View topology

Latest Dynatrace
Explanation
5-min read

The Smartscape in-context topology view allows you to visualize the topology of a selected entity from other Dynatrace apps across the platform. Because it's closely integrated into existing workflows, it can help you to get a deeper understanding of both vertical and horizontal relationships between entities in your environment.

Using the in-context topology view, you can:

Access drill-downs and actionable information for all displayed entities.
Explore Smartscape's rich insights from within another app or a particular view, such as Kubernetes overview or Infrastructure overview, without leaving the current context.

View topology support in Dynatrace apps

You can open an in-context topology view from the entity details in any Dynatrace application that supports this feature, such as Smartscape, Notebooks, or Threats & Exploits, either via an explicitly labeled button or menu item, or through the Open with option after selecting the entity.

Some nodes might not have any edges to other nodes in your environment. If no edges exist in Smartscape on Grail, the topology perspective will only contain the selected node.

The following are some examples of where you can open an in-context topology view:

Smartscape: from any entity in any Smartscape view by selecting View topology action in the tooltip.
Notebooks: from a Smartscape node by selecting the Show topology action in the tooltip.
Threats & Exploits: from the Affected object details within the app.

Overview

The View topology in-context view offers multiple perspective modes on the trigger node's topology:

Related nodes:
- Shows all directly connected entities and their relationships in one flat graph.
- Usually used to get a complete picture and an overview of connections and relationships for a given node.
Direct calls:
- Focuses on directly connected upstream and downstream nodes.
- Limited to calls relationships.
- Usually used to understand the upstream and downstream dependencies of the target entity.
Hierarchy:
- Provides a complete hierarchical visualization of all related entities for a selected node.
- Shows relationship between nodes, primarily runs_on. Other relationship types, such as belongs_to, are also visible.
- Usually used to understand the underlying infrastructure of the target entity.
Downstream call chain:
- Shows all Smartscape nodes directly or indirectly called by the selected node.
- Usually used to assess blast radius before a change or during an incident or check whether the selected node calls any other entity.
Upstream call chain:
- Shows all Smartscape nodes that directly or indirectly call the selected node.
- Usually used to understand the full chain of callers contributing to load or propagating a failure or check whether the selected node is called by any other entity.
Linked problems:
- Shows all active problems that are connected to the selected node by any type of relationship, including Root cause of, Affected by, or Related to.
- Usually used to understand the problem landscape around a specific entity or get a view of all connected problems without leaving the topology view.

The in-context topology view allows you to switch between perspective modes to gain a complete understanding of an entity's context. Related nodes, Direct calls, and Hierarchy modes consist of the following components:

Groups
Nodes
Edges

Downstream call chain and upstream call chain modes consist of the following components:

Nodes
Edges

Linked problems mode consists of the following components:

Nodes
Edges
Problems

Components represent different relationships and node types depending on the view.

Related nodes

The Related nodes mode shows every relationship of a given Smartscape node in the same graph—infrastructure stack, communication flows, and relationships such as monitoring, load balancing, routing, and API dependencies.

While the Hierarchy and Direct calls perspectives each focus on a specific subset of relationships, the Related nodes mode gives you the complete picture of all directly connected nodes and how they're connected to a given node.

You can access the Related nodes mode from any Smartscape node in any app across the Dynatrace platform.

Group

In the Related nodes mode, entities are divided into logical source and target groups:

Source group: entities that call or use the trigger node directly connected to them, displayed to the left.
Target group: entities connected to the trigger node that the trigger node calls or uses, displayed to the right.

Nodes

In the Related nodes mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed at the center of the graph.
Source nodes: entities calling or using the trigger node directly connected to them, displayed to the left of the trigger node.
Target nodes: entities called or used by the trigger node, displayed to the right of the trigger node.

In the Related nodes mode, all connected nodes are grouped by both the node type and the type of relationship with the trigger node.

Edges

Edges shown in the Related nodes represent any relationship type between the trigger node and nodes directly connected with it, including runs_on, belongs_to, uses, or is_attached_to. You can use edges to get insights about communication pathways.

Direct calls

The Direct calls mode focuses on calls relationships between nodes, and showcases one level of relationship in either direction. You can use this perspective mode to view the upstream and downstream dependencies of the target entity.

Group

In the Direct calls mode, entities are divided into logical source and target groups:

Source group: entities that call the trigger node (calls relationship), displayed to the left.
Target group: entities that the trigger node calls (calls relationship), displayed to the right.

Nodes

In the Direct calls mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed at the center of the graph.
Source nodes: entities calling the trigger node, displayed to the left of the trigger node.
Target nodes: entities called by the trigger node, displayed to the right of the trigger node.

Edges

All edges shown in the Direct calls mode represent the calls relationship type. You can use them to get insights about communication pathways.

Hierarchy

The Hierarchy mode shows a complete hierarchical visualization of all related entities for the trigger node. It allows you to view relationships between the nodes, such as runs_on or belongs_to. You can use Hierarchy mode to understand the underlying infrastructure of the target entity.

Group

In the Hierarchy mode, each group contains entities of the same type, such as hosts and Kubernetes nodes.

Nodes

In the Hierarchy mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed at the center of the graph.
Upstream nodes: entities the trigger node is connected to by a runs_on or a belongs_to relationship. By default, these entities are displayed above the trigger node.
Downstream nodes: entities that are connected to the trigger node by a runs_on or a belongs_to relationship. By default, these entities are displayed below the trigger node.

Edges

Edges in Hierarchy mode represent different relationship types between nodes, based on the trigger node type. The runs_on relationship is the most commonly displayed type, but other relationship types, such as belongs_to or is_attached_to, may also appear in this perspective mode.

Downstream call chain

Downstream call chain shows all Smartscape nodes directly or indirectly called by the trigger node. This allows you to see connected nodes at any depth instead of only viewing immediate neighbors. You can use this mode to view the entirety of the call chain below the trigger node and assess a blast radius before a change or during an incident or check whether the trigger node calls any other entity.

Nodes

In the Downstream call chain mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed on the left side (horizontal layout) or the top of (vertical layout) the graph.
Downstream nodes: entities called by the trigger node, displayed to the right of (horizontal layout) or below (vertical layout) the trigger node.

Edges

All edges shown in the Downstream call chain mode represent the calls relationship type and construct a chain between the trigger node and all the connected nodes below it. You can use it to get insights about which services are called by the trigger node without manually going down the call chain through each individual node.

All edges representing cyclic, or looping calls are connected via the dashed line. Non-looping calls are displayed in grey and are connected via the solid line.

Upstream call chain

Upstream call chain shows all Smartscape nodes that directly or indirectly call the trigger node. This allows you to see connected nodes at any depth instead of only viewing immediate neighbors. You can use this mode to view the entirety of the call chain above the trigger node and understand the full chain of callers contributing to load or propagating a failure or check whether the selected node is called by any other entity.

Nodes

In the Upstream call chain mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed on the right side (horizontal layout) or the bottom of (vertical layout) the graph.
Upstream nodes: entities that call the trigger node, displayed to the left of (horizontal layout) or above (vertical layout) the trigger node.

Edges

All edges shown in the Upstream call chain mode represent the calls relationship type and construct a chain between the trigger node and all the connected nodes above it. You can use it to get insights about which services call the trigger node without manually going down the call chain through each individual node.

All edges representing cyclic, or looping calls are connected via the dashed line. Non-looping calls are displayed in grey and are connected via the solid line.

Linked problems

Linked problems mode shows all active problems that are connected to the trigger node by any type of relationship. You can use this perspective mode to get a view of all connected problems without leaving the topology view or understand the problem landscape surrounding a given node.

Nodes

In the Linked problems mode, you only have the trigger node—a node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and can be located either at the center of the graph (Force view mode), or at the end of the graph (Vertical and Horizontal view modes).

Problems

Instead of source or target nodes, Linked problems perspective mode shows relationship between all active problems connected to the trigger node. By selecting the problem in topology view, you can get an overview of the core properties of the selected problem and open problem details.

Edges

Edges shown in the Linked problems mode represent any relationship type between the trigger node and problems connected to it. The relationship types include Root cause of, Affected by, and Relates to. You can use edges to get insights about the problem landscape around the trigger node.

Filters in View topology

Filters in View topology work similarly to how they work in the Smartscape views. You can filter by nodes, edges, and problems. However, unlike in Smartscape views, View topology doesn't apply filters to the trigger node, ensuring that it'll always remain visible. For example, if you apply the filter type!= HOST and your trigger node matches the condition, it'll remain visible, while any other nodes of type HOST will be filtered out.

To learn more about filtering in Smartscape, see Filters.

Use cases

You can use the topology view to:

Understand the entity context and relationship between your services.
Identify dependencies between entities in your environment.
Investigate the problem landscape surrounding the selected node.
Get a full view of the call chain above or below the selected node, at any depth.

Best practice tips

For efficient use of the Smartscape in-context topology view:

Reference the legend to quickly view a summary of nodes and their types in the current topology.
Drill down into any displayed entity directly from the topology perspective to analyze performance metrics, troubleshoot errors, or resolve failures.
Use both Hierarchy and Direct calls modes as a combined perspective to gain complete understanding of an entity's context and dependencies between your services.
Trigger additional topology perspectives from within the current view to continue exploring related entities and better understand the full scope of dependencies.
Use the Recent views section in the left menu to quickly navigate between your most recent investigations.

View topology

Latest Dynatrace
Explanation
5-min read

Using the in-context topology view, you can:

Access drill-downs and actionable information for all displayed entities.
Explore Smartscape's rich insights from within another app or a particular view, such as Kubernetes overview or Infrastructure overview, without leaving the current context.

View topology support in Dynatrace apps

Some nodes might not have any edges to other nodes in your environment. If no edges exist in Smartscape on Grail, the topology perspective will only contain the selected node.

The following are some examples of where you can open an in-context topology view:

Smartscape: from any entity in any Smartscape view by selecting View topology action in the tooltip.
Notebooks: from a Smartscape node by selecting the Show topology action in the tooltip.
Threats & Exploits: from the Affected object details within the app.

Overview

The View topology in-context view offers multiple perspective modes on the trigger node's topology:

Related nodes:
- Shows all directly connected entities and their relationships in one flat graph.
- Usually used to get a complete picture and an overview of connections and relationships for a given node.
Direct calls:
- Focuses on directly connected upstream and downstream nodes.
- Limited to calls relationships.
- Usually used to understand the upstream and downstream dependencies of the target entity.
Hierarchy:
- Provides a complete hierarchical visualization of all related entities for a selected node.
- Shows relationship between nodes, primarily runs_on. Other relationship types, such as belongs_to, are also visible.
- Usually used to understand the underlying infrastructure of the target entity.
Downstream call chain:
- Shows all Smartscape nodes directly or indirectly called by the selected node.
- Usually used to assess blast radius before a change or during an incident or check whether the selected node calls any other entity.
Upstream call chain:
- Shows all Smartscape nodes that directly or indirectly call the selected node.
- Usually used to understand the full chain of callers contributing to load or propagating a failure or check whether the selected node is called by any other entity.
Linked problems:
- Shows all active problems that are connected to the selected node by any type of relationship, including Root cause of, Affected by, or Related to.
- Usually used to understand the problem landscape around a specific entity or get a view of all connected problems without leaving the topology view.

Groups
Nodes
Edges

Downstream call chain and upstream call chain modes consist of the following components:

Nodes
Edges

Linked problems mode consists of the following components:

Nodes
Edges
Problems

Components represent different relationships and node types depending on the view.

Related nodes

You can access the Related nodes mode from any Smartscape node in any app across the Dynatrace platform.

Group

In the Related nodes mode, entities are divided into logical source and target groups:

Source group: entities that call or use the trigger node directly connected to them, displayed to the left.
Target group: entities connected to the trigger node that the trigger node calls or uses, displayed to the right.

Nodes

In the Related nodes mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed at the center of the graph.
Source nodes: entities calling or using the trigger node directly connected to them, displayed to the left of the trigger node.
Target nodes: entities called or used by the trigger node, displayed to the right of the trigger node.

In the Related nodes mode, all connected nodes are grouped by both the node type and the type of relationship with the trigger node.

Edges

Direct calls

Group

In the Direct calls mode, entities are divided into logical source and target groups:

Source group: entities that call the trigger node (calls relationship), displayed to the left.
Target group: entities that the trigger node calls (calls relationship), displayed to the right.

Nodes

In the Direct calls mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed at the center of the graph.
Source nodes: entities calling the trigger node, displayed to the left of the trigger node.
Target nodes: entities called by the trigger node, displayed to the right of the trigger node.

Edges

All edges shown in the Direct calls mode represent the calls relationship type. You can use them to get insights about communication pathways.

Hierarchy

Group

In the Hierarchy mode, each group contains entities of the same type, such as hosts and Kubernetes nodes.

Nodes

In the Hierarchy mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed at the center of the graph.
Upstream nodes: entities the trigger node is connected to by a runs_on or a belongs_to relationship. By default, these entities are displayed above the trigger node.
Downstream nodes: entities that are connected to the trigger node by a runs_on or a belongs_to relationship. By default, these entities are displayed below the trigger node.

Edges

Downstream call chain

Nodes

In the Downstream call chain mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed on the left side (horizontal layout) or the top of (vertical layout) the graph.
Downstream nodes: entities called by the trigger node, displayed to the right of (horizontal layout) or below (vertical layout) the trigger node.

Edges

All edges representing cyclic, or looping calls are connected via the dashed line. Non-looping calls are displayed in grey and are connected via the solid line.

Upstream call chain

Nodes

In the Upstream call chain mode, nodes can be categorized into the following types:

Trigger node: the node from which you triggered the view. It's highlighted and displayed on the right side (horizontal layout) or the bottom of (vertical layout) the graph.
Upstream nodes: entities that call the trigger node, displayed to the left of (horizontal layout) or above (vertical layout) the trigger node.

Edges

All edges representing cyclic, or looping calls are connected via the dashed line. Non-looping calls are displayed in grey and are connected via the solid line.

Linked problems

Nodes

Problems

Edges

Filters in View topology

To learn more about filtering in Smartscape, see Filters.

Use cases

You can use the topology view to:

Understand the entity context and relationship between your services.
Identify dependencies between entities in your environment.
Investigate the problem landscape surrounding the selected node.
Get a full view of the call chain above or below the selected node, at any depth.

Best practice tips

For efficient use of the Smartscape in-context topology view:

Reference the legend to quickly view a summary of nodes and their types in the current topology.
Drill down into any displayed entity directly from the topology perspective to analyze performance metrics, troubleshoot errors, or resolve failures.
Use both Hierarchy and Direct calls modes as a combined perspective to gain complete understanding of an entity's context and dependencies between your services.
Trigger additional topology perspectives from within the current view to continue exploring related entities and better understand the full scope of dependencies.
Use the Recent views section in the left menu to quickly navigate between your most recent investigations.

View topology

View topology support in Dynatrace apps

Overview

Related nodes

Group

Nodes

Edges

Direct calls

Group

Nodes

Edges

Hierarchy

Group

Nodes

Edges

Downstream call chain

Nodes

Edges

Upstream call chain

Nodes

Edges

Linked problems

Nodes

Problems

Edges

Filters in View topology

Use cases

Best practice tips

Related topics

View topology

View topology support in Dynatrace apps

Overview

Related nodes

Group

Nodes

Edges

Direct calls

Group

Nodes

Edges

Hierarchy

Group

Nodes

Edges

Downstream call chain

Nodes

Edges

Upstream call chain

Nodes

Edges

Linked problems

Nodes

Problems

Edges

Filters in View topology

Use cases

Best practice tips

Related topics