Visualize values in ranges with gauge charts

A gauge chart visualizes numeric data returned by a query. The chart depicts a specified value, such as the last numeric value in a time series or the result's sum, average, or minimum or maximum value, within a radial gauge representing a specified range.

Each gauge displays its series name or alias, the configured numeric value representing that series, and an indicator pointing to where that value falls within its range.

Two bars on the gauge indicate the gauge's thresholds by their colors:

• A thick bar indicates in which threshold the value falls.
• A thin bar indicates the thresholds' ranges on the gauge.

You can visualize the results of multiple queries in a single gauge chart panel to visually compare them. This can help you quickly identify whether values from related queries, such as resource usage of different services or cumulative failure and error counts, are within expected thresholds.

For details about the configuration options common to all panels, see Panels.

Add a gauge chart to a dashboard

Use one of the following methods to add a gauge chart to a dashboard. Gauge charts accept metric and log queries only.

Configure a gauge chart

Modify a gauge chart's properties

The Misc section in a table's Settings tab defines how the gauge interprets and displays the panel's query results.

• Abbreviate: Toggles whether to abbreviate the gauge's numeric value. For example, if enabled, Observability Platform renders a value of 100000000 as 100M. You can toggle this setting only if you set the Unit to Decimal or Bytes. Time units are always abbreviated and Percent values don't require it. Defaults to true.

• Unit: Defines the unit used to render the Y axis. This has the most significant effect when you enable Abbreviate. Defaults to Decimal.

  • Decimal: Base 10 values. Observability Platform renders a value of 1000000 as 1M.
  • Bytes: As decimal multiple-byte units. Observability Platform renders a value of 1000000 as 1MB.
  • Time: Determines the unit of time that Observability Platform uses to interpret a numeric value. The unit you select isn't necessarily the unit Observability Platform displays.

  For example, if you select Nanoseconds, Observability Platform interprets a numeric value of 120 as 120 nanoseconds and renders it as 120ns. If you select Days, Observability Platform interprets the same value as 120 days and renders it as 4 months.

  Supported time units are Nanoseconds, Microseconds, Milliseconds, Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years.

  • Percent: Interprets the value as a percentile, representing 0% to 100% on a range of either 0.0 to 1.0 (Percent (0.0-1.0)) or 0 and 100 (Percent (0-100)).

    For example, Observability Platform renders a value of 1.0 in Percent (0.0-1.0) as 100%, and in Percent (0-100) as 1%.

• Decimals: Defines how many decimal places Observability Platform renders for values. Default renders decimal places only if necessary and rounds to the nearest value. Numeric values from 0 to 4 render the corresponding number of decimal places.

• Calculation: Defines which data point or calculation to use as the gauge's value, such as its average, minimum, maximum, or total values. Defaults to the last numeric value in a series (Last *).

  • First: The series' first value.
  • Last: The series' last value.
  • First *: The series' first numeric value.
  • Last *: The series' last numeric value.
  • Avg: The series' mean value, excluding null values.
  • Total: The sum of all values in the series.
  • Min: The series' minimum value.
  • Max: The series' maximum value.

• Max: Defines the gauge's maximum value.

Modify a gauge chart's thresholds

The Thresholds section in a gauge chart's Settings tab defines values where Observability Platform renders each threshold range. You can define threshold values as either absolute numeric values or percentiles.

The threshold's Mode defines whether all thresholds use Absolute numeric values, which is the default mode, or Percent values. Percent values are relative to the Y axis' minimum and maximum.

Observability Platform assumes that the Default threshold always starts at the left-most beginning of the gauge's range and end at the first threshold value. Each subsequent threshold value defines the end of the previous threshold's range. Observability Platform also assumes the last threshold range begins at the last threshold value and ends at the right-most ending of the gauge's range.

To create a new threshold value:

1. Click the plus sign (+) in the Thresholds section header.

2. In the field that displays, enter a value where you want Observability Platform to end the previous threshold range and begin the next range.

3. Click either Absolute or Percent to select the mode you want the panel to display.

   ⚠️

   If you choose Absolute as the Mode and select any unit other than Percent, you must enter a maximum value in the Max field for the gauge chart to correctly display data. Otherwise, the chart has no upper limit and will display data incorrectly.

4. Optional: Click the color indicator, depicted as a colored circle, to open a color selector and choose a color for the threshold line.

5. Optional: Click the caret (>) to expand the threshold definition, and enter text in the Message field to display on the chart if the threshold is met.

   To display only the text from the Message field, click the Show only message toggle.

6. In the Edit panel dialog, click Apply to save your changes.

7. After you've finished editing the panel, click Save on the dashboard to save your changes.

To delete a threshold value, click the caret (>) to expand the threshold definition, and then click the Delete icon on its corresponding row of the Thresholds section.