Documentation

Data Glossary

A


Action
An Action is a Visual SQL transformation step that manipulates your result set
Alert
In Chartio, an Alert is essentially a Single Value chart with a threshold. Chartio runs your query at the scheduled interval, and if the returned value meets the threshold you’ve specified, we’ll send an email with a customized message.

B


No items added yet!

C


Cache Duration
The Cache Duration tells Chartio how long to keep chart data before querying your database for fresh data. If you’d like fresh data very often, you can set the cache duration to a lower time interval.
Concurrency
Concurrency refers to a database’s ability to support multiple processes simultaneously. Every data warehouse has concurrency limitations or the maximum number of queries you can run simultaneously without leading to slowness in generating interactive reports.
Controls
See Dashboard Controls
Custom column
Custom columns are a way to increase your organization’s ability to control the definition of key metrics and prevent different members from redefining them. You can create Custom Columns in the Schema tab of your data source.
Custom schema
The ability to store and query manipulated columns (AKA custom columns), views, or custom tables, that only live inside your Chartio instance. Both objects (custom columns and custom tables) must be written in the data sources native SQL syntax and can only be used in the Visual Mode (cannot reference in SQL mode).
Custom table
A table in Chartio that is made from the columns of tables that were joined, or just a subset of a specific table. This gives the user the ability to query these results, conceptually similar to a database view except this only lives inside Chartio. When a user pulls from this column, Chartio injects the SQL code used to create the custom table as a subquery. Custom tables function similar to any table in your schema(schema brought into Chartio), you can set foreign keys going from a custom table to a table that exists in your data source, or another custom table. You cannot reference custom tables by name in SQL mode, so you’ll need to use interactive mode to query custom tables.

D


Dashboard
Dashboards in Chartio can be built with multiple charts, texts, Controls. Dashboards are built to trigger insights that help you take action by arranging multiple data visualizations.
Dashboard Controls
Dashboard Controls are interactive filters you can set on your dashboard; connecting your Controls to multiple charts allows you to filter those charts simultaneously. Controls include Dropdowns, Calendars, Date Sliders, Range Inputs, Text Inputs, Date Buckets, and Hidden Variables.
Dashboard ID
Dashboard IDs are used as a unique identifier for a dashboard. This ID is used to keep track of a dashboard in Chartio’s backend. To find the dashboard ID, you can hover over a dashboard’s title.
Data modeling
Modeling is the process of translating data into an easily consumable form to support the business. More specifically for BI, there are two distinct aspects to modeling:
  • Business users’ ability to understand the data and build the charts they need (presentation of data)
  • Ongoing management between the database and Chartio by Data Engineers, Data Analysts (transformation of data)
Data pipeline
The data pipeline is Chartio’s flexible interface that allows users to continue to manipulate the data returned from the original queries. Our Data Pipeline allows you to perform a number of transformations on your query results in a series of steps. These steps include a variety of operations such as joining data from multiple sources, aggregating data, column sorting, pivoting data, and adding calculated columns. The flexibility of adding any steps in any order allows you to get your data exactly how you want it for your final presentation.
Data source
An external collection of data that is connected to Chartio for analysis purposes. This could be a database, CSV, or Google Sheet.
Data Store
A collection of Stored Tables that can be used as a data source for Chartio queries.
Data warehouse
A data warehouse (also commonly called a single source of truth) is a clean, organized, single representation of your data. Data warehouses make your data:
  • Easier to understand and query - simplified single model
  • Faster for the data team to use
  • Approachable to work with for Business Users
  • Trusted, consistent source of answers
  • Easier and less time to maintain
Database
A data source that is typically organized in a format that allows for efficient storage and retrieval of information. There are many types of databases, but some of the most common include Relational, Document Oriented, Graph, and Key-Value.
Dataset
A dataset is one query from a data source. In Chartio, you can merge your datasets using a join.
DPA
Data Processing Agreement; a legally binding document to be entered into between the controller and the processor in writing or in electronic form. It regulates the particularities of data processing – such as its scope and purpose – as well as the relationship between the controller and the processor.
Drilldown
Chartio’s Drilldown functionality allows you to click an area on a chart to update a Dashboard Control value. The Dashboard Control would then update any charts connected to it either on the same dashboard or on another dashboard.

E


ELT
Extract, Load, Transform; ELT is the modern approach to managing cloud data, where the transformation step is saved until after the data is loaded into a data lake. The transformations really happen when moving from the Data Lake to the Data Warehouse.
ETL
Extract, Transform, Load; ETL is the legacy way to manage cloud data, where data extracted is first transformed before being loaded into a data lake.

F


Foreign key
Foreign keys tell a database on how to join two or more tables together in the same query. In Chartio, foreign keys allow users to join data from different tables together in Interactive Mode. Foreign keys can either be imported from your data source or manually set from the Chartio schema page.

G


No items added yet!

H


Hidden Variable
A Hidden Variable is a Control on your dashboard that is not visible from the dashboard. Common use cases for Hidden Variables are for Drilldowns and Embedding.
HIPAA
HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996.

The Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (Privacy Rule) sets forth, for the first time, a set of national standards for the protection of certain health information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

The HIPAA Privacy Rule addresses the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information called “Protected Health Information (PHI)”. These types of organizations are called “covered entities”. The Privacy Rule HIPAA requirements outline for covered entities individuals’ privacy rights to understand and control how their health information is used. HHS and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) have the responsibility for implementing and enforcing the HIPAA Privacy Rule with respect to compliance activities and civil money penalties. The HIPAA Privacy Rule is to assure that an individual’s health information is properly protected while allowing the individual’s necessary health information that is needed to provide and promote quality health care, is protected. The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits important uses of information while protecting the privacy of people who seek healthcare.

I


Interactive Embedding
AKA Embedding, for short; Interactive Embedding is available as a purchasable add-on feature for any of Chartio’s subscription plans and allows users to embed Chartio dashboards to their own applications, viewing them just as they appear in Chartio (i.e., with applied dashboard themes and titles). Users can also enable viewers to filter those dashboards with Chartio’s native UI elements (e.g., Dashboard Controls, Drilldowns, etc.).
Interactive Mode
Interactive Mode is Chartio’s drag and drop interface. It’s a quick way for anyone to explore their data or create a chart. No SQL knowledge is required, as Chartio is generating the SQL for you behind the scenes.
Internal Embedding
Internal Embedding is a type of embedding that only requires the ability to embed an iframe to a webpage. Unlike Interactive Embedding, dashboard viewers require a Chartio license.

J


JSON Web Token
JSON Web Token (JWT) is an open standard (RFC 7519) that defines a compact and self-contained way for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object. This information can be verified and trusted because it is digitally signed.

K


No items added yet!

L


Link sharing
Link sharing is a way to provide user access to a resource without granting permission for a specific person. In Chartio, you can enable link sharing for a dashboard and anyone with access to your Chartio instance and a copy of the link can access the dashboard.

M


Monitor license
Monitor licenses are user types available on certain plan types allowing you to create a separate view-only Chartio user. This user can then be granted Viewer access to dashboards and used to display dashboards on TVs or Monitors around your workspace.

N


No items added yet!

O


Owner
An Owner has the ability to access all resources in the Chartio instance and make changes to the organization settings

P


Primary Admin
The Primary Admin is a designated admin on a dashboard or data source. The Primary Admin is considered the owner of the dashboard and they should be the go-to contact with any questions about the dashboard or data source. The Primary Admin can be an individual user or a Team.
Protected Health Information (PHI)
Any Customer Data from a customer that has signed a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) with Chartio, enforcing HIPAA legal requirements on Chartio.

Q


Query log
A query log is used to track queries to a data source. It includes the date and time the query was sent, the amount of time it took the query to complete, the query that was sent to the data source, and any accompanying errors that were generated.

R


Rate limit
Rate limits are used to control the rate at which a host can send or receive network traffic. In Chartio, rate limits are used to specify the number of queries that can be sent at one time to your data source.
Refresh rate
Refresh rates in Chartio refers to when the dashboards automatically refresh their charts on a regular basis. Learn more about the refresh rate settings.
Relational database
A database that stores related information in tables (defined below), also known as relations, which are 2-dimensional structures comprised of columns and rows. Examples include Postgres, MySQL, and Redshift.
Row limits
The maximum number of rows that can be included in a dataset even if more rows match the criteria to be included.

S


Schema
In Chartio, it is a collection of objects within a database, consisting of tables(and columns within those tables) and the relationship between those tables (foreign keys set on your data source or the ones you set in Chartio).
Slug
Slug is the part of the URL to uniquely identify your organization in Chartio; immediately follows https://chartio.com/ (e.g., https://chartio.com/my-cool-org-name/)
SQL Mode
The text version of creating a query
Stored Table
Query results that have been saved as a table for a new data source (see Data Store). It’s just like creating and manipulating queries for a chart, so you can query one or more data sources connected to Chartio for creating your Stored Table. Schedule a time for your Stored Tables to refresh; you can schedule to run at certain times for performance optimization.

T


Table
A materialized (stored physically) table on the database. These tables on the database are reflected virtually in Chartio and can be manipulated to be more usable by editing metadata.

U


No items added yet!

V


View
In Chartio, a view is a table stored virtually (created at run-time), created by a SQL query. Views help simplify the underlying physical data without having to copy/create multiple new physical tables.
Visual Mode
The visual version of creating a query
Visual SQL
Visual SQL is our latest interface for creating queries and manipulating the results for your charts

W


No items added yet!

X


No items added yet!

Y


No items added yet!

Z


No items added yet!