When it comes to database management systems, solutions like MySQL and MongoDB immediately spring to mind. However, let’s be honest: these programs suck at data visualization.
By contrast, Elasticsearch with Kibana is great at it. In fact, we think it’s the very best open source visualization tool on the market today. It’s open source software that’s free to use, making it a no-brainer for businesses of all sizes. If you’re not taking advantage of its many features and benefits, you’re not getting the most out of your software system. Visualizing data in Elasticsearch is where it’s at!
Elasticsearch: Information Processing Made Easy
Elasticsearch (part of the Elastic stack) offers data visualization through its innovative Kibana tool. It can assist you in transforming raw, boring data into charts, graphs, and other striking visuals to help make the data tell a story. Neither MySQL or MongoDB measure up to Kibana’s flexibility and features. It’s hard to believe Kibana is free, and this only adds to the appeal of this open source solution.
Elastic stack tools assist you in pumping data from your data stores into Elasticsearch, where you can then use Kibana for visualization. Visualizing data in Elasticsearch is made easy with Kibana. The results can help inspire creative insights and new levels of innovation in your business.
Data visualization in business has never been more popular, and it’s easy to see why. Visualizing data in Elasticsearch allows for real time brainstorming with the most up to date information available to your company. This enhances accuracy, reduces errors and conserves human resources.
Intuitive, Professional, Cost-Effective Results
All businesses are looking for solutions to streamline processes, improve efficiency, enhance innovation and cut costs. With Elasticsearch with Kibana in your stack, information can be easily saved and aggregated from all your various devices. Its visualization capacity far surpasses what would be possible compiling and processing the data manually.
In addition to the ability to compile data from a variety of sources and devices, Kibana also allows you to choose the scope of data, show it in a diagram, and keep things up to date with auto synchronization. Once the system is set up with all your devices and desired parameters, it will collate and process your data smoothly and in real time.
Some companies spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on data visualization. However, with Kibana, the software is free and the only cost is the time invested in setup, launch, and any required updates.
Centralize and Display Your Logs in a Range of Formats
One of the most common uses for data analytics is in log processing. Whether your enterprise has national or global web-based services or your needs are smaller capacity, the software will fluidly gather and centralize your logs and display them both raw and visualized in a range of charts, graphs and displays. The results are accessible using Kibana dashboards, with each corresponding to data sources which can include database logs, app logs, etc.) Data is delivered in just seconds. Dashboards can also be customized to fit your desired needs and objectives.
For example, users can see raw logs as well as select the time period for filtering logs. File logs are handled with Filebeat. Old logs can also be viewed up to one year in the past; logs older than one year are archived. Sources can include application file logs, logs from a user interface, apache2 file logs, metrics from the running server (CPU, memory, etc.) and much more.
Filebeat tracks log files for changes and seeks new records as they appear within each file. Logs from a user interface can’t be stored in a file, so they are sent via HTTP requests to a host and then stored in Elasticsearch. Some clients also love that IP addresses for each request can be catalogued. Each address can be converted to geographical coordinates and parsed on the map. Server metrics can also be effectively gathered with Metricbeat shipper. Simply configure the metrics you wish to gather as well as where to send them.
To send data from each source and server to a centralized location, elastic beats can do the job flawlessly. Have it installed on each server and logs will be sent accordingly; Logstash will parse and convert the logs and send them to Elasticsearch. Logs can be stored in Amazon Elastic Block Store.
If You Aren’t Using Kibana, You Should Be
As you can see, visualizing data in Elasticsearch and Kibana is a highly effective and integrated way to get more from your company’s key information and metrics. Relational database management systems just don’t come close to what’s possible with Kibana and Elasticsearch.
Kibana is highly recommended as a premier choice for data visualization. The fact that it is free and open source is an added incentive. With so little to invest and so much to gain, every company should be taking advantage of what Kibana has to offer.