Editing a dashboard gadget

BMC Defender Server provides a rich assortment of different dashboard gadgets, each with their own particular capabilities and functions. Additionally, each gadget provides a number of different display modes, options, and filters that can be used to adapt the range of data and appearance of the gadget. This provides a large amount of configuration and flexibility to the end-user.

From the Dashboards tab, access the Edit Panel #n Gadget Settings page in one of the following ways:

• Click the gear  icon in the upper-right corner of a dashboard gadget.
• Select a dashboard and click Edit. Click a numbered button next to the Panel #n Edit Gadget Settings label.

The exact screen that is displayed depends on the type of gadget you are editing. A typical Edit Gadget screen is shown as follows:

The particular values available for any gadget depend upon the gadget type. Typically, a default set of parameters (appropriate for many generic situations) is provided for each gadget, permitting a gadget to be selected without any special configuration by the operator. A few gadgets (notably the Gauge-Alert gadget) require you to edit the gadget configuration, and select some parameter before the gadget can be used on the dashboard.

The dashboard facility is easy to use and intuitive to setup. The application supports a number of special features, including the following features:

• External-URL gadgets—In addition to the built-in BMC Defender Server gadgets, you can add gadgets from external locations, such as the iGoogle and Widgetbox websites. Cut and paste the gadget reference from these websites into a BMC Defender Server dashboard using the Text or HTML gadget. This allows you to add gadgets such as calendars, news feeds, clocks, and other external items into a BMC Defender Server dashboard.

• Edit gadgets—You can edit gadgets by clicking Edit at the bottom of the Dashboards tab, and then clicking the number button associated with the specific gadget. You can also click Edit Gadget gear icon at the upper-right of each gadget panel.

• Move gadgets—You can rearrange the layout of the gadgets using Move Gadget icon found at the upper-right of each gadget panel. Click and drag the gadget to the title bar of another gadget panel. This swaps the location of the two gadgets.

• Links to other dashboards—Each gadget has an optional Panel Name setting that allows you to enter arbitrary identifying text for the windowpane, and link this text to another dashboard. This provides a simple mechanism for creating a hierarchy of dashboards, where you drill down from one dashboard to a lower level dashboard.

• Dashboard user preferences—Several user preferences are provided to specifically support dashboards: you can select the dashboard tab to be the default tab on login, and can specify a default dashboard to be displayed when the dashboard tabs are viewed. Additionally, each user can control whether dashboards are opened in new windows, or in the current window. User preferences are accessed by clicking the System tab (and are also accessible from other locations, such as the More menu at the upper right of the tab).

• Referencing gadgets from external screens—You can display any BMC Defender Server gadget on an external web page, allowing top-level system status to be depicted on third-party pages and portals. A website developer can simply view the source for a particular layout, and then cut and paste the IFRAME reference into another web page on the network. (These references are clearly commented and visible in the default layout files.) HTTP authentication is preserved, but can be disabled by the BMC Defender Server administrator for gadgets via edits of the HTTP configuration file.

A partial list of configuration values is provided as follows:

• Panel Name—This field exists for all gadgets, and is an optional title that appears in the title bar of the gadget. If a Panel Name is provided, the value can be linked to another existing dashboard using the setting below.

• Panel Link to Dashboard—This selection exists for all gadgets, and allows you to link the Panel Name value above to an existing dashboard. When you click on the Panel name, the specified dashboard is selected. This allows users to drill down into new and specialized dashboards.

• Panel Gadget—This selection is a list of all gadgets on the system. When you select the gadget, the particular parameters associated with the gadget are displayed.

• Gadget Description—This value exists for all gadgets, and is a textual description of the gadget. Each gadget incorporates brief help. When a gadget is selected, this value changes, providing assistance to the operator.

• View External URL—This value exists for all gadgets, and is the URL for the gadget, that permits the gadget to be referenced by some other web page (such as a business information portal or third-party web application). Click + character to view the external URL.

• Refresh Rate—This value exists for all gadgets, and indicates the refresh rate of the gadget. When the gadget automatically refreshes, the latest values for the gadget are displayed.

• Main Gadget Title—This value, if it exists, is a title that is displayed as part of the gadget. This title is configurable by you, and is usually more specific than the Panel Name (as described herein). The gadget automatically selects an appropriate value, that you can change.

• X-Axis Title—This value, if it exists, is the title for the X-axis of a graph or bar chart. The gadget automatically selects an appropriate value, that you can change.

• Data Source—This value, if it exists, describes the source of data. Many (but not all) gadgets allows you to specify a particular data source, such as the name of a thread, alert, or other parameter. The gadget defaults to an appropriate value, that you can change.

• Match IP Address or Value—This value, if it exists, qualifies the data displayed by the gadget. 

  Information

  Example

  A gadget might permit a match pattern (such as a keyword found in all thread or alert titles). This value typically lists the range of data displayed by the gadget.

• Display Mode—This value, if it exists, permits you to change the display mode of the gadget, that is the appearance of the gadget. Each gadget can display data in different modes, such as Pie Chart, Stack Chart, and Bar Chart. Some of the display modes might require Java, but each gadget has at least one display mode that does not (permitting dashboards to work without Java).

• Highlight Color—This value, if it exists, allows you to change the primary color or highlight color of the gadget. Colors include Red, Blue, Orange, and Green. The gadget defaults to an appropriate value, that you can change.

• Enable Links and Drill Down—This value, if it exists, permits you to disable links on the gadget that access additional information. This setting is useful for restricting data that might otherwise be available to non-privileged users.

Gadget support for non-HTML5 browsers 

Some dashboard gadgets have specific Display Modes that require HTML5 (and possibly Java) to display appropriately. However, each dashboard gadget has at least one display mode that does not require Java or HTML5. This allows dashboards to work perfectly with client browsers that do not support HTML5 or where Java is not enabled.

The program can automatically default to an appropriate gadget. If HTML5 is not available, the program can substitute a standard HTML gadget in its place.