Gauge Chart

A Gauge Chart, also referred to as a dial or speedometer chart, uses needles to visually represent data readings on a dial. On a gauge chart, the value for each needle is read against the colored data range or chart axis. Following are the ways these charts make it easy for viewers to understand the displayed values.

• Easy to create: The fact that this chart type is mostly used to display one insight at a time, makes it a straightforward visualization.
• User-friendly: They are a great chart to display performance-based metrics and show them to non-technical viewers who will be able to easily understand the value that is being displayed in the chart.  
• Easy to interpret: The sequence of colors, usually from green to red, makes them intuitive and immediate to understand.

Creating a Gauge Chart

To create the Gauge chart

• Create a New Dashboard Panel
• Configure the Query and select the appropriate Data Source

(Refer to Dashboard Creation > Query)

Select Visualization

On the right side of the default screen, select Visualization as Gauge to create an Gauge Chart panel.

Visualization Options 

Panel Options

There are multiple options to edit the properties of the panel. The first one is Panel Options. Enter a Name and Description for the Panel that you want to create.  For instance, if you’re making a Gauge chart to track CPU current power consumption, name the panel “CPU Power” and describe it as “Current Power Consumption.”

The Description is available in the top left corner and can be viewed by hovering over the i button.

The next part of Panel Options is Panel Link where you can point a link to any other website or dashboard of your choice. Enter a title, URL and select the ‘Open in a new Tab’ option if you want to open the link in a new tab. Click Save.

The URL can be a link to another dashboard or for getting help or useful info. When you click on a panel, it opens the link either in the same tab or a new tab, depending on your choices. For example, if you want to compare a default dashboard, just click the link to open it.

Value Options

The value options in a Gauge chart can be used to select what values, calculations, and fields should be displayed.

• Show: Calculate a single value per column or series or show each row.
• Calculation: Choose a reducer function/calculation.
• Fields: Select the fields that you want to include in the panel.

Gauge

The Gauge options allow you to change Gauge properties.

The options include:

• Orientation: Auto, Horizontal, or Vertical.
• Show threshold labels: Render the threshold value around the gauge bar.
• Show threshold markers: Render the thresholds as an outer bar.

Text Size

The Text size option allows you to change the Gauge text and value size to be displayed on the chart.

For example, when “Last” is selected, the last received data for the selected time period is shown.

The options include:

• Title size: the size of the chart title.
• Value size: the size of the chart values.

Standard Options

The Standard Options are used to configure the other standard settings in the graph. It changes the way the graph appears.

The further options include:

• Unit type: The type of Unit parameters.
• Min: Minimum value to be considered.
• Max: Maximum value to be considered.
• Decimal: Total digits after the decimal point.
• Display name: Series name to be displayed.
• Color scheme: choose a color scheme for the graph.
• No Value: What to show when there is no value.

Data Links

The Data Links option is similar to the Panel Link where you can link a URL and then open it in another tab. It is placed on the data instead of the Panel.

You can click on the data anywhere and the link option will appear

It is used for an instant link that you want to appear anytime you click on the data.

Value Mappings

The Value Mappings option allows you to find a certain value and wherever the value lies, the display text is displayed. If there is a similar value in the data, it highlights in the form of the color selected.

Thresholds

The Threshold option is used to define the value threshold. You can set certain thresholds and color-code them.

There are two options to show thresholds mode:

• As absolutes
• As percentages

For example, CPU usage is set as green for 0, blue for 10, and yellow for 20, that way you can easily see when the output is above the threshold and immediate action can be taken or an error alert can be sent out.

Add Field Override

Use the Add field Override option to modify existing fields.

Overrides allow you to change the settings for one or more fields. Field options for overrides are the same as the field options available in a particular panel. The only difference is that you choose which fields to apply them to.

To add a field override, click on the Add Field Override button.

Select the Field type

Select a field type,  based on the following properties:

• Name: Set properties for a specific field with a name.
• Matching Regex: Set properties for fields with name matching a regex.
• Type: Set properties for a field of a specific type (number, string, boolean).
• Query: Set properties from the field for a specific query.

1. Select the Field.
2. Select the override property.
3. Configure the override property.

You can add multiple fields overrides by repeating the same.

You have now learned how to configure the Gauge Chart, change the panel settings, and more. You can save and edit the panel later too.

Further Reading

• Area Chart

• Line Chart

• Heatmap

• Pie Chart

• Data Table

• Metric

• HTML Widget