Overview: Metric Builder for MySQL
HOW TO
How to access Custom Metrics and Metric Builder for MySQL
Navigate to Metrics > Custom Metrics to access the Metric Builder for MySQL. Click the green + New Custom Metric button and select your connected MySQL Data Source from the Data Source drop-down list.
-
The ability to connect MySQL and access Metric Builder is available on the Professional and Performer plans. Request a free trial of MySQL by following
these steps.
How to use the Metric Builder for MySQL
Learn more about SQL
here.
Data Type: Selecting the appropriate Data Type ensures that your Custom Metrics will be synced correctly in Databox.
- Daily Values: This Data Type should be selected when your Metric reflects the most up-to-date Daily Value for the Metric. In Databox, the latest daily entry will be displayed for the Custom Metric.
- Total Values: This Data Type should be selected when your Metric reflects the current total Value for the Metric. In Databox, the latest entry will be displayed for the Custom Metric.
For longer Date Ranges, data will be not aggregated and the most recent Value will be displayed for the selected Date Range. This is the main difference between "Total Values" and "Daily Values." - Event Values: This Data Type should be selected when your Metric Value selection reflects individual Value(s) for the Metric at the specified Date/ Timestamp. This Data Type is the default selection because it is appropriate for the majority of use cases.
For longer Date Ranges, individual Metric Values will be aggregated for the entire Date Range and the aggregated Value will be displayed for the Custom Metric.
How to create a Custom MySQL Metric [Example]
The Metric Builder for MySQL is designed so you can directly enter SQL queries. For our example, we will use a WordPress MySQL Data Source and create a Custom Metric that returns a list of WordPress authors and their current post count.
SELECT COUNT(p.ID) AS posts, u.display_name, p.date AS date FROM dbwp_users u, dbwp_posts p WHERE p.post_author = u.ID AND p.post_type = 'post' GROUP BY u.ID
We used the
AS SQL construct in our query (i.e.
AS posts). This is not mandatory, but it will set the data as a Metric Key. If you use
AS date , this column will represent the Date and Time of the Metric Value (
ISO 8601 Standard Date and Time Format is supported).
We will select
Total Values as the
Data Type. This selection is based on the way data is stored and updated in our Database
If you don’t see any data, double check your SQL query and try it directly in your Database. If no results are displayed there, an error exists in your query. You should also chec to confirm that the MySQL user has the necessary permissions to access the Database from Databox's public IP.
How to add a Custom MySQL Metric to a Databoard
Learn how to add a Custom Metric to a Databoard here.
Additional Information
- Query results are limited to 10,000 rows. If you expect your query to return over 10,000 rows or if you're not sure how many rows will be returned, be sure to LIMIT the query. If you need more than 10,000 rows in order to successfully report on your MySQL data in Databox, feel free to submit your request on our Roadmap here.
- The query must contain a column named "Date." If you need to, use AS in your SELECT statement to satisfy this requirement
- One column should always contain the Metric Value
- "Null" values will not be recognized. Use a COALESCE function when needed. Learn more here.