kibana/docs/user/introduction.asciidoc

[[introduction]]
== {kib} — your window into the Elastic Stack
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<titleabbrev>What is Kibana?</titleabbrev>
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**_Explore and visualize your data and manage all things Elastic Stack._**

Whether you’re a user or admin, {kib} makes your data actionable by providing
three key functions. Kibana is:

* **An open-source analytics and visualization platform.**
Use {kib} to explore your {es} data, and then build beautiful visualizations and dashboards.

* **A UI for managing the Elastic Stack.**
Manage your security settings, assign user roles, take snapshots, roll up your data,
and more &mdash; all from the convenience of a {kib} UI.

* **A centralized hub for Elastic's solutions.** From log analytics to
document discovery to SIEM, {kib} is the portal for accessing these and other capabilities.

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image::images/intro-kibana.png[]

[float]
[[get-data-into-kibana]]
=== Getting data into {kib}

{kib} is designed to use {es} as a data source. Think of Elasticsearch as the engine that stores
and processes the data, with {kib} sitting on top.

From the home page, {kib} provides these options for getting data in:

* Set up a data flow to Elasticsearch using our built-in tutorials.
(If a tutorial doesn’t exist for your data, go to the
{beats-ref}/beats-reference.html[Beats overview] to learn about other data shippers
in the {beats} family.)
* <<add-sample-data, Add a sample data set>> and take {kib} for a test drive without loading data yourself.
* Import static data using the
https://www.elastic.co/blog/importing-csv-and-log-data-into-elasticsearch-with-file-data-visualizer[file upload feature].
* Index your data into Elasticsearch with {ref}/getting-started-index.html[REST APIs]
 or https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/client/index.html[client libraries].
+
[role="screenshot"]
image::images/intro-data-tutorial.png[Ways to get data in from the home page]


{kib} uses an
<<index-patterns, index pattern>> to tell it which {es} indices to explore.
If you add sample data or run a built-in tutorial, you get an index pattern for free,
and are good to start exploring. If you load your own data, you can create
an index pattern in <<management, Management>>.

[float]
[[explore-and-query]]
=== Explore & query

Ready to dive into your data? With <<discover, Discover>>, you can explore your data and
search for hidden insights and relationships. Ask your questions, and then
narrow the results to just the data you want.

[role="screenshot"]
image::images/intro-discover.png[]

[float]
[[visualize-and-analyze]]
=== Visualize & analyze

A visualization is worth a thousand log lines, and {kib} provides
many options for showcasing your data. Use <<lens, Lens>>,
our drag-and-drop interface,
to rapidly build
charts, tables, metrics, and more. If there
is a better visualization for your data, *Lens* suggests it, allowing for quick
switching between visualization types.

Once your visualizations are just the way you want,
use <<dashboard, Dashboard>> to collect them in one place. A dashboard provides
insights into your data from multiple perspectives.

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image::images/intro-dashboard.png[]

{kib} also offers these visualization features:

* <<visualize, Visualize>> allows you to display your data in
line charts, bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, and tables
(just to name a few). It's also home to *Lens*, the drag-and-drop interface.
*Visualize* supports the ability to add interactive
controls to your dashboard, and filter dashboard content in real time.

* <<canvas, Canvas>> gives you the ability to present your data in a
visually compelling, pixel-perfect report. Give your data the “wow” factor
needed to impress your CEO or to captivate people with a big-screen display.

* <<maps, Elastic Maps>> enables you to ask (and answer) meaningful
questions of your location-based data. *Elastic Maps* supports multiple
layers and data sources, mapping of individual geo points and shapes,
and dynamic client-side styling.

* <<TSVB, TSVB>> allows you to combine
an infinite number of aggregations to display complex data in a meaningful way.
With TSVB, you can analyze multiple index patterns and customize
every aspect of your visualization. Choose your own date format and color
gradients, and easily switch your data view between time series, metric,
top N, gauge, and markdown.

[float]
[[organize-and-secure]]
=== Organize & secure

Want to share Kibana’s goodness with other people or teams? You can do so with
<<xpack-spaces, Spaces>>, built for organizing your visualizations, dashboards, and indices.
Think of a space as its own mini {kib} installation &mdash; it’s isolated from
all other spaces, so you can tailor it to your specific needs without impacting others.

You can even choose which features to enable within each space. Don’t need
Machine learning in your “Executive” space? Simply turn it off.

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image::images/intro-spaces.jpg[]

You can take this all one step further with Kibana’s security features, and
control which users have access to each space. {kib} allows for fine-grained
controls, so you can give a user read-only access to
dashboards in one space, but full access to all of Kibana’s features in another.

[float]
[[manage-all-things-stack]]
=== Manage all things Elastic Stack

<<management, Management>> provides guided processes for managing all
things Elastic Stack &mdash; indices, clusters, licenses, UI settings, index patterns,
and more. Want to update your {es} indices? Set user roles and privileges?
Turn on dark mode? Kibana has UIs for all that.

[role="screenshot"]
image::images/intro-management.png[]

[float]
[[extend-your-use-case]]
=== Extend your use case &mdash; or add a new one

As a hub for Elastic's https://www.elastic.co/products/[solutions], {kib}
can help you find security vulnerabilities,
monitor performance, and address your business needs. Get alerted if a key
metric spikes. Detect anomalous behavior or forecast future spikes. Root out
bottlenecks in your application code. Kibana doesn’t limit or dictate how you explore your data.

[role="screenshot"]
image::siem/images/detections-ui.png[]

[float]
[[try-kibana]]
=== Give {kib} a try

There is no faster way to try out {kib} than with our hosted {es} Service.
https://www.elastic.co/cloud/elasticsearch-service/signup[Sign up for a free trial]
and start exploring data in minutes.

You can also <<install, install {kib} on your own>> &mdash; no code, no additional
infrastructure required.

Our <<tutorial-build-dashboard, Getting Started>> and in-product guidance can
help you get up and running, faster. Use our Help menu if you have questions or feedback.