Serena Dashboard provides a set of pre-configured master files that are used within WebFOCUS to build and display metrics. These master files store all of the data about the synonyms and tables that represent the actual data from the source. In its simplest form, think of a WebFOCUS synonym as depicted below.
The master files in WebFOCUS define a synonym that maps to the source data and is refreshed with the latest data at run time. When you display a metric in Serena Dashboard, WebFOCUS queries the data source and returns the current data to the synonym, which is then rendered into the metric.
In order to build new metrics in WebFOCUS, you can take advantage of the existing synonyms that are provided out-of-the-box with Serena Dashboard, or consult the IBI WebFOCUS documentation to learn how to build your own. This document describes the tables and columns that are mapped from SBM, Dimensions CM, and other systems into the out-of-box synonym tables; you can use it to find and understand what columns to pull into your own, custom metrics.