Defining a service-monitoring dashboard using key performance indicators derived from machine data

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processing device coupled with the memory to:
• cause display of a dashboard-creation graphical interface that includes a modifiable dashboard template and a key performance indicator (KPI)-selection interface for selecting a KPI indicating how a service provided by one or more entities is performing at one or more points in time;
• wherein a service definition stores an identification of the one or more entities that provide the service;
• wherein each entity of the one or more entities is associated with an entity definition that stores an identification of raw machine data from or about the entity;
• wherein a KPI is defined by a search query that derives one or more values for the KPI from the raw machine data identified in the entity definitions associated with the one or more entities that provide the service whose performance is reflected by the KPI;
• receive through the KPI-selection interface a selection of a particular KPI;
• receive a selection of a location in the dashboard template that corresponds to a location for displaying a KPI widget in a dashboard based on the dashboard template, the KPI widget providing a numerical or graphical representation of one or more values for the selected KPI;
• and
• cause display of an identifier for the selected KPI at the selected location in the dashboard template.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoding instructions thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processing devices, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

• causing display of a dashboard-creation graphical interface that includes a modifiable dashboard template and a key performance indicator (KPI)-selection interface for selecting a KPI indicating how a service provided by one or more entities is performing at one or more points in time;
• wherein a service definition stores an identification of the one or more entities that provide the service;
• wherein each entity of the one or more entities is associated with an entity definition that stores an identification of raw machine data from or about the entity;
• wherein a KPI is defined by a search query that derives one or more values for the KPI from the raw machine data identified in the entity definitions associated with the one or more entities that provide the service whose performance is reflected by the KPI;
• receiving through the KPI-selection interface a selection of a particular KPI;
• receiving a selection of a location in the dashboard template that corresponds to a location for displaying a KPI widget in a dashboard based on the dashboard template, the KPI widget providing a numerical or graphical representation of one or more values for the selected KPI;
• and
• causing display of an identifier for the selected KPI at the selected location in the dashboard template.