NiFi Server UI overview

Connecting to NiFi Server

After installing the NiFi service, enter the address of the host, on which the NiFi Server component is installed, in the address bar of the browser. As the port number, specify the value of the Nifi UI port parameter from the Main section, defined at the configure stage of the NiFi service when installing the ADS cluster.

Another way to connect to the NiFi Server interface is to follow one of the links indicated on the Main tab of the NiFi service menu.

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Go to NiFi Server interface

The NiFi user interface provides mechanisms for creating automated data flows, as well as visualizing, editing, monitoring, and administering these data flows.

Below is an overview of the NiFi UI elements.

Main window

This is the window that the user sees after logging into the NiFi user interface. By default, login to the NiFi Server user interface is available without authentication.

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NiFi UI main window
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NiFi UI main window

Initially, the NiFi user interface is presented as a blank canvas on which you can create your data flows.

Toolbar

The toolbar is located at the top left of the screen. To create data flows, tool icons can be transferred to the canvas.

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Component toolbar
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Component toolbar

The toolbar contains the following elements (icons):

  • nifi ui proc dark nifi ui proc light — Processor. Responsible for data entry and exit, routing, and manipulation. There are many different types of processors.

  • nifi ui input dark nifi ui input light — Input Port. Provide a mechanism for passing data to a process group.

  • nifi ui output dark nifi ui output light — Output Port. Provides a mechanism for passing data from a process group to destinations outside the process group.

  • nifi ui prgr dark nifi ui prgr light — Process group. Used to logically group a set of components to make the flow of data easier to understand and maintain.

  • nifi ui rmprgr dark nifi ui rmprgr light — Remote Process Group. Used similarly to process groups. However, the remote process group refers to the remote NiFi instance.

  • nifi ui funnel dark nifi ui funnel light — Funnel. Used to combine data from many connections into one connection.

  • nifi ui templ dark nifi ui templ light — Template. Can be created from sections of a flow or imported from other data flows. These templates provide larger building blocks to quickly create a complex flow.

  • nifi ui label dark nifi ui label light — Label. Used to attach records to parts of a data flow.

Status bar

The status bar is below the component toolbar.

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Status bar

The status bar contains elements (icons) for each parameter and the numerical value of the parameter for this canvas. The status bar displays the following options:

  • nifi ui sost 01 — the number of nodes in the cluster and the number of nodes currently connected;

  • nifi ui sost 02 — the number of threads currently active;

  • nifi ui sost 03 — the amount of data that currently exists in the stream;

  • nifi ui sost 04 1 — the number of remote process groups sending data;

  • nifi ui sost 04 2 — the number of remote process groups not sending data;

  • nifi ui sost 05 1 — the number of active processors;

  • nifi ui sost 05 2 — the number of processors stopped;

  • nifi ui sost 05 3 — the number of invalid processors;

  • nifi ui sost 05 4 — the number of disabled processors;

  • nifi ui sost 06 1 — the number of updated process groups;

  • nifi ui sost 06 2 — the number of locally modified process groups;

  • nifi ui sost 06 3 — the number of stale process groups;

  • nifi ui sost 06 4 — the number of locally modified and obsolete process groups;

  • nifi ui sost 06 5 — the number of process groups with synchronization error;

  • nifi ui sost 07 — the timestamp of last update of all information.

Action palette

The action palette is located on the left side of the screen. The palette consists of icons that are used to control the flow, as well as to control user access and set system properties.

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Action palette

To work with a flow, you need to click on the desired flow, then the name and designation of the flow are displayed on the operations palette. This thread is available for management.

The action palette contains the following elements (icons):

  • nifi ui oper 01 — view and change the configuration of the created flow;

  • nifi ui oper 02 — enable the flow (commission in the schema);

  • nifi ui oper 03 — disable the thread (out of action in the schema);

  • nifi ui oper 04 — start the flow;

  • nifi ui oper 05 — stop the flow;

  • nifi ui oper 06 — create a template;

  • nifi ui oper 07 — load the created template;

  • nifi ui oper 08 — copy the flow;

  • nifi ui oper 09 — paste the flow (where allowed);

  • nifi ui oper 10 — create a processor group (where allowed);

  • nifi ui oper 11 — change the color of the flow symbol, used to visually highlight different flows;

  • nifi ui oper 12 — delete the flow.

The navigation palette is used to move around the canvas and to zoom in and out.

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Navigation palette

On the right side of the canvas is the search and the global menu.

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Search and global menu

The search bar allows you to:

  • find components by name, type, identifier, configuration properties and their values;

  • refine and narrow your search results based on certain conditions using filters and keywords.

After clicking on the search icon, a line opens to record the search parameter.

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Search
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Search

The global menu contains options that allow you to control existing components on the canvas.

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Global menu
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Global menu

The global menu includes the following tabs:

  • Summary — provides a summary of all configured data flows and their elements.

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    Summary of all dataflow elements
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    Summary of all dataflow elements
  • Counters — event counters used for monitoring purposes.

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    Counters
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    Counters
  • Bulletin Board — bulletins of events that have occurred. Filtering based on component, message, etc. is available.

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    Bulletins of past events
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    Bulletins of past events
  • Data Provenance — detailed information for each piece of data that NiFi accepts.

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    Data Provenance
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    Data Provenance
  • Controller Settings — allows users to view/modify the controller, including management controller services, reporting tasks, registry clients, settings providers, and nodes in the cluster.

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    Controller configuration
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    Controller configuration
  • Parameter Contexts — shows parameter contexts globally defined for a NiFi instance.

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    Parameter contexts
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    Parameter contexts
  • Cluster — shows cluster parameters.

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    Cluster settings
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    Cluster settings
  • Flow configuration history — shows the history of configuration changes for all flows.

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    Config change history for all threads
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    Config change history for all threads
  • Nodes Status History — shows the status history of all cluster nodes.

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    Status history of all cluster nodes
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    Status history of all cluster nodes
  • Templates — shows created templates.

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    Created NiFi flow templates
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    Created NiFi flow templates
  • Help — opens the NiFi documentation.

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    Apache NiFi documentation
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    Apache NiFi documentation
  • About — shows brief information about Apache NiFi.

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    Apache NiFi brief description
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    Apache NiFi brief description
NOTE

For more information about the Apache NiFi user interface, please refer to NiFi User Interface.

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