When I installed ipMonitor 9 I let it create the default email alert (call this Alert A) which now includes all the devices that have been discovered. Now I want to create a separate email alert (call this Alert B) for one monitor within a device. When the monitor fails I get both alerts. This is because the monitor is listed under Alert B and the monitor's device is listed under Alert A.
My initial thought is to remove the device from Alert A and add all the device's monitors other than the one already in Alert B. Is this the right approach (sounds a bit ugly to me) or is there a better way?
Thanks - Simon
Hi Simon,
Before I answer if this is the right approach, let me ask why you are creating a second email for a monitor that's already covered? Do you just want different formatting - or additional content that makes sense only for that Monitor?
If my second question is yes, I have just the document for you!
Hi Peter
Alert A contains all devices and has two actions: an Auto Report Email for failure/recovery messages and a Simple Email for information messages. This works really well and provides an instant snapshot of performance metrics via email when a monitor exceeds thresholds or goes down, rather than having to go find it in ipMonitor.
Alert B contains a custom SNMP monitor for each server that analyses sysUpTime and triggers if it exceeds 8 days (which means the server missed its weekly scheduled reboot). It also has a Simple Email action telling the systems administrators to reboot the machine manually.
Looking ahead, I would also like to set up different alerts for automatically restarting some services (perhaps email the administrators then restart the service during business hours, or afterhours restart then email), send SMS alerts for certain monitors afterhours, etc.
Trying to work out the best way to structure ipMonitor alerts, actions, groups, devices and monitors so that it gives the best alerting flexibility. Look forward to reading your document.
Hi Simon, I was going to supply this v8.x article that still applies on using Tags ... but you're not going where I thought you were.
Using Custom Tags to Store Emergency Information
After reading what you've done, I would say you've got things going in the right direction. The only missing thing I can see is leveraging the schedule in the alert actions to get different behavior based on time of day. ie: sms text after hours, email during day.
Yeah, it looks like scheduling different actions based on time of day will be relatively straightforward. What I'm still struggling with his how to organise devices and monitors within alerts. Going back to my original post, am I going to have to remove the device from Alert A and manually add back in all the monitors other than the one in Alert B?
Hi all
Would anyone please care to share how they've structured their ipMonitor 9 alerts, actions, groups, devices and monitors to give flexible alerting? Please see the example scenario I give earlier in this thread -- I also mention a possible solution but to me it seems ugly. I would love to know if you've come up with a better way of achieving this.
Managed to sort this out. Had to change our default email alert (Alert A) to include monitors instead of devices. All monitors are included except for the sysUpTime monitors that are included in the new alert (Alert B).
To make this easy to manage I've used SmartGroups. Alert A has a SmartGroup that includes all monitors except sysUpTime monitors. Alert B has a SmartGroup that includes just sysUpTime monitors. Seems to me the best way to handle it.
