Back to Blog
devopsobservabilitydashboardsmetricsdata visualization

DevOps Observability Without Grafana: Sharing Infra Metrics With Non-Technical Stakeholders

Transform complex data into clarity for your business team

Dashira Team

Data & Analytics

|March 10, 20268 min read

Summary

Learn how to share key infrastructure metrics with non-technical stakeholders without Grafana. Discover techniques to export and structure metrics from Prometheus, Datadog, or CloudWatch into CSV or JSON, create insightful visualizations with Dashira, and effectively communicate operational health insights. This guide offers a practical framework for using DORA metrics to enhance engineering excellence.

ELI5 — The Simple Version

Imagine your infrastructure data is a massive jigsaw puzzle, and you need to show the completed picture to someone who's never done a puzzle. Grafana is like a puzzle mat that shows the picture, but not everyone can access it. Instead, you take photos of each section, label them, and arrange these photos into a simple photo album. Each page tells a part of the story without needing the mat. That's what we're doing here—turning complex data into a format anyone can understand without expensive or complex tools.

Why Skip Grafana?

Picture your business team drowning in spreadsheets, struggling to understand why deployment frequency dropped last quarter. The data is in Grafana, but access is limited to the engineering team. Over 60% of teams, according to McKinsey, face bottlenecks in data accessibility.

Welcome to accessible observability. We’ll show you how to export infrastructure metrics from Datadog, Prometheus, and CloudWatch into formats your entire team can grasp—without needing Grafana.

Exporting Prometheus Metrics

Prometheus, a DevOps favorite, offers a simple HTTP API for metric extraction. To export time-series data:

  1. 1Access the API: Use curl to fetch metrics. For example:
curl 'http://your-prometheus-server/api/v1/query?query=up'
This retrieves the current status of your instances.
  1. 1Parse the JSON: Use tools like jq to structure the data into CSV or JSON.
curl 'http://your-prometheus-server/api/v1/query?query=up' | jq '.data.result'
  1. 1Convert to CSV: A simple script transforms JSON to CSV, ready for Dashira visualizations.

Structuring Time-Series CSVs for Dashira

Once you have your data, structuring it is crucial. Dashira excels in creating interactive dashboards from CSVs:

  • Headers: Include timestamps, metric names, and values to plot trends over time.
  • Consistency: Ensure each row maintains the same structure to prevent data misinterpretation.

Building a Deployment Frequency Trend Chart

With your deployment frequency data exported, visualize it:

  1. 1Upload to Dashira: Drag-and-drop your CSV onto the platform.
  2. 2Select Chart Type: Opt for a line chart to display trends over time.
  3. 3Customize: Add labels, adjust axes, and apply filters for critical insights.

Visualizing P99 Latency Over 7-Day Windows

P99 latency is essential for performance tracking. Here's how:

  1. 1Aggregate Data: Use SQL or Pandas to calculate rolling averages.
  2. 2Export as CSV: Ensure your CSV reflects the rolling window format.
  3. 3Visualize in Dashira: Create a heatmap or line chart to spot anomalies easily.

Creating a Public Read-Only Dashboard

Your business team needs to see metrics, not edit them. Dashira lets you create read-only dashboards:

  • Shareable Link: Generate a public link to your dashboard.
  • Access Control: Maintain data integrity with view-only access.

Emphasizing DORA Metrics

DORA metrics—deployment frequency, lead time, MTTR, and change failure rate—are goldmines for reporting engineering excellence:

  1. 1Calculate Metrics: Use your existing data to derive these key metrics.
  2. 2Visualize Performance: Create dashboards highlighting improvements or areas needing attention.
  3. 3Share Insights: Empower non-technical stakeholders with clear, actionable insights.

What Not To Do

Avoid overwhelming stakeholders with data dumps. One team compiled a 50-page report only to find executives skimming the first two pages. Focus on clarity and brevity. Highlight what's important.

Conclusion

Translating operational data into clear, sharable insights keeps your team informed and drives strategic decisions. Next time you're tempted to send a Grafana screenshot, remember: your team deserves better.

Key Takeaways

  • 1Export infrastructure metrics from Prometheus using the HTTP API.
  • 2Structure time-series CSVs for Dashira to create engaging visuals.
  • 3Build a deployment frequency trend chart for executive clarity.
  • 4Visualize P99 latency using 7-day rolling windows for performance insights.
  • 5Share a public read-only dashboard with your business team to maintain data integrity.

Related resources

What Is Dashira and How Does It Turn Your Data Into Interactive DashboardsOperations Dashboards for Non-Technical Managers: Tracking Supply Chain KPIs Without SQLHow Startup Founders Build Investor Dashboards with DashiraWorkforce Analytics Without an HRIS Add-On: Building Attrition and Headcount DashboardsHow Sales Directors Build Pipeline Dashboards From CRM Exports in 10 MinutesFrom Survey Data to Publication-Ready Charts: A Researcher's Guide to DashiraFrom Spreadsheet to Board Deck: A CFO's Guide to SaaS Revenue DashboardsDashira vs Looker Studio for Interactive Sharing