Tour Instaview

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After you have finished installing Pentaho Business Analytics, start Instaview as described in Start and Stop PDI Design Tools and Utilities.

Within Configure mode you can access and modify an Instaview's underlying configuration details.

Configure the data source settings
Clear the data cache
Open, delete, or rename existing views
Create new Views
Run or refresh the Instaview data
Clear the data cache

The advanced actions allow you to customize your Instaview for more specific use cases, but require a more technical understanding of Pentaho Data Integration, Data Sources, and Metadata.

Switch to the full Pentaho Data Integration transformation perspective
Launch the model perspective

File:/ssSpoonInstaviewConfig.png

Component	Description
1 - Instaview	A combination of a valid data connection, a data integration transformation, a metadata data source template, and one or more Analyzer reports. You can only have one Instaview at a time.
2 - Configure View	The Configure/View mode toggle allows you to switch between Cofigure mode and View mode. Configure mode enables you edit a data connection, data integration transformation, metadata data source template, and Analyzer report. It also provides the means to clear the Data Cache. View mode enables you to create reports and visualizations from a valid Instaview data source. From within this view you can drag and drop fields from (measurements or dimensions) your data onto the Reporting canvas.
3 - Configure data source panel	The Edit button takes you to the data connection dialog and allows you to edit the data connection settings for the current Instaview. The Auto run Analysis when ready option, if checked, will automatically create a new Analyzer report after pressing Run. The Run button lets you manually start the Instaview data transformation. Pressing Run will modify the data integration transformation or metadata model if changes were made within the Configure panel, if necessary.
4 - Data Integration panel	Provides the means to access and edit the data integration transformation for the current Instaview. Editing will open the Data Integration perspective in PDI.
5 - Model panel	Enables you to edit the metadata model for the current Instaview. Editing will open the Model perspective in PDI.
6 - Data Cache panel	Provides the means to clear the data cache.
7 - Visualizations panel	Displays existing Views and provides the means to open existing, create new, and delete Instaviews. You can also rename an existing visualization by right-clicking an item within this panel.
8 - Refresh display	Displays when the current Instaview was last run. If your data is connected to a live data source this displays the last time the data was accessed by Instaview. The Refresh button provides the means to manually refresh the current Instaview.

Instaview embeds Analyzer Reports for the View mode. Within View mode you are able to drag and drop data onto the Analyzer canvas to interactively explore your data. Instaview offers many ways to visually display data, such as maps, charts, and grids. You may have multiple views open for editing at a time, but you may only have one Instaview open at a time.

The View mode has the same layout as Pentaho Analyzer. You can briefly tour Analyzer here or find out more about Analyzer in Use Pentaho Analyzer.

File:/ssgetstartedwidgetAnalyzerPanel.png

Item	Name	Function
	Opened view	Displays quick access buttons across the top to create and save new Analysis reports, Interactive reports, and Dashboards. Opened reports and files show as a series of tabs across the page.
	Available Fields and Layout panels	Use the Available Fields and Layout panels to drag levels and measures into a report. Your report displays changes in the Report Canvas as you drag items onto the Layout panel. Delete a level or measure from your report by dragging it from the Layout panel to the trashcan that appears in the lower right corner of the Report Canvas.
	Report Canvas	Shows a dynamic view of your report as you work to build it. The look of your report changes constantly as you work with Available Fields and Layout panels to refine it. The Report Canvas shows different fields based on the chart type selected.
	Analyzer Toolbar and Filters	Use the Analyzer Toolbar functions to undo or redo actions, hide lists of fields, add or hide filters, disable the auto-refresh function, adjust settings, and change the view of your report. Use the Filters panel to display a list of filters applied to the active report, or edit or delete filters.