dashboard_designer parameter value changing when passing the value to a new dashboard

Products

• DX Unified Infrastructure Management (Nimsoft / UIM)

Issue/Introduction

In Dashboard Designer, I have configured a dashboard with a local parameter (e.g. a server name) which is used in some of the widgets on that dashboard.

I also have a link to another dashboard that uses the same parameter.  The link passes a value (such as a different server name) to the new dashboard using the same parameter name.

This causes the first dashboard to update its local value for the parameter to the same value, so now both dashboards incorrectly have the same value for the parameter instead of each dashboard having its own value.

Example:  My first dashboard has a parameter called ${servername} set to a value of "ExampleServerA" and this dashboard has a link to another dashboard.   The parameter ${servername} is sent to the second dashboard with a value of "ExampleServerB" so when you load that dashboard it contains the appropriate data from ExampleServerB.

However, clicking on this link causes the first dashboard to switch from showing ExampleServerA to also showing ExampleServerB.

Environment

DX UIM 23.4.3 and prior
Dashboard Designer portlet
Custom parameter added to dashboard with a link to another dashboard that passes a parameter of the same name

 

Resolution

This is resolved in DX UIM 23.4.4 (23.4 CU4) and higher.  The "local" copy of the parameter now reloads its originally assigned value when the dashboard is loaded.

This means that when you click a link to a new dashboard, then click back to the original using the breadcrumbs at the top of the screen, the original "default" value of the parameter will be reloaded instead of retaining the "new" value.

Additional Information

When clicking through multiple levels of dashboards, note that each layer of dashboards will reload its 'original' value when you navigate backward through the dashboard levels using the breadcrumbs, and not the value that was passed to it.

This is because the breadcrumb does not pass the parameter value backward through the chain.

As a workaround, leave the parameter's  default value blank/empty at design time.  This will cause the parameter to maintain values between dashboards (similar to a global parameter).