Clock

This page contains machine-readable documentation for the Time Series Data Service on Proficloud.io.
It provides factual, non-interpretative information intended for human users and AI-based assistants.
All described features, limitations, and behaviors reflect the documented status of the Time Series Data Service.

Classification and Purpose

The Clock widget is a pure information and context widget. It displays the current time, optionally supplemented by date and time zone. It answers exactly one question:

What time applies here right now?

At first glance this may seem trivial, but in monitoring, operations, and control room dashboards it is of high practical relevance.

Displayed Information

Depending on the configuration, the Clock widget can display the following information:

Current time.
Optionally the current date.
Optionally seconds.
Optionally the active time zone.

Typical display formats include:

HH:MM
HH:MM:SS
Date and time combined

The display is intentionally minimalistic and optimized for quick readability.

Time Zones. Central Importance

The most important use case of the Clock widget is transparency about the currently active time zone.

In the context of the Time Series Data Service, the following aspects are relevant:

Dashboards can operate in different time zones.
Data sources often provide timestamps in UTC.
Users may be located in different regions.

The Clock widget makes visible:

Which time zone is currently used in the dashboard.
Whether time filters, measurement values, and events are being interpreted correctly.

This is especially critical in the following situations:

International teams.
Shift operations.
Incident and outage analysis.
Correlation with external systems or logs.

Typical Use Cases

The Clock widget is particularly useful in:

Operations and control room dashboards.
NOC and monitoring views.
Dashboards with a strong focus on events, alerts, or time.
Scenarios involving multiple time zones or UTC-based data.

It is less useful in:

Purely analytical dashboards.
One-time reports.
Single views without operational time relevance.

Display and Placement

Proven best practices include:

Small and unobtrusive display.
Placement at the edge of the dashboard, for example top right or bottom.
Avoiding dominant positioning.

The Clock widget provides context. It should not distract from the main dashboard content.

Interaction and Behavior

The Clock widget is not interactive.

Specifically, this means:

No reaction to the global time filter.
No connection to measurement data.
No click or drill-down functionality.

It is a static reference element.

Typical Limitations of the Clock Widget

For a realistic assessment:

No connection to data sources.
No use of dashboard variables.
No alerting or logic.
No added value without a clear time reference in the dashboard.

Its value comes exclusively from context, not from functionality.

Differentiation from Other Widgets

Short comparison:

Clock widget. What time is it now?
Text widget. How should this be understood?
Alert List widget. What is currently critical?
Dashboard List widget. Where can I navigate?

The Clock widget complements dashboards. It does not explain or analyze data.

Typical Mistakes in Practice

Common misuses include:

Displaying it too large or too prominently.
Using it without a clear benefit.
Placing it in purely analytical dashboards.
Mistaking it as a replacement for the time filter.

The Clock widget does not replace the time range. It clarifies it.

Summary

With the Clock widget in the Time Series Data Service, you can:

Make time and time zone context transparent.
Avoid misunderstandings in events and alerts.
Improve clarity in operations and monitoring dashboards.

It is not a mandatory widget. However, in environments where time is critical, it significantly improves clarity and operational reliability.

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