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diff --git a/docs/dashboard/dimensions-contexts-families.mdx b/docs/dashboard/dimensions-contexts-families.mdx deleted file mode 100644 index ee9636d15..000000000 --- a/docs/dashboard/dimensions-contexts-families.mdx +++ /dev/null @@ -1,102 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: "Chart dimensions, contexts, and families" -description: >- - "Netdata organizes charts into dimensions, contexts, and families to automatically - and meaningfully organize thousands of metrics into interactive charts." -type: "explanation" -custom_edit_url: "https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/dimensions-contexts-families.mdx" -sidebar_label: "Chart dimensions, contexts, and families" -learn_status: "Published" -learn_topic_type: "Concepts" -learn_rel_path: "Concepts" ---- - -# Chart dimensions, contexts, and families - -While Netdata's charts require no configuration and are [easy to interact with](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/interact-charts.mdx), -they have a lot of underlying complexity. To meaningfully organize charts out of the box based on what's happening in -your nodes, Netdata uses the concepts of **dimensions**, **contexts**, and **families**. - -Understanding how these work will help you more easily navigate the dashboard, [write new -alarms](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/monitor/configure-alarms.md), or play around with the [API](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/web/api/README.md). - -For a refresher on the anatomy of a chart, see [dashboards and charts](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/how-dashboard-works.mdx). - -## Dimension - -A **dimension** is a value that gets shown on a chart. The value can be raw data or calculated values, such as the -average (the default), minimum, or maximum. These values can then be given any type of unit. For example, CPU -utilization is represented as a percentage, disk I/O as `MiB/s`, and available RAM as an absolute value in `MiB` or -`GiB`. - -Beneath every chart (or on the right-side if you configure the dashboard) is a legend of dimensions. When there are -multiple dimensions, you'll see a different entry in the legend for each dimension. - -The **Apps CPU Time** chart (with the [context](#context) `apps.cpu`), which visualizes CPU utilization of -different types of processes/services/applications on your node, always provides a vibrant example of a chart with -multiple dimensions. - -![An example apps.cpu chart with many -dimensions](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/1153921/114207816-a5cb7400-9911-11eb-8800-06f60b745f9c.png) - -The chart shows 13 unique dimensions, such as `httpd` for the CPU utilization for web servers, `kernel` for anything -related to the Linux kernel, and so on. In your dashboard, these specific dimensions will almost certainly be different. - -Dimensions can be [hidden](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/interact-charts.mdx#show-and-hide-dimensions) to help you focus your -attention. - -## Context - -A **context** is a way of grouping charts by the types of metrics collected and dimensions displayed. It's kind of like -a machine-readable naming and organization scheme. - -For example, the **Apps CPU Time** has the context `apps.cpu`. A little further down on the dashboard is a similar -chart, **Apps Real Memory (w/o shared)** with the context `apps.mem`. The `apps` portion of the context is the **type**, -whereas anything after the `.` is specified either by the chart's developer or by the [**family**](#family). - -By default, a chart's type affects where it fits in the menu, while its family creates submenus. - -Netdata also relies on contexts for [alarm configuration](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/monitor/configure-alarms.md) (the [`on` -line](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/health/REFERENCE.md#alarm-line-on)). - -## Family - -**Families** are a _single instance_ of a hardware or software resource that needs to be displayed separately from -similar instances. - -For example, let's look at the **Disks** section, which contains a number of charts with contexts like `disk.io`, -`disk.ops`, `disk.backlog`, and `disk.util`. If your node has multiple disk drives at `sda` and `sdb`, Netdata creates -a separate family for each. - -Netdata now merges the contexts and families to create charts that are grouped by family, following a -`[context].[family]` naming scheme, so that you can see the `disk.io` and `disk.ops` charts for `sda` right next to each -other. - -Given the four example contexts, and two families of `sda` and `sdb`, Netdata will create the following charts and their -names: - -| Context | `sda` family | `sdb` family | -| :------------- | ------------------ | ------------------ | -| `disk.io` | `disk_io.sda` | `disk_io.sdb` | -| `disk.ops` | `disk_ops.sda` | `disk_ops.sdb` | -| `disk.backlog` | `disk_backlog.sda` | `disk_backlog.sdb` | -| `disk.util` | `disk_util.sda` | `disk_util.sdb` | - -## What's next? - -With an understanding of a chart's dimensions, context, and family, you're now ready to dig even deeper into Netdata's -dashboard. We recommend looking into [using the timeframe selector](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/visualization-date-and-time-controls.mdx). - -If you feel comfortable with the [dashboard](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/how-dashboard-works.mdx) and interacting with charts, we -recommend learning about [configuration](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/configure/nodes.md). While Netdata doesn't _require_ a complicated setup -process or a query language to create charts, there are a lot of ways to tweak the experience to match your needs. - -### Further reading & related information - -- Dashboard - - [How the dashboard works](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/how-dashboard-works.mdx) - - [Interact with charts](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/interact-charts.mdx) - - **[Chart dimensions, contexts, and families](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/dimensions-contexts-families.mdx)** - - [Select timeframes to visualize](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/visualization-date-and-time-controls.mdx) - - [Import, export, and print a snapshot](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/import-export-print-snapshot.mdx) - - [Customize the standard dashboard](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/dashboard/customize.mdx) |