On November 17, Syncfusion hosted a webinar exploring how you can maximize your flexibility with Azure and Syncfusion. Moderator Carter Harris and presenter Aaron Melamed demonstrated how easy it is to deploy and integrate the Syncfusion Dashboard and Big Data Platforms on Azure and leverage the power of the cloud. We have reproduced the Q&A segment of the webinar below. You can watch the entire webinar on Syncfusion’s YouTube channel.
Q: How can I integrate the Dashboard Server with Azure B2C authentication?
A: Currently we don’t support integrating the Dashboard Server with Azure B2C authentication. We have plans to implement this in the future.
Q: Does the Dashboard Designer have specific syntax like DAX in PowerBI?
A: No, it does not have specific syntax. Data querying will take place based on the connected data source.
Q: How can I join Excel and SQL Server in the same data source?
A: We cannot join Excel and SQL Server in the same data source in the Dashboard or Big Data Platforms. This is a matter of data integration, which can be achieved through the Syncfusion Data Integration Platform. The integrated data can then be consumed in the Dashboard Platform as a data source.
Q: I think the dashboard solution is perfect for small projects and has a great cost! At this moment it cannot compete with PowerBI, and I understand that PowerBI is expensive, but maybe later the Syncfusion Dashboard Platform will be the best choice! Thanks Syncfusion!
A: Thanks! The Syncfusion Dashboard Platform currently has features for addressing basic needs, but it is still in active development toward making it preferable for advanced requirements.
Q: Does the Big Data Platform run only on Windows OS, or does it offer a Windows UI for other (Unix) OS?
A: On Azure, we support Windows. On-premises, we support both Linux and Windows.
Q: Windows 2012 is a bit old. When will you use Windows 2016 as a template VM?
A: We are planning for it now. We will implement it in upcoming releases.
Q: I use a Nancy self-hosted REST server. Can I connect the Dashboard Server to my REST service? How will I connect a specific JSON property to a gauge, for example?
A: Since a Nancy self-hosted REST server is an HTTP service, it can be connected using the Dashboard Designer through the Web Data Source connection type. A specific property in JSON will be treated as a data column. To connect the web service whose result type is JSON, follow the procedure outlined in the following documentation:
https://help.syncfusion.com/dashboard-platform/dashboard-designer/connecting-to-data/connecting-to-data#connecting-to-restful-web-services
Once the connection is established, drag and drop the table in the designer canvas. Once that’s done, navigate to the Data tab in the gauge settings and add dimensions and values as demonstrated in the following documentation:
https://help.syncfusion.com/dashboard-platform/dashboard-designer/compose-dashboard/configuring-and-formatting-dashboard-widgets/radial-gauge
Q: Is it possible to mix relational databases with NoSQL data for dashboards?
A: Dashboards can be connected to relational data with its respective data connection types and non-relational data through ODBC drivers with ODBC ANSI SQL connections.
Q: Is it possible mix the Azure solution with on-premise data?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a VM image for testing/implementation on-premises?
A: We don’t have one right now.
Q: When you deploy a dashboard as an app service, what options do you have to allow our website users to sign in to the dashboard?
A: Dashboard Server supports integration with Windows Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, and also your existing database users.
Q: Can I plot data from an IoT sensor on a database in real time?
A: Since dashboards can be connected to real-time databases, if data from an IoT sensor is pushed to a database, it can be reflected in dashboards automatically or at scheduled intervals.
Q: Is there an option to trigger hardware based on the data plotted on IoT solutions?
A: No, since there will be no hardware associated between the data and the dashboard. However, email alerts to subscribed people can be triggered automatically from the Dashboard Server when any value reaches a threshold limit. Triggering hardware is the responsibility of the service. IoT Hub, for example, takes care of the IoT device requests and responses to the applications through APIs.
Q: Is it possible to change the Syncfusion skin if you have a Community License?
A: Yes, it is possible to change the Syncfusion skin if you have a Community License. Here are some links illustrating changes you can make:
- Custom theming: https://help.syncfusion.com/dashboard-platform/dashboard-server/appearance/themes
- Custom Branding: https://help.syncfusion.com/dashboard-platform/dashboard-server/site-settings/custom-rebranding
- https://help.syncfusion.com/dashboard-platform/dashboard-designer/custom-rebranding
Q: Can user login be customized to use a security token service?
A: The Dashboard Server currently uses OAuth for web login and also the API. We have plans to implement integration with customized security token services.
