Elasticsearch and Kibana Dashboards Tutorial

Introduction to Dashboards

Dashboards in Kibana are powerful tools for visualizing data stored in Elasticsearch. They allow users to create, manage, and share visual insights from their data. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of creating and customizing dashboards in Kibana.

Setting Up Elasticsearch and Kibana

Before we can create a dashboard, we need to ensure that Elasticsearch and Kibana are properly set up and running. Follow these steps to get started:

Once both services are running, you can navigate to Kibana's web interface, typically available at http://localhost:5601.

Creating Your First Dashboard

To create a new dashboard in Kibana, follow these steps:

1. Open Kibana and go to the Dashboard section.
2. Click on the Create new dashboard button.
3. Click on Add to start adding visualizations to your dashboard.

Adding Visualizations

Visualizations are the building blocks of a dashboard. Here's how you can add them:

1. In the dashboard editor, click on Add and select Create new visualization.
2. Choose the type of visualization you want to create (e.g., bar chart, line chart, pie chart).
3. Select the data source (index pattern) for your visualization.
4. Configure your visualization by selecting metrics and buckets.
5. Click Save and give your visualization a name.
6. Go back to your dashboard and add the newly created visualization.

Customizing Dashboards

After adding visualizations, you can customize your dashboard to enhance its appearance and usability:

• Resize and Move: Drag and resize visualizations to arrange them as desired.
• Apply Filters: Use the filter bar to apply global filters to all visualizations on the dashboard.
• Time Picker: Adjust the time range to dynamically update the data displayed in visualizations.

Saving and Sharing Dashboards

Once you are satisfied with your dashboard, you can save and share it with others:

1. Click on the Save button at the top.
2. Give your dashboard a name and click Save.
3. To share, click on the Share button and choose the sharing option (e.g., link, embed code).

Conclusion

Dashboards in Kibana provide a powerful way to visualize and interact with your Elasticsearch data. By following this tutorial, you should be able to create, customize, and share insightful dashboards easily. Experiment with different visualizations and configurations to get the most out of your data.