Introduction
DataVista Spectrum™ is an amazingly
versatile Java applet that converts very large
collections of data into interactive color
maps to provide an easy, intuitive way to examine
all the available data visually. A powerful
equation editing facility enables the creation
of new data series that are functions of the
existing data. DataVista Spectrum is extremely
effective in any environment that requires
monitoring and exploring large and dynamic
data sets.
Typical applications
of DataVista Spectrum include.
Risk management
Network monitoring
E-commerce site management.
DataVista Spectrum supports a pluggable data
architecture that enables the display of any
proprietary data source in addition to JDBC
and data stored within its open, XML-based
configuration file.
Features
Data visualization
techniques are applied throughout the
DataVista Spectrum interface in order
to improve the speed at which data are
comprehended and acted upon.
DataVista Spectrum
represents each piece of data as a colored
square arranged within a regular grid.
A data item is assigned to a row and
column based upon user-defined attributes.
There is no limit to the number of rows
and columns or the size of the underlying
database.
This simple technique
of employing colors to represent values
enables salient features and patterns
of large databases to present themselves
much more quickly than similar data represented
as tabular data or through common charts
and graphs.
Colors are assigned
to data through the use of a configurable
gradient. This gradient, along with
a visualization of the data distribution,
is displayed below the actual data.
Advanced users may develop custom gradients
and plug them into DataVista Spectrum.
Operations range from
simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication
to complex Boolean expressions and conditions.
The various built-in functions include
trigonometric, logarithmic, rounding
and many others.
DataVista Spectrum
also provides a powerful framework for
monitoring dynamic data sources. The
Internet has significantly increased
the necessity for quick reactions to
rapidly changing conditions. This situation
is particularly relevant in financial,
network and web-site monitoring applications.
DataVista Spectrum aptly handles data
that change over time, continually updating
its display and custom expressions to
present them in a continuous fashion.
DataVista Spectrum
Benefits
DataVista Spectrum
is able to import and display data
of various types from a wide range
of sources making it useful in
many situations, such as financial
research, risk management, real-time
network monitoring, market analysis
and customer relationship management.
For example, a risk management
application would partition asset
positions into various groupings
such as portfolio manager and asset
class. Each position could then
be assigned a color that is proportional
to its contribution to the overall
risk of the portfolio. These data
then would update over time to
reflect current market conditions.
DataVista Spectrum
provides the user with the capability
of expanding upon existing data
through the creation and modification
of custom expressions that are
represented and functions of the
existing underlying data.
Expressions may
be included at execution time,
or created by the user from within
this flexible applet. Expressions
are created through a flexible,
and easy-to-use expression editor
interface. Through the use of the
mouse, and without any typing,
complex equations based upon the
underlying data are developed,
displayed and later refined. The
ability to add and modify custom
expressions greatly enhances the
flexibility and power of DataVista
Spectrum to enable better decisions
based upon your data.
Incorporating DataVista Spectrum into Your Architecture
DataVista Spectrum is configured
through a very flexible XML-based configuration
mechanism. All aspects of DataVista Spectrum's
appearance and functionality are configurable
ranging from data access to chart presentation
to exception handling. The same XML that configures
the applet may be employed to configure the servlet,
further reducing the effort expended in deploying
a unified client-server solution.
DataVista Spectrum may
obtain its data from any of several sources,
thereby providing seamless integration into
most enterprise architectures. The first source
is an open, XML-based format, compatible with
many of the emerging XML-aware applications.
Secondly, data may be imported from any JDBC-compliant
data source (which includes all ODBC data sources
through a JDBC-ODBC bridge). Lastly, a pluggable
architecture allows any Java™ object
implementing a simple, well-documented interface
to serve as a data source.
Brochure
You may download a PDF brochure for DataVista Spectrum here.
