Cyber physical systems (CPS), such as smart buildings and data centers, are
richly instrumented systems composed of tightly coupled computational and
physical elements that generate large amounts of data. To explore CPS data
and obtain actionable insights, we construct a Radial Pixel Visualization
(RPV) system, which uses multiple concentric rings to show the data in a
compact circular layout of small polygons (pixel cells), each of which
represents an individual data value. RPV provides an effective visual
representation of locality and periodicity of the high volume, multivariate
data streams, and seamlessly combines them with the results of an automated
analysis. In the outermost ring the results of correlation analysis and peak
point detection are highlighted. Our explorations demonstrates how RPV can
help administrators to identify periodic thermal hot spots, understand data
center energy consumption, and optimize IT workload.