[Docs] 8.17 Release Highlights - What's New page (#203333)

docs/user/whats-new.asciidoc

@@ -1,144 +1,93 @@
 [[whats-new]]
-== What's new in 8.16
+== What's new in 8.17
 
-Here are the highlights of what's new and improved in 8.16.
+Here are the highlights of what's new and improved in 8.17.
 For detailed information about this release,
 check the <<release-notes, release notes>>.
 
-Previous versions: {kibana-ref-all}/8.15/whats-new.html[8.15] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.14/whats-new.html[8.14] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.13/whats-new.html[8.13] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.12/whats-new.html[8.12] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.11/whats-new.html[8.11] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.10/whats-new.html[8.10] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.9/whats-new.html[8.9] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.8/whats-new.html[8.8] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.7/whats-new.html[8.7] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.6/whats-new.html[8.6] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.5/whats-new.html[8.5] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.4/whats-new.html[8.4] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.3/whats-new.html[8.3] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.2/whats-new.html[8.2] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.1/whats-new.html[8.1] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.0/whats-new.html[8.0]
-
-[discrete]
-=== Solution-oriented navigation
-On Elastic Cloud Hosted deployments running on version 8.16, you can now navigate Kibana using a lighter, solution-oriented left navigation menu, called **Solution view**.
-
-There are four selectable solution views: Search, Observability, Security, and Classic. Search, Observability, and Security are the new navigation menus. Each of those brings simplicity by focusing the left navigation menu on a relevant subset of features, scoped to its associated use cases, and offers a dedicated home page. Classic has the same navigation menu as 8.15 and before.
-
-Each space has its own solution view setting which determines the navigation experience for all users of that space.
-
-When creating a new deployment, you will now be asked to choose between one of the 3 new solution views for your default space. If you prefer to stick with the classic, multi-layered navigation, you can do so once the deployment is created by navigating to your space settings.
-
-Deployments upgrading from a previous version to 8.16 keep the classic navigation. Admins can enable one of the new solution views from the space settings.
-
-image::images/solution-view-obs.png[Example of observability solution view]
-_The Observability solution view and its Home page._
+Previous versions: {kibana-ref-all}/8.16/whats-new.html[8.16] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.15/whats-new.html[8.15] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.14/whats-new.html[8.14] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.13/whats-new.html[8.13] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.12/whats-new.html[8.12] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.11/whats-new.html[8.11] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.10/whats-new.html[8.10] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.9/whats-new.html[8.9] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.8/whats-new.html[8.8] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.7/whats-new.html[8.7] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.6/whats-new.html[8.6] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.5/whats-new.html[8.5] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.4/whats-new.html[8.4] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.3/whats-new.html[8.3] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.2/whats-new.html[8.2] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.1/whats-new.html[8.1] | {kibana-ref-all}/8.0/whats-new.html[8.0]
 
 [discrete]
 === Discover and ES|QL
 
 [discrete]
-==== Contextual Data presentation
+==== Improving column reordering with draggable columns
 
-In this release, Discover introduces enhanced contextual data presentation. Previously, you needed to manually select relevant fields and set up your workspace before diving into data exploration. Now, Discover automatically tailors the user experience based on the data being explored, powered by a scalable contextual architecture. For example, when analyzing logs, you'll see a *log.level* field rendered directly in the table, a custom Logs overview in the document viewer, and log.level indicators on individual rows. 
+We’re excited to announce an enhancement to the Discover table. You can now reorder columns by simply dragging them directly in the data table header. This intuitive feature reduces the number of interactions required to adjust your column layout by eliminating the need to open the Columns popover for sorting. This enhancement saves users valuable time and improves overall usability, leading to smoother and more efficient data exploration. 
 
-image::images/discover-log-level.png[Log level badge displaying in the Discover grid]
+image::https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt6fa3a9ee893e5603/67533de0e995a041b8dea1d9/dragging-columns-in-discover.gif[Dragging a column to adjust column layout in Discover]
 
 [discrete]
-==== Recommended ES|QL queries
-
-Writing ES|QL queries just got easier. Many users face challenges when authoring queries, and even more so when unfamiliar with the syntax or data structure. This can lead to inefficiencies in data analysis and visualization. We want to reduce the time it takes to create queries and to lower the learning curve for both new and existing users by suggesting recommended queries within the ES|QL Help menu and from the auto-complete.
-
-image::images/esql-suggestions.png[A list of suggestions to get started with an ES|QL query, width=30%]
-_Recommended ES|QL queries from the ES|QL help menu_
-
-image::images/esql-autocomplete-suggestions.png[A list of suggestions in the autocomplete menu of an ES|QL query, width=50%]
-_Recommended ES|QL queries from auto-complete suggestions_
+==== Starred ES|QL queries for quick access and reusability
 
+With this release, you can bookmark your ES|QL queries directly from your query history by starring them. These starred queries are saved under a dedicated Starred tab, allowing you quick access to your most-used queries across {kib} – not just within Discover. You can reuse these queries in other areas of {kib}, such as the dashboard in-line editor and alerts. With the ability to manage up to 100 starred queries per user, you can sort them by timestamp and receive warnings as you approach the limit.
 
+image::https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/bltdaffacc1de686bcc/67533eadb02aaf3aa84c8a3f/starred-esql-queries.gif[Running a starred query from the Starred tab in Discover]
 
 [discrete]
 === Dashboards
 
 [discrete]
-==== Manage dashboards more easily and efficiently
-As part of a series of improvements to help you find and manage your dashboards https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/8.15/whats-new.html#_view_dashboard_creator_and_last_editor[started in version 8.15], the new default way to sort your dashboards is by recently viewed, and we are adding an option to star your favorite dashboards, as well as some statistics to monitor the usage of your dashboards. 
-
-You can find your favorite dashboards in the new **Starred** tab.
-
-image::images/dashboard-star.png[Viewing starred dashboards]
+==== Log Rate panels
+You can now add Log Rate Analysis panels to your dashboards. Find them in the Logs analysis section alongside https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/kibana/8.16/whats-new.html#_log_pattern_analysis_dashboard_panels[Log Pattern Analysis panels] from 8.16. Find field-value pairs and log patterns that correlate with log spikes or dips across thousands of logs with just a few clicks, and move your analysis to Discover with ease. 
 
-By opening a dashboard's details using the “info” icon from the dashboard list view, you can now get a sense of the popularity of that dashboard with a histogram showing how many times the dashboard was viewed in the last 90 days.
-
-image::images/dashboard-usage.png[Dashboard usage chart]
+image::https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/bltb69ebc37cbbaf5a8/6753413228d3fee1541b86ad/log-rate-panels.gif[Log Rate Analysis panel]
 
 [discrete]
-==== Log Pattern Analysis dashboard panels
-Log Pattern Analysis panels are now available for you to add to your dashboards, making AIOps even more embedded in your workflows and where you need it. When filtering patterns, the dashboard’s data adjusts accordingly. You can also choose the filtering to transition you into Discover for further exploration. 
+==== Dashboard hover actions
+We received feedback from users that the View and Edit modes in dashboards look too different, mainly because of the top bar in each panel that shows the panel menu. This bar created visual problems and changed the height of panels in Edit mode, especially when they didn’t have a title.
 
-image:https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt8288e01386b5830c/67222fb0d2da223e27bc1e67/log_analysis_panel.gif[Log pattern analysis panel in dashboards]
+We fixed the issue by removing this top bar and making panel information and actions appear on top of the panel when users hover over it. Now users can get the same look in both Edit and View modes and the most common actions are accessible without having to click on the panel menu. This change improves the look and usability of dashboards. 
 
+image::images/before-after-hover-actions.png[Before and After view of dashboard panels, width=90%]
 
 [discrete]
-==== Color text values in tables
-Previously, you could only decide to color numeric values in tables. We're adding the ability to also color your string values. You can decide whether you want to color the whole cell, or only the text.
+==== Legacy visualization editors
+Lens is the preferred visualization editor over TSVB and Aggregation-based since it already incorporates most features of the other two editors and is much easier to use. Offering three editors at this point makes the product more complex and calls for users to learn three different ways to visualize their data for no reason.
 
-image::images/table-coloring.png[Coloring table cells with string values]
+However, we are aware that there are still a few features that Lens is missing, such as small multiples or the ability to insert data and change the CSS in a Markdown file. For this reason, TSVB and Aggregation-based editors are being marked as legacy for now to encourage shifting to Lens. We will continue supporting them for some time until all features are fully incorporated into Lens, but we recommend that you start using Lens if you can. If you have good reasons to keep using TSVB or Aggregation-based editors, please add a comment to this public https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/198136[Github issue].
 
+image::images/legacy-visualizations.png[New Legacy tab in the Create Visualization window]
 
 [discrete]
-==== Formatting options for your metrics
-We've received a lot of feedback asking for more flexibility to customize the appearance of your metrics. In this version, we are adding the ability to customize the title and value alignment, as well as the font size. Selecting the *Fit* option will adjust the font size and make the metric value occupy the entire panel.
+==== Improving CSV download for tables
+When exporting tables in CSV in the past, you may have encountered issues with incorrect formatting of the data, rows, and columns. These issues have now been addressed and your exported CSV file shows exactly what you see in {kib}.
 
-image::images/metric-customization.png[Customization options for a metric panel]
+image::images/csv-download-1.png[Exported CSV in the past]
+_Exported CSV in the past_
 
+image::images/csv-download-2.png[Exported CSV now, with formatting improvements]
+_Exported CSV now_
 
 
 //[discrete]
 //=== Alerting, cases, and connectors
 
 
 [discrete]
-=== Managing {kib} and data
+=== Alerting, cases, and connectors
 
 [discrete]
-==== Edit space access from the space settings
-As an admin, you can now assign roles to and edit role permissions on a given space directly from the settings of that space.
-
-Prior to 8.16, you could only do this from the role settings, which was counterintuitive.
+==== Alerting scalability improvements
+The {kib} alerting framework delivers enhanced scalability to meet the demands of growing workloads and is available across all {ecloud} hosted deployments. These improvements will provide you with 10x the existing capacity to run task-manager tasks -- alerting rules, connector actions, etc. We are observing the following performance improvements on early adopters of the new {kib} alerting framework:  
 
-image::space-settings.png[Editing space settings with new options]
+** 10x reduction in alerting task delays
+** 2x increase in task execution throughput on average
+** 50% fewer requests to Elasticsearch, resulting in lower overhead
 
-[discrete]
-==== New IP Location processor
-Enhancing location information based on IP addresses just got easier with the new IP Location processor. In addition to the existing free GeoLite offerings from MaxMind, we have integrated with MaxMind’s premium GeoIP databases for users who have licensed MaxMind’s products. If you're an Enterprise Elastic customer, you now have an additional third-party product, IP Info, available for use as well. These additional data sources provide improved options for enriching data with location information associated with IP addresses to improve telemetry and insights. To utilize these features beyond the free MaxMind GeoIP database, you will need to have licensed premium MaxMind products and/or the IP Info database. 
+These customers are now enjoying higher alerting capacity and faster response times without the need for any additional configuration or hardware. Furthermore, these improvements also bring in a new unparalleled scalability for our largest alerting customers, enabling deployments of up to 192 {kib} nodes running alerting rules.
 
-image::images/ip-location-processor.png[The IP Location processor]
+We are very excited to see how these enhancements empower your alerting strategies with faster, more efficient, and scalable performance.
 
 [discrete]
-==== File uploader PDF support
-The file uploader provides a quick way to upload data and start using Elastic. In 8.16, we are improving it to allow you to upload data from PDF files.
+==== Support for case file attachments through API actions 
+The latest enhancements to {kib} Cases introduce highly requested functionality for managing security incidents and workflows. You can now use the public API to attach files to cases to enrich them with supporting documentation, evidence, and other critical information. This improvement marks a significant enhancement in case management, providing incident response teams with greater flexibility to include all relevant details directly within their cases.
 
-image:https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blte8f0b295330b7e68/67222fb0ca492a5044b51bd8/file_uploader_pdf.gif[File uploader with PDF support]
+Additionally, this release expands integration capabilities with third-party systems such as ServiceNow and Tines. You can now programmatically update cases through API calls from external platforms, streamlining workflows and fostering seamless collaboration across tools. These features make it easier to automate case updates and efficiently track complex security incidents in real time. For more details, check out the https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/kibana/v8/operation/operation-createcasedefaultspace[API documentation].
 
 [discrete]
-=== Developer Tools Console redesign
-We're excited to introduce a number of improvements to the overall user experience on one of our most popular features: **Console**. If you're new to Console, you will be welcomed by an onboarding tour that will help you get started quickly with your first requests. And if you're already a regular Console user, you will notice a variety of new features, including the ability to copy outputs to the clipboard, import and export request files, enjoy improved responsiveness, and other quality of life improvements. 
-
-image::images/monaco-console.png[Console's redesign featuring the Monaco editor]
-
-[discrete]
-=== Machine Learning
-
-[discrete]
-==== The Inference API is now Generally Available 
-
-Starting in 8.16, the {ref}/inference-apis.html[Inference API] is now GA, offering production-level stability, robustness and performance. Elastic’s Inference API integrates the state-of-the-art in AI inference, including ELSER, your Elastic hosted models and {ref}/put-inference-api.html#put-inference-api-desc[an increasing array of external models and tasks] in a unified, lean syntax. Used with {ref}/semantic-text.html[semantic_text] or the vector fields supported by the Elastic vector database, you can perform AI search, reranking, and completion with simplicity. In 8.16, we're also adding streamed completions for improved flows and real time interactions and GenAI experiences. 
-
-[discrete]
-==== ELSER and trained models adaptive resources and chunking strategies
-
-From 8.16, ELSER and the other AI search and NLP models you use in Elastic automatically adapt resource consumption according to the inference load, providing the performance you need during peak times and reducing the cost during slow periods, all the way down to zero cost during idle times. 
-
-We're also improving the UX through which you deploy your models. You can provision search-optimized and ingest-optimized model deployments with a one-click selection. An optimized configuration is created without the need to specify parameters such as threads and allocations. Combined with the flexibility of ML auto-scaling on Elastic Cloud and the incredible elasticity of Elastic Cloud Serverless, you are in full control of both performance and cost.
-
-image::https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt429790e1de1b4f93/67222fb048ec8c73255ef4eb/trained_models.gif[Trained models and ELSER]
-
-In addition, from 8.16 you can choose between a word or sequence-based chunking strategy to use with your trained models, and you can also customize the maximum size and overlap parameters. A suitable chunking strategy can result in gains depending on the model you use, the length and nature of the texts and the length and complexity of the search queries.
-
-
-[discrete]
-==== Support for Daylight Saving Time changes in Anomaly Detection
-
-In 8.16, we are introducing support for DST changes in Anomaly Detection. Set up a DST calendar by selecting the right timezone and apply it to your anomaly detection jobs individually or in groups. This feature eliminates any false positives that you may have experienced previously due to Daylight Saving Time changes, and works without the need for your intervention for many years ahead.
+==== Jira Connector now supports Jira Data Center
+This release introduces support for Jira Data Center, expanding the existing integration capabilities previously available only for Jira Cloud instances. With this enhancement, organizations using on-premises Jira Data Center can now seamlessly integrate with {kib}, enabling more efficient workflows and streamlined incident management.
 
-image::https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltefdd0b53724fa2ce/blt5fb82f18cde26710/67222fb086339971144a31e5/daylight_savings.gif[DST support in Anomaly Detection]
+With this update, users can create and manage Jira issues directly from {kib}, regardless of their Jira deployment model. This expanded compatibility highlights our commitment to supporting diverse customer deployment setups and delivering enhanced functionality tailored to enterprise environments.