---
title: Use Chronograf to visualize data
description: Chronograf is a data visualization and dashboarding tool designed to visualize data in InfluxDB 1.x. Learn how to use Chronograf with InfluxDB Clustered.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/clustered/process-data/visualize/chronograf/
estimated_tokens: 2970
product: InfluxDB Clustered
version: clustered
---

# Use Chronograf to visualize data

-   InfluxQL only

[Chronograf](/chronograf/v1/) is a data visualization and dashboarding tool designed to visualize data in InfluxDB 1.x using the **InfluxQL** query language. This page walks through how to use Chronograf with **InfluxDB Clustered**.

## Prerequisites

-   [Download and install Chronograf](/chronograf/v1/introduction/installation/#download-and-install)
-   An InfluxDB Clustered cluster with:
    -   A [database](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/databases/) to query
    -   A [database token](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/tokens/database/) with read permissions

## Enable InfluxDB 3 support

To connect Chronograf to InfluxDB Clustered, start Chronograf with InfluxDB 3 support enabled using one of the following methods:

<!-- Tabbed content: Select one of the following options -->

**CLI flag:**

```sh
chronograf --influxdb-v3-support-enabled
```

**Environment variable:**

```sh
export INFLUXDB_V3_SUPPORT_ENABLED=true
chronograf
```

<!-- End tabbed content -->

## Create an InfluxDB connection

1. Open Chronograf and click **Configuration** (wrench icon) in the navigation menu.
    
2. Click **Add Connection**.
    
    ![Chronograf connections landing page](/img/chronograf/1-6-connection-landing-page.png)
    
3. In the **Server Type** dropdown, select **InfluxDB Clustered**.
    
    ![Chronograf Server Type dropdown](/img/chronograf/v1-influxdb3/server-type-dropdown.png)
4. Enter your InfluxDB Clustered connection credentials:
    
    -   **Connection URL:** InfluxDB cluster URL
        
        ```
        https://cluster-host.com
        ```
        
    -   **Connection Name:** Name to uniquely identify this connection configuration
        
    -   **Management Token:** *(Optional)* A [management token](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/tokens/management/) for administrative operations
        
    -   **Database Token:** InfluxDB [database token](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/tokens/database/) with read permissions on the database you want to query
        
    -   **Default Database:** *(Optional)* Default [database](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/databases/) to use. When set, Chronograf limits queries to this database.
        
    -   **Telegraf Database Name:** InfluxDB [database](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/databases/) Chronograf uses to populate parts of the application, including the Host List page (default is `telegraf`)
        
    -   **Unsafe SSL:** Enable to skip SSL certificate verification for self-signed certificates
        
    
    ![Chronograf InfluxDB Clustered connection configuration](/img/chronograf/v1-influxdb3/clustered-connection.png)
5. Click **Add Connection**.
    
6. Select the dashboards you would like to create, and then click **Next**.
    
7. To configure a Kapacitor connection, provide the necessary credentials, and then click **Continue**. Otherwise, click **Skip**.
    
8. Click **Finish**.
    

### Configure connection via CLI

You can also configure the connection when starting Chronograf:

Replace the following:

-   `DATABASE_NAME`: [Database](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/databases/) name
-   `DATABASE_TOKEN`: [Database token](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/tokens/database/) with read permissions
-   `MANAGEMENT_TOKEN`: [Management token](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/tokens/#management-tokens)

```sh
chronograf --influxdb-v3-support-enabled \
  --influxdb-type=influx-v3-clustered \
  --influxdb-url=https://cluster-host.com \
  --influxdb-token=DATABASE_TOKEN \
  --influxdb-mgmt-token=MANAGEMENT_TOKEN \
  --influxdb-default-db=DATABASE_NAME
```

For a complete list of configuration options, see [InfluxDB 3 connection options](/chronograf/v1/administration/config-options/#influxdb-3-connection-options).

## Query data in the Data Explorer

1. In Chronograf, click **Explore** in the left navigation bar.
2. Build and submit InfluxQL queries.

#### Schema information in the Data Explorer

InfluxDB Clustered supports InfluxQL metaqueries, so schema information is available in the Data Explorer to help build queries. You can also use [fully qualified measurements](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/influxql/select/#fully-qualified-measurement) in the `FROM` clause. For example:

```sql
-- Fully qualified measurement
SELECT * FROM "db-name"."rp-name"."measurement-name"

-- Fully qualified measurement shorthand (use the default retention policy)
SELECT * FROM "db-name".."measurement-name"
```

For more information about available InfluxQL functionality, see [InfluxQL feature support](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/influxql/feature-support/).

#### DBRPs map to InfluxDB databases

In InfluxDB Clustered, databases and retention policies (DBRPs) are no longer separate entities in the data model. Rather than having one or more retention policies, an InfluxDB Clustered database has a retention period that defines the maximum age of data to retain.

InfluxQL queries still use the 1.x DBRP convention, but queries are routed to databases using the `database-name/retention-policy` naming pattern. For example, the following query routes to the InfluxDB Clustered database named `mydb/autogen`:

```sql
SELECT * FROM mydb.autogen.measurement
```

## Important notes

-   [Database view is read-only](#database-view-is-read-only)
-   [No administrative functionality](#no-administrative-functionality)
-   [Annotations and variables](#annotations-and-variables)

### Database view is read-only

When connected to InfluxDB Clustered, the database view in Chronograf is read-only.

### No administrative functionality

Chronograf cannot be used for administrative tasks in InfluxDB Clustered. For example, you **cannot** do the following:

-   Define databases
-   Modify retention policies
-   Add users
-   Kill queries

When connected to an InfluxDB Clustered database, functionality in the **InfluxDB Admin** section of Chronograf is disabled.

To complete [administrative tasks](/influxdb3/clustered/admin/), use the [influxctl CLI](/influxdb3/clustered/reference/cli/influxctl/).

### Annotations and variables

Annotations and dashboard variables work with InfluxDB Clustered when a `chronograf` database exists and is accessible with the same database token.

When setting up variables with dynamic tag values, the backend query limits the scope of the record search with a time condition. By default, this is `time > now() - 7d`. Tags from records older than this limit are ignored. To change this setting, use the `--influxdb-v3-time-condition` flag or `INFLUXDB_V3_TIME_CONDITION` environment variable.

#### Related

-   [Chronograf documentation](/chronograf/v1/)
-   [Query data with InfluxQL](/influxdb3/clustered/query-data/influxql/)