Define metrics

Metrics are the values that are calculated and presented in different views within Ignity. More information about all the different type of metrics you can use can be found here.

The first step is to add a source. A source is the database table where the results are stored. Data from multiple sources can be combined in one dashboard.

Add a source

There are 2 options to add a source:

  1. Either Ignity creates a backend table in your dedicated cloud database >> to do this use the button ‘Add New Source’
  2. You can connect to an already existing database table >>To do this use the button ‘Add Existing Source’.

When creating a backend table in your cloud database (option 1) you should provide a source name and check which defined attributes are available with the results.

When connecting to an already existing database (option 2) you should enter:

  1. the database type (mySQL or Microsoft SQL server)
  2. the host address of the database (and port if it is not the default port)
  3. the database name
  4. User and password to connect to the database

Default the connection to the database is made securely using the SSL/TLS protocol with a self signed certificate. You can also upload a certificate.

Once you have filled out the values you can click the button ‘Test connection’. If the info is right you should select a table from the database via the drop down list. This enables the ‘characteristics’ area. Here you assign the columns that hold the characteristic values. Click the button ‘Save changes’ to finalize the definition of a data source.

Add a database tabel as a source
Enter the right info to connect to a database, select a table and assign the characteristics
Metrics

Once you added a source you can define metrics. Click on the button ‘Add metric’ (under the right source). Now you can select one of the following metrics:

  • One value
  • Composite value
  • Multiple choice
  • Multiple response

With the metric ‘One value (under composite)’ you can define values after you defined (and selected) a ‘Composite value’.

If you select one of the given metrics you can enter the following information:

  • Column in database (only for an ‘existing source’)
  • Metric label >> the full name of the label
  • Short code >> unique shortcode for internal purposes (not visible to end users)
  • Source table column name (only for a ‘new source’ to be created in the cloud database)
  • Calculation type
    • Average
    • Percentage rule
    • Percentage scale
    • SUM
  • Depending on the calculation type you can enter a selection of the following settings:
    • Minimum value
    • Maximum value
    • Target value (*optional)
    • NA (not applicable value)
    • Weight
    • Threshold value (*optional)
  • Explanation
    • If you check the box ‘Explanation’, in the overview tab an information icon will appear next to the metric. If you click on it, you will get a (graphical) explanation of how the metric is calculated. Also the text you enter here is shown.
  • Comments
    • You can define that one or multiple free text comment is part of the metric. Here you can store text strings like comments. Just check the box ‘include free text comment for this metric’ and specify the title of the comment and the name of the column that should be created (or assign the right column if you choose an existing database)
    • Just click the plus and minus signs to add or delete comments
  • Press the button ‘save changes’ for every metric you define.
  • All defined metrics are shown in an overview
  • By double clicking a metric from the overview, the metric can be edited.
Defining a metric in the Ingity backend
Example definition of a 'one value' with the calculation type 'average' for a mark ranging from 1 to 10
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