Dashboard Metrics Explained | How to Interpret Metrics | Nife Docs
Learn what each metric on your dashboard represents and how to use them.
Top-Level Metrics#
Applications#
Shows the total number of applications deployed in your account
- Total Apps - All applications including running and stopped
- Running Apps - Currently active and accessible applications
- Stopped Apps - Paused or inactive applications
What it means:
- Increasing apps = Growing infrastructure
- High number of stopped apps = Potential cleanup needed
- Running vs total ratio shows utilization
Example:
- Total: 15 apps
- Running: 12 apps
- Interpretation: 80% of your apps are active
VM Instances#
Virtual machines (servers) you've deployed
- Each VM is a standalone server
- Can run applications and services
- Uses compute resources (CPU, memory)
What it means:
- More VMs = More capacity
- High VM count = Higher costs
- Unused VMs = Wasted resources
Organizations#
Team workspaces in your account
- Each organization can have multiple applications
- Different teams can use different organizations
- Separate billing and resource management
What it means:
- More organizations = More team structure
- Useful for large teams or multiple projects
- Makes management and access control easier
Databases#
Database instances deployed
- MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.
- May be managed or unmanaged
- Store application data
What it means:
- Number of databases backing your apps
- Each database takes storage and compute
- Important for data management
Monthly Cost#
Estimated spending based on resource usage
- Calculated from compute, storage, bandwidth
- Updated regularly as you use resources
- Shows trend compared to previous period
What it means:
- Increasing cost = Using more resources
- High cost may need optimization
- Monitor to budget effectively
Sparkline Trends#
Each metric card shows a sparkline (small chart) showing the trend over the last 7 days.
Reading Sparklines#
Upward trend 📈
- Metric is increasing
- May be intentional (scaling up)
- Or may need investigation
Downward trend 📉
- Metric is decreasing
- Could be good (optimizing)
- Or concerning (losing capacity)
Flat trend ➡️
- Metric is stable
- No major changes
- Consistent usage
% Change indicator Shows percentage change compared to one week ago:
- +15% - 15% increase from last week
- -8% - 8% decrease from last week
- 0% - No change
Metric Colors#
Each metric has an associated color:
- Blue - Applications
- Green - Running/Active resources
- Purple - VM Instances
- Orange - Costs
Understanding Changes#
Applications Metric Changes#
Increasing:
- You're deploying new applications
- Team is growing
- Project scope expanding
Decreasing:
- Removing unused applications
- Consolidating services
- Simplifying infrastructure
Should I be concerned?
- No specific number is "right"
- Match your needs and budget
- Monitor trends over time
Cost Metric Changes#
Increasing:
- More resources deployed
- Using more bandwidth
- Higher compute requirements
Decreasing:
- Scaling down resources
- Optimizing infrastructure
- Removing unused services
Action items:
- Review cost details in Billing section
- Identify expensive resources
- Optimize or remove as needed
Resource Changes#
VM Instances increasing:
- Adding more servers
- Scaling horizontally
- Expect cost increase
VM Instances decreasing:
- Removing servers
- Consolidating resources
- Cost savings
Comparing Time Periods#
Use the Date Range Picker to compare different periods:
- Select a date range
- View metrics for that period
- Compare with current metrics
Examples:
- Compare last week vs this week
- Track monthly growth
- Identify seasonal patterns
Alert Indicators#
Some metrics show alert status:
- 🟢 Green = All good
- 🟡 Yellow = Attention needed
- 🔴 Red = Critical issue
What triggers alerts:
- High error rates
- Resource exhaustion
- Failed deployments
- Cost overages
Metric Accuracy#
Why metrics update#
- Real-time monitoring
- API queries to servers
- Aggregated from multiple sources
- Small delays are normal (1-2 minutes)
Manual refresh#
Click the Refresh button to:
- Get latest data immediately
- Clear any stale information
- Update all metrics at once
Tips for Monitoring Metrics#
✓ Check daily - Build a habit
✓ Watch trends - Look for patterns
✓ Set goals - Know your target metrics
✓ Act on alerts - Don't ignore warnings
✓ Document changes - Track your growth
✓ Compare periods - Week over week, month over month
Common Metric Scenarios#
Scenario: Rising Costs#
- Check metric details
- Identify expensive resources
- Consider optimization:
- Right-size instances
- Remove unused resources
- Use auto-scaling
- Choose cost-effective regions
Scenario: High Application Count#
- Review which apps are active
- Archive unused applications
- Consolidate similar services
- Consider using fewer organizations
Scenario: Growing VM Usage#
- Check utilization (CPU, memory)
- Ensure VMs are needed
- Look for rightsizing opportunities
- Consider auto-scaling options
Scenario: New Alerts#
- Read alert message
- Determine urgency
- Take action or investigate
- Resolve or escalate