How to set loading order for panels?

[zeinstein]

Hi,

I have a dashboard with 10+ panels and want to set an order for them in which they are loaded. This way I could make sure that the most important panels get loaded first and then the others.
Do you know a way to do it? (JS is fine, too. I just need a cornerstone for it.)
I'm interested in solutions for Splunk Enterprise 6.3 and 6.5 also.

Thanks!

[cmerriman]

Try to go about it like this:

    <form>
      <init>
        <unset token="token1"></unset>
        <unset token="token2"></unset>
        <unset token="token3"></unset>
    .....
    </init>
    .....
    <input type="radio" token="panel">
          <label>Run Panels</label>
          <choice value="value1">label 1</choice>
          <choice value="value2">label 2</choice>
          <choice value="value3">label 3</choice>
    .....
    <change>
            <condition value="value1">
              <set token="token1">&#32;</set>
            </condition>
            <condition value="value2">
              <set token="token2">&#32;</set>
            </condition>
            <condition value="value3">
              <set token="token3">&#32;</set>
            </condition>
    .....
    </change>
        </input>
    .....
<table>
<search>
<query>$token1$.....

So this initials unsets the tokens for each panel. you'll have a radio button for each panel and when it is selected, that panel will run based on the token you place at the beginning of the query. another method of this would be to set and unset each token in each condition statement, that would make it so when you click on another input, the current input is unset and will no longer run. you can also use depends=$token1$ in the panel to only show the panels running/ran.

[woodcock · Accepted solution]

This is based off of this Q&A:
https://answers.splunk.com/answers/511694/i-have-6-panels-on-a-dashboard-but-can-only-run-3.html#ans...

Yes, you can do this in Simple XML.

Add this to the search of the panel that is to load second

| $NOOP_1$

And this to the search of the panel that is to load third, and so on:

| $NOOP_2$

Then you go to the panel that is to load first and make it look like this:

<panel>
  <title>Your First Panel</title>
  <chart>
    <search>
      <query>Your First Panel Search Here</query>
      <earliest>Your Earliest Here</earliest>
      <latest>Your Latest Here</latest>
      <progress>
         <unset token="NOOP_1"></unset>
      </progress>
      <done>
         <set token="NOOP_1">noop</set>
      </done>
    </search>
  </chart>
</panel>

Do your other panels the same way, each using a higher NOOP_# value that represents the show/search/load order.
You can even make the panels invisible until each starts loading by adding a depends.

[ahmedn_splunk]

Hi, reference to the above, when I tried adding | $NOOP_1$ to the saved search it gave me error:
Error in 'SearchParser': Missing a search command before '$'. Error at position '39' of search query 'search index=_internal | stats count | $NOOP_1$'

Any idea how to solve this?

[woodcock]

You cannot add it to the saved search. It has to be in the dashaboard XML.

[woodcock]

You should be able to use |savedsearch Your:search:details | $NOOP_1$ in your XML.

[ahmedn_splunk]

Thanks will try this...

[zeinstein]

Nice solution, thank you!
Only comment: for 6.5.x we should use done instead of finalized (I just read this in a comment at the link you've posted here).

[rjthibod]

@woodcock, you also have a syntax error in you unset line where the incorrect closing tag is used. I suggest the following change per @zeinstein comment.

           <progress>
              <unset token="NOOP_1"/>
           </progress>
           <done>
              <set token="NOOP_1">noop</set>
           </done>

[woodcock]

I fixed it in the original solution; thank you.

[skoelpin]

Very clever

[kmaron]

There's a really nice answer in a different question about dashboards that might help:

https://answers.splunk.com/answers/511694/i-have-6-panels-on-a-dashboard-but-can-only-run-3.html

[gcusello]

Hi zeinstein,
Splunk doesn't have a method to give a load order for panels.
If you have the same search (or a similar one) in more panels, you could use the "post process search" method building a base search and use it for more panels.
See in the Splunk 6.x Dashboard Examples App (https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/1603/) how to build it.
Bye.
Giuseppe

[zeinstein]

Hi Giuseppe,

That's what I was afraid of. Not even with js?

Thanks though!
Zeinstein

[DalJeanis]

kmaron's link provides a useful method in an answer by woodcock.

Basically, you make the less-important searches wait for a value that hasn't been set yet, but that will be set to "noop" so it has no actual effect on the function.

You could also use "depends" to make the panels disappear until they are being populated.