Using Pulse Notifications in Gladstone Reporting
Problem
You want Gladstone Reporting to notify you about important changes or conditions within Dashboard data without repeatedly checking the Dashboard yourself.
Resolution
What are Pulse Notifications?
Pulse Notifications allow you to monitor supported Dashboard Widgets and receive notifications based on conditions configured against the reporting data.
Pulse information can be viewed using the Pulse option within Gladstone Reporting. Notifications can also be received by email.
Pulse is supported for Widget types including:
- Indicator
- Area Chart
- Bar Chart
- Column Chart
- Line Chart
Do Dashboard Filters affect Pulse Notifications?
Yes. Dashboard Filters applied when a Pulse is created can form part of the Pulse logic.
Before creating a Pulse, review the active Dashboard Filters and confirm that the Widget is displaying the information you intend to monitor.
This can be useful where you want to monitor a specific subset of reporting data rather than the complete Widget.
For example, a Dashboard Filter could be used to restrict a Widget to a particular Site before creating the Pulse.
How do I create a Pulse Notification?
The method depends on the type of Widget.
For an Indicator Widget:
- Move your cursor over the Widget.
- Select the Options button, represented by three horizontal dots.
- Select Add to Pulse.
For a supported chart Widget:
- Right-click the chart element you want to monitor.
- Select Add to Pulse.
When creating the Pulse, review any Dashboard Filters that are currently applied because these may affect the information monitored by the Pulse.
Which Pulse conditions are available?
Pulse provides different methods for determining when a notification should be generated.
Threshold
Define a mathematical condition and value. A notification is generated when the configured condition is met.
Automatic
Gladstone Reporting uses anomaly detection to identify changes in the data that do not fit the expected pattern.
Always
Generate a regular Pulse regardless of whether the monitored value has changed.
How often can Pulse information be captured?
The Alert Frequency configuration determines how frequently Pulse evaluates or records the monitored information.
Available frequency options can include:
- Minutes
- Hours
- Days
Select a frequency appropriate to the information being monitored.
Where can I view my Pulse information?
Use the Pulse option within the Gladstone Reporting toolbar to view configured Pulse information.
Where email notification has been configured, Pulse notifications can also be received by email.
Notes
- Pulse is available only for supported Widget types.
- Dashboard Filters applied when a Pulse is created can affect the information monitored by the Pulse.
- Review active filters before creating a Pulse to ensure that the correct reporting data is being monitored.
- Pulse availability and configuration options may vary according to the Widget and user permissions.
- Pulse Notifications operate against the reporting data available within the RDL and do not cause the underlying data to refresh. When selecting an Alert Frequency, consider how frequently your reporting data is refreshed. Configuring Pulse to check more frequently than the RDL is updated will not provide newer underlying data between RDL refreshes.