset the y-axis to its default value, click the customize y-axis button again and then click the RESET button.

Remove Lines that Connect Points

Data points are by default connected by lines. If required, you can remove the connecting lines for individual data: Click the legend that represents the required data, and then click the DO NOT CONNECT POINTS button.

Connected points

Disconnected points

To connect points again, click the legend that represents the required data, and then click the CONNECT POINTS button.

Show Peaks, Minimums and Maximums

The graph by default shows average data. If you also want to view peaks, minimums and maximums, you can easily toggle that on and off for individual data as well as for all data on your graph.

Without and with peak data

Individual Data

1. Click the legend that represents the required data.
2. Click the ENABLE Average TO Peak AREA SERIES button.

Caution

Depending on the data, the button may also be called ENABLE Low TO Peak AREA SERIES or ENABLE Min TO Max AREA SERIES and may show minimum as well as maximum peaks.

To remove the peak data, click the legend that represents the required data, and then click the DISABLE Average/Low TO Peak AREA SERIES button (again the button may have another name depending on the data).

All Data on Graph

To toggle peaks, etc. on and off for all data on your graph, click the toggle area chart button in the bar below the graph:

Use Graph Elsewhere

If you want to quickly share the graph with colleagues, or include it a report to top management, customers or similar, you can easily do so:

Export Graph

To quickly export the graph in .png or .pdf format, click the download button in the bar below the graph:

Caution

The graph will be exported the way you that you view it. This means, for example, that if you have zoomed in on an area of the graph, it’s only that area that’ll be included in the export.

Add Graph to Report

You can quickly add the graph to an existing or new PerformanceGuard report:

1. Click the plus button in the bar below the graph:
2. Select the required report.

Caution

If the report doesn’t exist yet, click the + New link. This will open a new window or tab for defining the new report. When you have defined the new report, you’ll be able to select it.

3. Specify a Header (required) and a Description (optional).
4. Click the ADD TO REPORT button.

Important

Where will the graph appear in the report?

If the report already contains other elements (such as graphs or tables), the new graph will by default appear as the last element in the report. You can change the sequence: Select ADMINISTRATION > Reporting > Reports, then click the edit (pencil) icon next to the required report, and then use the up/down buttons in the Report Items section to move the report’s elements into the required sequence.