Library

This article discusses the Library module of the Kentik portal.

About the Library

The Library in the Kentik portal provides a single place to find, view, and manage (create, edit, label, etc.) views of your organization’s network traffic data. The following kinds of views are available:

• Dashboard: A page with one or more panels that each display a single view of traffic data (graph, table, or gauge).

• Saved View: A page with a single view based on a collection of settings saved in Data Explorer.

  • The underlying query settings can’t be adjusted from the view presented in the Library, but you can load a saved view into Data Explorer for access to the full control set.

• Observation Deck: A flexible, shareable landing page that incorporates a mix of data-driven widgets, collapsible structural sections, and custom text panels.

The Library does not replace features such as Data Explorer or Metrics Explorer as a tool for deep ad hoc analytics on network traffic, but rather makes it easier for you to find your most-used visualizations. The provided controls enable you to quickly adjust key parameters without digging deeply into all aspects of the settings behind each view.

Note: All Library items can be either user-created or Kentik-provided (see Kentik Presets).

Adding Library Items

Library items are automatically added upon creation:

• Dashboards: Creating a dashboard involves adding a new dashboard to your organization's collection of dashboards, after which you would typically add and configure at least one panel for that dashboard. To add a new dashboard, see Add a Dashboard.

• Saved Views: A new view can be created and saved in the Library or in Data Explorer. For more information, see Create a View.

• Observation Decks: Creating a new Observation Deck directly from the Library adds a flexible, blank canvas to your organization's collection, which you can then populate with data widgets, sections, and text panels. To add a new Observation Deck, see Create an Observation Deck.

Library Page

This page, accessed via Library from the main navbar menu, enables users to create, access, and modify the Library items in their organization. It includes the following main UI elements:

• Favorites/Recents (on subnav): A button that expands/collapses the Bookmarks pane.

  • The toggle can also be activated using the hotkey "Shift + F” (see Library Keyboard Shortcuts).

  • User preference for the display of the Library bookmarks is retained.

• Add New (on subnav): A drop-down from which you can choose the following actions:

  • Dashboard: Opens the Add Dashboard dialog (see Dashboard Dialogs).

  • Saved View: Opens the Add Saved View dialog (see Saved View Dialogs UI).

  • Observation Deck: Opens a new, blank Observation Deck (see Create an Observation Deck).

• Bookmarks: A pane at the top of the Library page that expands/collapses from the Favorites/Recents button. The pane includes two tabs for bookmarks: Favorites and Recents (see Library Bookmarks).

• Library list: The main display area of the Library page shows a table that lists your organization's Library items (see Library List).

Library Bookmarks

The Bookmarks pane contains two tabs that each display a row of cards for Library items:

• Favorites Tab: Library items marked as Favorites by you or others within your organization.

• Recents Tab: Library items you most recently visited.

Favorites Tab

The Favorites tab includes a bookmark for every Library item that you have designated as a favorite using the Add to Favorites button. Each card in the Favorites tab contains the following UI elements:

• Favorite: A icon indicating whether the item has been designated a favorite.

• Name: The name of the item.

• Action Menu: A vertical dots icon that opens a dropdown Library Action Menu.

• Owner: The owner of the item.

• Type: An icon indicating the type of Library item (Dashboard, Saved View, or Observation Deck).

Note: The action menu for a bookmark will be the same as for the row of the corresponding item in the Library List.

Manage Favorites

To add or remove a bookmark from the Favorites tab, click the Remove from Favorites button to remove the Favorite designation from the Library item. The icon appears in the following locations:

• In the bookmark.

• In the row of the Library list for the item corresponding to the bookmark.

• In the title bar on the page for the corresponding item.

• In the Saved Views drawer on the Data Explorer page.

Recents Tab

The Recents tab includes bookmarks for the Library items that you have most recently visited (whether or not they are favorites). The UI for these bookmarks is the same as for the bookmarks on the Favorites Tab.

Library List

The Library list is a filterable table that displays all Library items. Each row of the list represents one item and shows information in its columns for that item (see Library List Columns). To open an item, click on its name in the row (see Dashboards, Saved Views, or Observation Deck).

You can change the sort order of the Library list by clicking on the heading of the column you’d like to sort by. Click the resulting blue up or down arrow to choose the direction (ascending or descending). In the bottom right corner, you can see how many items are currently listed in the table.

Library List UI

The Library list exists within a pane that includes the following list-related controls:

• Filter (filter icon): A button to toggle the display of the Filters pane.

• Group By: A dropdown to choose how to group the items in the list (see Group By Options).

• Search: A field containing lozenges for the currently-set filters that also enables you to enter text. The Library list will be filtered to show only rows that match the filters and also contain the entered text in the Name column. To clear text from the field, click the X at the right. To clear a filter, click the X in the item’s lozenge.

• Filters pane: The Filters Pane to the left of the list contains filters that you can apply to narrow the items that appear in the list.

• Library list: A filterable table listing Library items.

Group By Options

The Group By dropdown includes the following options:

• None: Presents Library items without grouping, in the sort order determined by the currently selected column heading.

• Owner: Groups items by their owner.

• Sharing: Groups items by their visibility.

• View Type: Groups the list by the item type (Dashboard, Saved View, Observation Deck).

Library List Columns

The columns shown at any given moment in the Library list are set in the Customize Columns Popup. The following columns are available to be chosen from the dialog:

• Select: Checkboxes at the left of each row that select individual Library items. To select multiple rows at once, use the Select All Checkbox.

  Notes:

  • Kentik Presets can't be selected.

  • Selecting an item will display the Selected Item Controls above the list.

• Type: An icon to indicate the item type.

• Name: The name of the item along with additional details (see Name Column Information).

• Sharing: Indicates whether the item is shared for viewing within the organization.

• Subscription: The number of subscribers and their Kentik user level (e.g., "1 Member").

• Owner: The owner of the item.

• Last Edited: The date on which the item was last edited.

• Last Viewed: The date on which the item was last edited.

• Action menu: A vertical ellipsis icon that opens the dropdown Library Action Menu.

Select All Checkbox

The Select All checkbox in the heading row toggles the state of all checkboxes in the Select column:

• If either no checkboxes in the list itself are checked or only some are checked, then clicking this checkbox will select all listed items, and will show the Selected Item Controls.

• If all checkboxes in the list are checked, clicking this checkbox will deselect all listed items and hide the controls.

Name Column Information

In addition to the name of the Library item, the Name column of the Library list includes the following:

• Trending (flame icon): An indicator that the item is trending (i.e., is among the top 10 most-visited dashboards or saved views over the last month).

• Labels: The labels, if any, that have been applied to the item.

• Description: The description, if any, of the item.

• Guided Mode Controls (dashboards only): A set of controls enabling you to navigate from the Library list directly to a guided mode dashboard (see Guided Mode UI):

  • Input: A drop-down menu or text field in which to provide the dashboard's guided mode value.

  • Go: A button that takes you to the dashboard.

Customize Columns Popup

The Customize Columns popup enables you to choose the columns shown in the Library list. To customize the columns, click the Customize button at the top right of the list. The popup includes the following UI elements:

• Choose columns: Use the checkbox to the left of a column name to display that column in the Library list.

• Order columns: Use the handle to the left of a checkbox to click and drag that column into the desired order.

Once you’ve chosen the columns to include, click outside of the popup to close it. Your column selections will be saved for future visits to the Library page.

Selected Item Controls

The Selected Item Controls appear when one or more items are selected in the Library list. These controls include the following:

• Add/Edit Labels: A link to the Labels Page, where you can create labels to apply to Library items.

• Clear Labels: A button that removes all labels currently applied to any selected items.

• Apply Labels: A field that shows all labels that are already applied to any selected items.

  • To remove an applied label, click the X in that label.

  • To apply a label, click in the field to pop up a filterable list of labels, then click on any listed label to add it to the field and apply it to all selected devices.

  • Multiple labels may be applied from the popup to the selected items.

• Remove View: A button that opens a confirmation popup that allows you to remove the selected items from your organization.

• Rows selected: An indicator to the right of the controls showing the number of currently selected rows.

  

Library Action Menu

The Action menu for a Library item opens from the vertical dots icon at the right of the row for that item in the Library list. The items on the menu vary depending on item type (Dashboard, Saved View, Observation Deck).

Common Action Menu Items

The following menu items are common to the Action menu for all Library items:

• Export (Dashboards and Saved Views only): Opens a submenu from which you can choose to export the item as a PDF (see Portal Export Options).

• Subscribe (Dashboards and Saved Views only): Opens the Subscription Dialog, which enables you to subscribe to the item, either by choosing an existing subscription (combination of email address and schedule) or specifying a new one. A PDF of the current state of the item will be emailed to the specified address at the scheduled interval.

• Unsubscribe ((Dashboards and Saved Views, only if you're already subscribed): Opens the Unsubscribe dialog, which enables you to remove yourself from an existing subscription:

  • Choose the subscription from the Subscription dropdown at top.

  • Clicking the Unsubscribe button at bottom right.

• Share (Dashboards and Saved Views only): Opens the Share dialog, enabling you to share this item with others (see Sharing via the Share Dialog).

• My Kentik Portal (Dashboards and Saved Views only): Actions related to My Kentik Portal (only present if your organization has set up MKP):

  • Preview as Tenant: Opens a submenu from which you can choose an MKP tenant, after which you'll be taken to the Library item as it would appear to that tenant.

  • Assign to Tenant: Adds this Library item to the views available to a given tenant (see Tenant View Settings).

  • Add to package: Adds this Library item to an MKP package (see Package View Settings).

• Remove: Opens a confirmation popup that enables you to remove the Library item from your organization.

Dashboard Action Menu Items

The following Action menu options are available only for dashboards:

• Open in Edit Mode: Opens the dashboard in edit state (see Dashboard Edit Controls).

• Edit Properties: Opens the Edit Dashboard dialog (see Dashboard Dialogs).

• Clone Dashboard: Opens the Clone Dashboard dialog, which has the same fields and controls as the Edit Dashboard dialog but without the Dashboard Dependencies pane (see Dashboard Navigation). When property settings are complete for the clone click the Add Dashboard button to create the cloned dashboard.

Note: You can't edit dashboards that are Kentik Presets, but presets may be cloned and edits made to the resulting copy.

Saved View Action Menu Items

The following Action menu options are available only for saved views:

• Edit Properties: Opens the Edit Saved View dialog (see Saved View Dialogs).

• Clone Saved View: Opens the Clone Saved View dialog, which has the same fields and controls as the Edit Saved View dialog. When property settings are complete for the clone click the Add Saved View button to create the clone.

• Add to New Dashboard: Opens the Add Dashboard dialog (see Dashboard Dialogs), enabling you to create a new dashboard to which you can add this saved view as a panel.

  Note: A dashboard panel created from a saved view is completely independent of that saved view, and modifications to one will have no effect on the other.

• Add to Existing Dashboard: Opens the Add Data Explorer View Panel dialog, where you can specify the dashboard to which this saved view will be added as a panel.

Note: You can't edit the properties of saved views that are Kentik Presets, but presets may be cloned and edits made to the resulting copy.       

Observation Deck Action Menu Items

The following Action menu options are available for Observation Decks:

• Open in Edit Mode: Opens the Observation Deck with the Settings drawer visible, enabling you to make changes to high-level properties (e.g. Title, Description, Labels, and Visibility) and to add panels.

• Clone Observation Deck: Creates a duplicate of the Observation Deck.

Filters Pane

The Filters pane includes the following controls:

• Reset to default: An action link to clear all filters from the Library list.

• Collapse (collapse icon): A button to collapse and hide the Filters pane.

  Note: To expand the pane again, click the filter icon.

Filters Pane Filters

The Filters pane includes the following filters:

• Favorites: A checkbox that includes only Library items that have been designated as favorites (see Manage Favorites).

• Subscribed: A checkbox that includes only Library items that have been subscribed to.

• Trending: A checkbox that includes only Library items that are trending (among the top 10 most-visited items over the last month).

• Labels: A field that displays a lozenge for each selected label applied to a Library item, and filters the list to items with those labels (see Filters Drop-Downs).

  • Select All: Include all labels found in the search.

  Note: Within the dropdown, labels are organized with user-defined labels appearing first, followed by Kentik preset labels.

• Sharing: Checkboxes that include only Library items from a specified sharing setting.

  • Private: The item is for your own personal use and is not shared with others in your organization.

  • Shared: You or others in your organization have created the item and designated it for use by everyone in the organization.

  • Kentik Preset: The item was created by Kentik (see Kentik Presets).

• Owner: A field with a lozenge for each selected owner of an item. Filters the Library list to items with those owners (see Filters Dropdowns).

• Type: A field with a lozenge for each selected item type. Filters the Library list to items of those types (see Filters Dropdowns).

Filters Dropdowns

Several fields in the Filters pane include a dropdown from which you can select a filter:

• To apply a filter, click the field and choose from the filterable dropdown list. A lozenge for the filter will be added to the field.

• To remove a filter, click the X at the right of the filter’s lozenge.

Filter Application Rules

Kentik applies the following rules to filter categories and criteria:

• Filters are ORed within each of the categories (Favorites, Subscribed, Labels, Sharing, Owner, and Type), so Library items matching any filter value within an individual category are considered a match for that category.

• Filters are ANDed between categories, so Library items must match in all specified filter categories to be included in the Library list.

Kentik Presets

Kentik provides preset Library items, referred to as "Kentik presets", for all Kentik customers. Kentik has developed a wide variety of such presets addressing a range of use cases for various types of organizations (service providers, web enterprises, etc.). These presets have Labels with the Kentik logo to distinguish them from user-created items. Kentik presets are listed in the Library List when the Kentik Preset checkbox is selected in the Filters pane.

Library Keyboard Shortcuts

The Library page supports the following Portal Keyboard Shortcuts (hotkeys) to facilitate faster navigation without relying on mouse clicks: