What is an ASP NET Dashboard?

An asp net dashboard is a presentation of data created through a collection of charts, reports and graphs, displayed in a table structure that resembles a dashboard. The asp net dashboard is different in that it uses active server pages technology (ASP) coupled with Microsoft's .Net technology framework to display the dashboards. An asp net dashboard is most frequently used in conjunction with other Microsoft technologies like SQL server 2008 and other non-browser based technologies like Excel. While the asp net dashboard is an option for a "Microsoft shop" there are a significant number of alternatives available that provide equal or better value.

Benefits of an ASP NET Dashboard

The biggest benefits of an asp net dashboard can be achieved when the asp net dashboard is used in conjunction with other Microsoft technologies. Form this perspective, therefore, the asp net dashboard is best used in companies that have standardized their IT architectures around offerings from the software giant in Washington. The asp net dashboard can be limited in scope or it can be designed around asp net dashboards that are powered by Microsoft tools.

Drawbacks of an ASP NET Dashboard

There are several drawbacks to using an asp net dashboard. The most important are associated with the difficulty involved in creating and deploying an asp net dashboard. Because Microsoft's business intelligence software has been built through acquisitions that have happened over time, dashboards based on the asp net dashboard technology are often very difficult to build and to maintain. In addition to this, the asp net dashboard technology by definition will work with a limited set of browsers and operating systems.

Alternatives to the ASP NET Dashboard

There are of course a number of alternatives to the asp net dashboard, some that use a combination of server and client software and some that use a pure server based approach. The latter are recent generation BI suites that are 100% java based and can display dashboards using AJAX and HTML. This alternative to the asp net dashboard can be displayed in a wider array of browsers and can be significantly easier to manage and maintain.

Deploying the ASP NET Dashboard

Regardless of whether you will be using asp net dashboard or an alternative to the asp net dashboard, the first step in deploying any dashboard, including the asp net dashboard, will be to understand the underlying data and to understand where that data lives. As the organization begins to adopt and use the asp net dashboard requirements for additional charts and data visualizations will allow the company to grow in its usage of the asp net dashboard organically, without putting too much of a burden on the IT staff.