Tour the Pentaho User Console
Overview
Familiarize yourself with the different pages and controls of User Console with this tour.
If you use file management tools or any web browser, you should feel right at home with the User Console. To familiarize yourself with the different pages and controls of User Console, let us take you through a quick tour.
Login to the User Console
Follow these steps to login to the User Console:
Home
The first thing you see after you log into the User Console is the Home page, which serves as the portal for you to access Pentaho tools and features. Home contains easy access buttons so that you can Browse Files, Create New reports and dashboards, view Pentaho Documentation, and quickly open recently viewed or favorite files.
Item | Name | Function |
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![]() | Home indicator | Indicates the current User Console perspective that you are using. The Home menu lets you flip easily from page to page, or return to your Home page. |
![]() | Getting Started | Displays some resources to help you get familiar with the User Console. The Welcome tab shows an introductory video about Pentaho products. The Samples tab holds a variety of small sample reports and dashboards that you can use to get familiar with the software. The Tutorials tab contains a number of tutorial videos that give you a visual guide to the software. |
![]() | Current User | Shows the name of the person currently logged in to the User Console. Clicking the arrow next to the name lets you log out of the User Console. |
![]() | Browse Files | Brings you to the Browse Files window, where you can locate your files using the Browsing and Files panes, and manage them using the Actions pane. |
![]() | Create New | Gives you the option to create a new Interactive Report, Analyzer Report, or Dashboard. If you have permissions to work with Data Sources, this button also gives you the option to create a new Data Source. |
![]() | Documentation | http://help.pentaho.com - documentation for Pentaho products. |
![]() | Recents | Shows a list of your most recently opened files. Clicking on the star next to a recently opened file adds it to your Favorites list. |
![]() | Favorites | Shows a list of your favorite files for quick access. |
Browse Files
The Browse Files page helps you keep your files and folders organized and makes them easier for you to find and work with.
Item | Name | Function |
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![]() | Browse Files indicator | Indicates the current User Console perspective that you are using. Browse Files shows you how to locate your files and folders and the different actions you can do with them. Displays a series of three panes: the Browsing, Files, and Actions panes. |
![]() | Folders | Shows a list of folders that you can browse through to locate your files. You can also use the Browsing pane to create new folders or delete old ones. After you select something in the Browsing pane, the Actions pane populates with a list of things you can do with the folders. |
![]() | Files | Generates and shows a list of all files contained in the folder that is selected in the Browsing pane. After you select a file, the Actions pane populates with a list of things you can do with the file. |
![]() | File Actions | Shows a list of different things that you can do with the selected folder or file. The Actions pane gives you the ability to:
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Opened
The Opened page activates after you open a file from the Browse Files page and provides a simple space to work with your files.
Item | Name | Function |
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![]() | Opened indicator Open... New Interactive, Analyzer, Dashboard, or Data Source | Indicates the current User Console perspective that you are using. Opened displays the files that you access from the Browse Files pane.
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![]() | Edit, Save, and Save As | Gives you the ability to perform these functions on the active file in the Report Window: edit, save the file with a default name in the same location, or save the file with a different name and in any location on the repository or your desktop |
![]() | Report Window | Displays the file or report that is currently opened, and lets you edit or work with the file. |
Schedules
You can schedule reports to run automatically. All of your active scheduled reports appear in the list of schedules, which you can get to by clicking the Home drop-down menu, then the Schedules link, in the upper-left corner of the User Console page. You can also access the list of schedules from the Browse Files page, if you have a report selected.
The list of schedules shows which reports are scheduled to run, the recurrence pattern for the schedule, when it was last run, when it is set to run again, and the current state of the schedule.
Item | Name | Function |
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![]() | Schedules indicator | Indicates the current User Console perspective that you are using. Schedules displays a list of schedules that you create, a toolbar to work with your schedules, and a list of times that your schedules are blocked from running. |
![]() | Schedule Name | Lists your schedules by the name you assign to them. Click the arrow next to Schedule Name to sort schedules alphabetically in ascending or descending order. |
![]() | Repeats | Describes how often the schedule is set to run. |
![]() | Source File | Displays the name of the file associated with the schedule. |
![]() | Output Location | Shows the location that the scheduled report is saved. |
![]() | Last Run | Shows the last time and date when the schedule was run. |
![]() | Next Run | Shows the next time and date when the schedule will run again. |
![]() | Status | Indicates the current Status of the schedule. The state can be either Normal or Paused. |
![]() | Blockout Times | Lists the times that all schedules are blocked from running. |
You can edit and maintain each of your schedules by using the controls above the schedules list, on the right end of the toolbar.
Icon | Name | Function |
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![]() | Refresh | Refreshes the list of schedules. |
![]() | Run Now | Runs a selected schedule(s) at will. |
![]() | Stop Scheduled Task | Pauses a specified schedule. Use Start Schedule to start paused jobs. |
![]() | Start Scheduled Task | Resumes a previously stopped schedule. |
Edit Scheduled Task | Edits the details of an existing schedule. | |
![]() | Remove Scheduled Task | Deletes a specified schedule. If the schedule is currently running, it continues to run, but it will not run again. |
Themes
The User Console has two themes built in, called Crystal and Onyx. The default display shows the Crystal theme, but if you prefer, you can change the theme so the console displays the Onyx theme.
Tools
The User Console has three main tools. This table helps you decide what tools best fit for your needs and provides links to the corresponding articles.
Explore Considerations | Choose Options | ||
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Interactive Reports | Analyzer Reports | Dashboard Designer | |
Summary | Interactive Reports is a web-based design interface which is used to create both simple and on-demand operational reports without depending on IT or report developers. | Analyzer Reports is an analytical visualization tool that filters and drills down into business information contained in Pentaho Analysis data sources. | Dashboard Designer allows users to create dashboards with little or no training. The dashboard is several different reports brought together inside one screen. |
Expertise | Basic computer skills and knowledge of web browsers. | Basic computer skills, knowledge of web browsers, familiarity with data structures. | Basic computer skills and knowledge of web browsers. |
Time | Approximately 30 minutes. | Approximately 30 to 60 minutes. | Approximately 30 minutes. |
Recommendation | Use Interactive Reports to create operational or financial reports, create reports that provide you with significant control over formatting elements such as fonts, background color, and column widths and sorting. | Use Analyzer Reports to perform advanced sorting and filtering of your data, create drill through reports to access underlying data, view chart visualizations, or to analyze business data quickly in a dynamic environment. | Use Dashboard Designer if you want to create an interface to view multiple reports at once, view charts and graphs within one space while you create reports in another, and have quick access to web pages that you visit often. |