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Apply Ideas

Technique: Combine signals and observations to evaluate the overall state of a system.

The goal is not only to measure signals, but to interpret them and describe the system's condition.

Earlier modules focused on individual techniques such as anomaly detection or signal design. We can bring techniques together to produce a simple system assessment.

Choosing a Dataset

Good datasets for this module typically:

  • represent a system with multiple metrics
  • allow several signals to be interpreted together
  • provide observations that help explain system behavior

The goal is to summarize system health, not just compute individual metrics.

If you would like to apply these skills to a real dataset instead of the provided example data, see suggested datasets:

https://denisecase.github.io/pro-analytics-02/reference/datasets/cintel/

Example Systems

Web Service Monitoring

Possible fields:

  • requests
  • errors
  • latency_ms

Questions to explore:

  • What signals indicate system health?
  • When do multiple signals indicate system degradation?

Energy Grid Monitoring

Possible fields:

  • demand
  • generation
  • reserve_capacity

Questions to explore:

  • Does the system appear stable or stressed?
  • Which signals best indicate system reliability?

Public Transportation Operations

Possible fields:

  • rides
  • delays
  • cancellations

Questions to explore:

  • Do multiple indicators suggest service problems?
  • What signals best summarize operational performance?

Manufacturing Production

Possible fields:

  • units_produced
  • defects
  • downtime_minutes

Questions to explore:

  • What signals indicate production health?
  • When do multiple metrics suggest system degradation?

Online Platform Activity

Possible fields:

  • active_users
  • posts
  • error_rate

Questions to explore:

  • Is the system stable, growing, or declining?
  • Which signals best summarize platform activity?