Progress Report on Dashboard Refresh
The incident is ongoing. The dashboard has been refreshed fourteen times in the last twenty minutes. The metric interval is five minutes.
PROGRESS REPORT: Dashboard Refresh Behavior During Incident Period: 2:31pm to 3:15pm Incident: Service degradation, elevated latency
Refresh Log
2:32pm: Dashboard opened. Metrics at normal baseline. 2:34pm: Refreshed. No change. 2:36pm: Refreshed. No change (one minute before next interval). 2:37pm: Refreshed. One metric updated. New data point confirmed elevated latency. 2:39pm: Refreshed. No change. 2:41pm: Refreshed. No change. 2:42pm: Refreshed. No change (three minutes before next interval). 2:45pm: Refreshed. Metrics updated. Latency climbing. 2:46pm: Refreshed. No change. 2:48pm: Refreshed. No change. 2:49pm: Refreshed. No change. 2:50pm: Refreshed. Metrics updated. Peak latency.
Analysis
Of fourteen refreshes in the period 2:32 to 2:52pm, four produced new data. Ten produced identical data to the previous refresh. The ten non-productive refreshes consumed approximately eight seconds of time and produced no actionable information.
The metric interval is five minutes. The refresh rate was approximately every ninety seconds. The rate does not match the update frequency.
Why This Happens
During an incident, dashboards provide the only real-time visibility into system state. Waiting five minutes for new data creates anxiety during a period when fast information is needed. The refresh is a response to anxiety rather than an expectation of new data.
It is also true that dashboards sometimes update outside their normal interval when critical thresholds are crossed. This occasionally justifies the early refresh.
The Recommendation
Refresh at interval. Accept the anxiety as the cost of the interval.
The recommendation will not be followed during the next incident. The dashboard will be refreshed at ninety-second intervals again.