Introduction

Time-series databases are designed to efficiently collect, store, and query time-stamped data. Timescale is a popular time-series database built with full SQL compatibility, providing robust SQL capabilities and the scalability required for time-series data. Further, Timescale can have up to 1,000x faster queries and 90%+ data compression. Timescale is the perfect database for time-series and event data. On the other hand, Explo is a dynamic data visualization tool that allows developers to create interactive dashboards from their Timescale instance without writing a single line of code. In this blog post, we'll explore the process of integrating Explo with Timescale to create powerful, real-time data visualizations.

Benefits of Integration

Before diving into the integration process, let's understand why we're doing this. Combining Timescale's robustness and scalability with Explo's user-friendly dashboarding capabilities can result in numerous advantages:

1. Scalability: Timescale's ability to handle large quantities of time-series data matches well with Explo's capability to visualize vast datasets in real-time.
2. Versatility: Using SQL queries, you can pull exactly the data you need from Timescale into Explo. This flexibility allows for highly customizable data visualizations.
3. Usability: Explo's no-code approach to dashboard building makes it accessible to a wide range of users, from developers to business analysts.
4. Real-time analysis: With live connection to Timescale, Explo can update the dashboards in real-time as data changes, providing up-to-the-minute insights.

Steps to Integrate Explo with Timescale

Step 1: Install and Set up Timescale and Explo

Before integrating, you need to have both Timescale and Explo installed and set up. To sign up for an account with Timescale's cloud offering, you may go here. To sign up for an Explo account, go here.

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Step 2: Get Credentials from Timescale

To get credentials from Timescale, simply go through the process of setting up a Service, click 'Store your service pasword now' at the end of the process, and collect your credentials from the downloaded .sql file.

Step 3: Establish a Connection from Timescale to Explo

Once both platforms are set up, you can establish a connection from Timescale to Explo. In the Explo dashboard, go to the 'Data' tab and choose 'Connect Datasource'. Choose 'Timescale' as your database, fill in your Timescale credentials and establish the connection.

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Step 4: Create Timescale Dashboard

Once your data is imported, you can start creating dashboards. Navigate to the 'Dashboards' tab and click 'Create Dashboard'.

Step 5: Write SQL

In the dashboard, write SQL to access your data. Click 'Save and Run' to see a sample of your data.

Step 6: Create a Chart

Visualize your data via a chart in Explo. Drag on a chart, select the dataset to create a visualization from, define the x-axis and y-axis for the chart, then watch as you created your first visual from raw warehouse data!

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Step 7: Embed in Your Application

Conclusion

Integrating Timescale with Explo enables real-time data visualization of your time-series data. This combination unlocks tremendous potential, allowing for better data analysis and insights, and making complex time-series data more digestible for all members of your team. Once set up, the maintenance of this integration is minimal, making it an effective and efficient choice for your data analysis needs.

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