Diagram Design

The Unified Assurance Diagram Engine lets you edit and display diagrams and provides unique, real-time views of data for multitenant environments. The Diagram Engine includes the following:

• An embedded diagram editor with drag and drop capability.

• Diagram version control and cloning.

• Real-time widgets for events and metrics including gauges and graphs.

• Support for context (right-click) menus and tools for event and metric widgets.

• Multitenancy functionality for customized views.

• Dynamic diagram templates to reduce administration.

Diagrams can include a wide range of performance metrics, event data, SLM data, and topology data from underlying systems, and are configurable to serve the needs of a wide-ranging set of users.

About Designing Diagrams

Designing diagrams involves providing basic diagram properties, selecting a diagram category and group, and adding widgets to the diagram.

When designing diagrams, include only useful and necessary information without overloading diagrams with extraneous colors and widgets. Consider the audience for the diagram. For example, executives are typically interested in high level availability information for top-end services and the number of open and closed tickets. In contrast, operators might want to see the number of tickets by severity, open and closed tickets by severity, an event list showing major alarms with associated tickets, and key metric attributes, such as server performance for the service that the executive is viewing.

About Diagram Categories

Diagrams fall into the following categories:

• Basic diagrams: Display data from multiple devices in a single diagram. This is the most common type of diagram.

• Dynamic device diagrams: Reusable diagram templates, embedded as links within other diagrams, to display data from a single device that is dynamically defined in the parent diagram.

Dynamic device diagrams do not appear in the Diagrams interface on the main Unified Assurance navigation menu. After creating one, you must add it as a link and specify the device to show data for in a widget in another diagram. The device specified in the link overrides any device set within the dynamic device diagram. This lets you reuse the same dynamic device diagram in multiple other widgets and diagrams, specifying a different device each time.

About Widgets

Diagrams are made of widgets. You can add the following types of widget to a diagram:

• Basic widgets: Static ellipses, rectangles, lines, text, images, or embedded web pages.

• Event widgets: Dynamic event information in ellipses, rectangles, lines, text, gauges, histograms, and pie graphs.

• Metric widgets: Dynamic metric information in ellipses, rectangles, lines, text, gauges, bar graphs, and pie graphs.

You can configure widgets to perform custom actions when clicked, such as linking to another diagram or opening a custom URL. You can also add custom menus and tools to widgets. Some widgets can also play sounds when metric thresholds are crossed or new events occur.

For information about the different options available for each widget, see the topics listed in Diagrams in Unified Assurance User's Guide.

About Basic Widgets

Basic widgets are static elements that do not change when the diagram is refreshed. They are not updated dynamically for dynamic device diagrams.

You can use the following types of basic widget:

• Ellipse, rectangle, and line widgets can group multiple widgets together or show separation between widgets.

• Text widgets can be diagram titles, widget labels, or other static text.

• URL widgets embed a web page within the diagram.

• Image widgets embed an image within the diagram.

About Event Widgets

Event widgets show event information. The information can come from an event filter, all events related to a device, all events related to a group of devices using a common meta tag, or a temporary (transient) event list generated from a SQL clause when the diagram is viewed or refreshed. In addition to the standard link types, event widgets can also open the event list when clicked.

Because transient event lists, meta tags, and event filters display data from multiple devices, they are not useful in dynamic device diagrams, which are intended to display data from a single device. Oracle recommends only using device filters in dynamic device diagrams. Although you must always specify a device in the device filter, for dynamic device diagrams the device that you specify when adding the link in the parent diagram overrides the widget-level device. When you view the dynamic device diagram, you see events for the device specified in the link, not the one specified in the widget.

You can use the following types of event widget:

• Ellipse, rectangle, and line widgets can change color based on the highest severity level of any events that are returned. They can also play an alert when an event that matches the filter occurs.

• Text widgets show automatically updated event text information.

• Gauge widgets show a gauge indicating the highest severity level, the count, and the sum of count values for the selected events.

• Histogram widgets show a bar graph of the event count by severity and the overall event count for the selected events.

• Pie widgets show a pie graph of the overall event count for the selected events.

About Metric Widgets

Metric widgets show metric information. In addition to the standard link types, metric widgets can also open the metric's performance graph or availability details when clicked.

Although you must always specify a device for a metric widget, for dynamic device diagrams the device that you specify when adding the link in the parent diagram overrides the widget-level device. When you view the dynamic device diagram, you see metrics for the device specified in the link, not the one specified in the widget.

You can use the following types of metric widget:

• Ellipse, rectangle, and line widgets can change color and play an alert if a metric threshold is breached.

• Text widgets show automatically updated metric information.

• Gauge widgets show a gauge indicating the utilization of a metric. They can also play an alert if a metric threshold is breached.

• Graph widgets show how a metric value has changed over the specified period of time.

• Pie widgets show a metric as a pie graph.

About Diagram Groups

When you create diagrams, you assign them to one or more diagram groups. Diagram groups let you control who can see diagrams, which provides different views to different users and restricts users to only the data they need to see. If there is data on a diagram that a user is not allowed to see due to other user group permissions, it will either not show up or an error will appear.

You set diagram group access when setting permissions for user groups. You select the highest level of diagram group that a user group can see, and users in that user group will have access to that diagram group and any subgroups under it.

For example, you could have a top level diagram group that contains subgroups for device zones 1 and 2. When setting permissions, you could then select the appropriate zone diagram group for each zone user group, and select the top level diagram group for the administrator user group. Most users would only have access to the diagrams relevant to their zone, and administrator users would have access to the diagrams for both device zones.

See Authentication Options and Adding User Accounts in Unified Assurance Security Guide for more information about setting up users, user groups, and permissions.

See Creating a Diagram Group for information about how to create diagram groups. By default, there is always a Root diagram group.

Creating a Diagram

1. In a browser, log in to Unified Assurance.

2. From the Configuration menu, select Diagrams, then Diagrams.

3. Click Add.

   Tip:

   To increase the size of the diagram design panel, collapse the All Diagrams panel by clicking the Collapse panel arrow.

4. In the Properties section, specify values for the following parameters:

   • Name: The name of the diagram.

   • Width: The width of the diagram, in pixels. The diagram canvas width changes as you adjust this.

   • Height: The height of the diagram, in pixels. The diagram canvas height changes as you adjust this.

   • Background Color: The background colour for the diagram. Select the menu to choose a color from a palette.

   • Category: The type of diagram to create.

   • Initial Diagram Group: The group to add the diagram to. You can change this or add the diagram to more groups later.

5. In the Edit pane, click Add.

   The All Widgets panel appears.

6. Drag and drop a widget onto the diagram canvas.

   The edit panel for the widget appears.

7. Edit the widget properties. The edit panel contains the following sections:

   • Position: Controls the position, size, and rotation of the widget. You can also control the position and size on the diagram canvas.

   • Display: Controls the appearance of the widget. Fields change depending on the widget type. For example, for basic ellipses, you can control the border and fill color, but for metric graphs you can control the titles, key, background, trend lines, and metric group settings.

   • Filter: Appears for event widgets only. Controls which events are included. Fields change depending on the value selected for Filter Type.

     For dynamic device diagrams, Oracle recommends using Device for Filter Type. Other filter types are intended to show data from multiple devices. The device that you select here will be overridden by the device selected for the parent diagram's link to the dynamic device diagram.

   • Metric: Appears for metric widgets only. Controls which metrics are included. Fields change depending on the type of widget.

     For dynamic device diagrams, the device that you select here will be overridden by the device selected for the parent diagram's link to the dynamic device diagram.

   • Action: Controls what happens when the widget is clicked. You can configure links, including links to dynamic device diagrams, and select custom context menus.

     If you create a dynamic device diagram link, the device that you select here overrides any device selected in the linked dynamic device diagram.

   For information about the different fields available in the panels for each widget, see the topics listed in Diagrams in Unified Assurance User's Guide.

8. Arrange and manipulate widgets using the following panes at the top of the diagram design panel:

   • History: Undo and redo changes from the current editing session.

   • Canvas: Select and clone widgets. Clone also opens the edit menu for the cloned item, Quick Clone does not.

   • Rotate: Rotate and flip widgets.

   • Layer: Control layers for widgets.

   • Align: Align widgets.

   • Center: Evenly space widgets.

   Tip:

   You can select multiple widgets by holding Ctrl while clicking, or clicking and dragging within the canvas.

9. Click Submit.

10. Enter a commit message and click OK.

Adding a Dynamic Device Diagram to Another Diagram

You create dynamic device diagrams in the same way as basic diagrams, but they do not appear in the diagram list. After creating one, you add it as a link target in another diagram.

To add a dynamic device diagram to another diagram:

1. In a browser, log in to Unified Assurance.

2. From the Configuration menu, select Diagrams, then Diagrams.

3. Select the diagram that you want to add the dynamic device diagram to.

4. In the diagram canvas, add the widget you want to act as the link to the dynamic device diagram. For example, add a basic text widget with the device's name.

5. Position the widget and set any other properties as needed.

6. In the Action section, set the following fields:

   • Link Type: Select Diagram (Dynamic Device).

   • Link Target: Select any option.

   • Diagram: Select the dynamic device diagram you want to link to.

   • Device: Select the device to show metric or event data for. This device will override any device selected in the dynamic device diagram's widgets.

7. Click Submit.

8. Enter a commit message and click OK.

Configuring Widgets to Play Sounds

You can configure widgets to play sounds when metric thresholds are breached or new events that match a filter occur.

To play a sound when a metric threshold is breached, when creating a diagram as described in Creating a Diagram:

1. Add one of the following widgets to your diagram:

   • Metric Ellipse

   • Metric Line

   • Metric Rectangle

   • Metric Gauge

2. In the Metric section, define a warning or critical threshold.

3. In the Audible Alert field for the threshold, select a sound to play.

   You can preview the sound by clicking the play icon or add a new sound by clicking the + icon.

4. Finish configuring your widget and diagram.

To play a sound when specific filtered events occur, when creating a diagram as described in Creating a Diagram:

1. Add one of the following widgets to your diagram:

   • Event Ellipse

   • Event Line

   • Event Rectangle

2. In the Filter section, define the event filter to apply.

3. In the Audible Alert field, select a sound to play.

   You can preview the sound by clicking the play icon or add a new sound by clicking the + icon.

4. Finish configuring your widget and diagram.

Creating a Diagram Group

1. In a browser, log in to Unified Assurance.

2. From the Configuration menu, select Diagrams, then Diagram Groups.

3. Expand the group structure to find and select the appropriate parent group.

4. Click Add.

5. Enter a name for the group.

6. (Optional) Select and add diagrams to the group. Select Remove from other groups to remove the selected diagram from all other groups.

7. Click Submit.

Adding a Diagram to a Group

When you create a diagram, you select a default diagram group for it. You can optionally add diagrams to different groups. A diagram can be in multiple diagram groups.

To add a diagram to a group:

1. In a browser, log in to Unified Assurance.

2. From the Configuration menu, select Diagrams, then Diagram Groups.

3. Expand the group structure to find and select the appropriate group.

4. Select and add diagrams to the group.

5. (Optional) Select Remove from other groups to remove the selected diagram from all other groups.

6. Click Submit.

Related Topics

For more information about diagrams, see the following topics:

• See Diagrams in Unified Assurance Concepts for general information about the Diagrams interface on the main Unified Assurance navigation menu.

• See Diagrams and Diagram Groups in Unified Assurance User's Guide for information about the fields and options available when configuring diagrams, widgets, and diagram groups.

• See Menus and Tools in Unified Assurance User's Guide for information about creating custom context menus to use in diagram widget actions.

• See Authentication Options and Adding User Accounts in Unified Assurance Security Guide for information about users, user groups, and the RestrictiveDiagramGroupID field that controls access to diagram groups.