Multi-dimensioned data hierarchies
A dashboard application can enable a user to quickly view data (and, in a particular aspect, data from one or more business applications) in an efficient manner. The dashboard application can be used to view data about one or more metrics that reflect the performance of a business, as derived from data maintained (perhaps in an associated data store) by the business application(s). The dashboard application may be configurable by a user to allow the user to select one or more dimensions of the data in order to filter and/or categorize the data for display.
1. A method of configuring a dashboard application displaying data for a user, the method comprising:
accessing a set of data comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records comprising a plurality of data elements, wherein each data element in a record has a corresponding dimension, wherein the plurality of records correspond to an enterprise application;
providing a list of available dimensions;
providing a first input mechanism to allow selection of one or more dimensions for assigning categories for the plurality of records, the categories comprising view criteria for presenting the data by the dashboard application;
receiving, via the first input mechanism, an assignment of categories for the plurality of records, wherein the assignment of the categories for the plurality of records is based in part on a first set of one or more dimensions;
providing a second input mechanism to allow selection of one or more dimensions for filtering the set of data, each selected dimension comprising a perspective from which a metric will be presented by the dashboard application;
receiving, via the second input mechanism, an identification of a second set of one or more dimensions by which the plurality of records are filtered; and
generating a display hierarchy for displaying the set of data in response to receiving the identification of the second set of one or more dimensions and based on the first set of dimensions and the second set of dimensions, the display hierarchy comprising:
a representation of how the set of data is displayed by the dashboard application;
a display hierarchy component representing levels of the generated display hierarchy and a current path in the generated display hierarchy; and
a drill down grid component representing values in the set of data for a parameter corresponding to a selected level of the generated display hierarchy selected using the display hierarchy component, wherein the dashboard application provides visibility of operations of the enterprise application and the set of data based on the assigned categories, the selected dimensions, and the generated display hierarchy.
2. The method as recited by claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a third input mechanism to allow the user to select, from the display hierarchy component, a dimension representing one of the levels of the generated display hierarchy, to further categorize the plurality of records; and
providing at least a portion of at least some of the plurality of records, wherein the provided portion of the records are categorized according to the selected dimension representing one of the levels.
3. The method as recited by claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a fourth input mechanism to allow the user to select a dimension, from the drill down grid, as a filter criterion; and
providing a subset of the set of data, the subset comprising records that meet the filter criterion.
4. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein the set of data pertains to a metric.
5. The method as recited by claim 4 , wherein at least some of the set of data is used to calculate the metric.
6. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein generating the display hierarchy comprises transmitting a representation of the generated display hierarchy to a web browser for display to the user.
7. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein the set of data is generated by the enterprise application and stored in a database maintained by the enterprise application, and wherein accessing the set of data comprises accessing the database.
8. The method as recited by claim 1 , wherein the set of data is a first set of data that pertains to a first metric, the method further comprising:
providing an interface of the dashboard application, the interface of the dashboard application comprising a plurality of visible components, the plurality of visible components comprising a first visible component and a second visible component;
providing information about the first metric with the first visible component;
obtaining, from a data store maintained by the enterprise application, a second set of data pertaining to a second metric; and
providing information about the second metric with the second visible component.
9. The method as recited by claim 8 , wherein the first visible component comprises a third input mechanism that is configured to be selected to invoke a third visible component that provides detailed information from the first set of data.
10. The method as recited by claim 9 , wherein a first web page comprises the first and second visible components, and wherein a second web page comprises the third and fourth visible components.
11. The method as recited by claim 8 , wherein the interface of the dashboard application is implemented as a portlet on a web page comprising information other than the dashboard application.
12. The method as recited by claim 8 , wherein the first visible component comprises a first portlet on a web page, and wherein the second visible component comprises a second portlet on the web page.
13. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to configure a dashboard application displaying data for a user by:
accessing a set of data comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records comprising a plurality of data elements, wherein each data element in a record has a corresponding dimension, and wherein the plurality of records correspond to an enterprise application;
providing a list of available dimensions;
providing a first input mechanism to allow selection of one or more dimensions for assigning categories for the plurality of records, the categories comprising view criteria for presenting the data by the dashboard application;
receiving, via the first input mechanism, an assignment of categories for the plurality of records, wherein the assignment of the categories is based in part on a first set of one or more dimensions;
providing a second input mechanism to allow selection of one or more dimensions for filtering the set of data, each selected dimension comprising a perspective from which a metric will be presented by the dashboard application;
receiving, via the second input mechanism, an identification of a second set of one or more dimensions by which the plurality of records are filtered; and
generating a display hierarchy for displaying the set of data in response to receiving the identification of the second set of one or more dimensions and based on the first set of dimensions and the second set of dimensions, the generated display hierarchy comprising:
a representation of how the set of data is displayed by the dashboard application;
a display hierarchy component representing levels of the generated display hierarchy and a current path in the generated display hierarchy; and
a drill down grid component representing values in the set of data for a parameter corresponding to a selected level of the generated display hierarchy selected using the display hierarchy component, wherein the dashboard application provides visibility of operations of the enterprise application and the set of data based on the assigned categories, the selected dimensions, and the generated display hierarchy.
14. The system as recited by claim 13 , further comprising:
providing a third input mechanism to allow the user to select, from the display hierarchy component, a dimension representing one of the levels of the generated display hierarchy, to further categorize the plurality of records; and
providing at least a portion of at least some of the plurality of records, wherein the provided portion of the records are categorized according to the selected dimension representing one of the levels.
15. The system as recited by claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a fourth input mechanism to allow the user to select a dimension, from the drill down grid, as a filter criterion; and
providing a subset of the set of data, the subset comprising records that meet the filter criterion.
16. The system as recited by claim 13 , wherein the set of data is a first set of data that pertains to a first metric, and further comprising:
providing an interface of the dashboard application, the interface of the dashboard application comprising a plurality of visible components, the plurality of visible components comprising a first visible component and a second visible component;
providing information about the first metric with the first visible component;
obtaining, from a data store maintained by the enterprise application, a second set of data pertaining to a second metric; and
providing information about the second metric with the second visible component.
17. A computer-readable memory device comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to configure a dashboard application displaying data for a user by:
accessing a set of data comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records comprising a plurality of data elements, wherein each data element in a record has a corresponding dimension, wherein the plurality of records correspond to an enterprise application;
providing a list of available dimensions;
providing a first input mechanism to allow selection of one or more dimensions for assigning categories for the plurality of records, the categories comprising view criteria for presenting the data by the dashboard application;
receiving, via the first input mechanism, an assignment of categories for the plurality of records, wherein the assignment of the categories for the plurality of records is based in part on a first set of one or more dimensions;
providing a second input mechanism to allow selection of one or more dimensions for filtering the set of data, each selected dimension comprising a perspective from which a metric will be presented by the dashboard application;
receiving, via the second input mechanism, an identification of a second set of one or more dimensions by which the plurality of records are filtered; and
generating a display hierarchy for displaying the set of data in response to receiving the identification of the second set of one or more dimensions and based on the first set of dimensions and the second set of dimensions, the display hierarchy comprising:
a representation of how the set of data is displayed by the dashboard application;
a display hierarchy component representing levels of the generated display hierarchy and a current path in the generated display hierarchy; and
a drill down grid component representing values in the set of data for a parameter corresponding to a selected level of the generated display hierarchy selected using the display hierarchy component, wherein the dashboard application provides visibility of operations of the enterprise application and the set of data based on the assigned categories, the selected dimensions, and the generated display hierarchy.
18. The computer-readable memory device as recited by claim 17 , further comprising:
providing a third input mechanism to allow the user to select, from the display hierarchy component, a dimension representing one of the levels of the generated display hierarchy, to further categorize the plurality of records; and
providing at least a portion of at least some of the plurality of records, wherein the provided portion of the records are categorized according to the selected dimension representing one of the levels.
19. The computer-readable memory device as recited by claim 18 , further comprising:
providing a fourth input mechanism to allow the user to select a dimension, from the drill down grid, as a filter criterion; and
providing a subset of the set of data, the subset comprising records that meet the filter criterion.
20. The computer-readable memory device as recited by claim 17 , wherein the set of data is a first set of data that pertains to a first metric, and further comprising:
providing an interface of the dashboard application, the interface of the dashboard application comprising a plurality of visible components, the plurality of visible components comprising a first visible component and a second visible component;
providing information about the first metric with the first visible component;
obtaining, from a data store maintained by the enterprise application, a second set of data pertaining to a second metric; and
providing information about the second metric with the second visible component.