---
title: "Using Mesa dashboards to monitor live data"
slug: "using-mesa-dashboards-to-monitor-live-data"
updated: 2026-10-12T11:16:49Z
published: 2026-10-12T11:16:49Z
canonical: "support.lusid.com/using-mesa-dashboards-to-monitor-live-data"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.lusid.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using Mesa dashboards to monitor live data

> [!CAUTION]
> Important
> 
> This feature is in [Early Access](/v1/docs/what-is-the-lusid-feature-release-lifecycle#early-access) and is subject to change.

You can visualise and monitor your data with customisable widgets and near real time updates using Mesa dashboards. Mesa abstracts away the underlying complexity of LUSID, providing role-appropriate interfaces for data administration, dashboard creation, and portfolio monitoring.

For a full explanation of how Mesa is structured, see [Understanding Mesa architecture](/v1/docs/understanding-mesa-architecture).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-5P4DPPBF.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-29T10%3A48%3A45Z&se=2026-10-29T11%3A48%3A45Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=I6%2FedRM9oTg8jTEAGWD46cOO9ZxrI8CnudpjxwwiY3Y%3D)

## Getting started

What you do in Mesa depends on your role:

| User type | What you can do | Where to start |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Data administrators** *Administrator* *Operations team* | Create source factories so dashboard builders can get the right data quickly and consistently. | [How do I configure a Mesa source factory?](/v1/docs/how-do-i-configure-a-source-factory) |
| **Dashboard builders** *Analyst* *Compliance officer* *Performance and analytics team* *Portfolio manager* *Risk manager* *Trader* | Build custom dashboards using various sources and widgets, and share them with colleagues or clients. | [How do I build a Mesa dashboard?](/v1/docs/how-do-i-build-a-mesa-dashboard) |
| **Dashboard viewers** *Director* *Partner* | Monitor live data across one or more dashboards and gain insights without needing to understand the underlying platform. | Ask your dashboard builder which workspace their dashboard is saved in, and make sure you have access to it. |

## Workspaces and access control

Mesa saves dashboards and source factories in [workspaces](/v1/docs/workspaces-and-dashboard-sets). You control who can view, edit, and manage them using LUSID’s access policies for workspaces; see [How do I create a policy to control access to workspaces?](/v1/docs/how-do-i-create-a-policy-to-control-access-to-workspaces)