Distributed system load visualization

Abstract

In this article we show how the interface design for the visualization of distributed system load can benefit from the combination of concepts and techniques from Information Visualization and Human Computer Interaction (HCI). The use of visual representations and interactions to accelerate the insight into complex data is what distinguishes visual analytic software form other types of analytical tools. Visual representations translate data into a visible form that highlights important data features, including commonalities and anomalies. These visual representations helps the users to quickly perceive salient aspects of their data. Every distributed systems administrator must handle a high volume of information and the exploration and analysis of this data is becoming increasingly difficult. We propose an entirely novel approach to visualize the parameters involved in the system load for a distributed system to obtain an effective visualization tool in order to reduce the user cognitive workload and help the user to make the right decisions in a productive way.