Alerts
Introduction
vuSmartMaps™ powerful alerting capabilities empower you to stay informed, take swift action, and optimize your operational efficiency. vuSmartMaps comes pre-packaged with standard alerts for standard infrastructure components. You can change the thresholds and other logic as per your needs. Stay in control and respond effectively to events with vuSmartMaps Alerting.
Key Features of vuSmartMaps Alerts:
- Real-time Visibility: Gain real-time insights into high-fidelity events using the Alert console and dashboards to stay informed instantly.
- Rule-Based Alert Generation: Define specific rules to generate alerts that matter most to you, ensuring you receive relevant notifications.
- Multiple Alert Channels: Receive alerts through various channels, such as the vuSmartMaps dashboard, Emails, WhatsApp, Slack, Microsoft Teams, SMS, Runbook Automation, and Auto Remediation.
- Alert Rule Evaluation: The Alert Evaluation script offers an extensive Python programming interface for customizing alert behavior. You can use this interface for complex alerting scenarios and specific requirements.
- Alarm and Non-Alarm Modes: Choose between alarm and non-alarm modes for alerts, allowing you to decide if you want to keep receiving updates (non-alarm mode) for the alert or just a new and clear alert.
- Contextual Information: vuSmartMaps allows you to add business contextual information to your alerts. This contextual information is appended to your alert and is available in the alert details in all channels.
Overview
Create an Alert Rule involves configuring 2 mandatory and 4 optional sections that enable you to tailor your alert rules according to your specific requirements.
Simple Alert Creation
You can set up a Simple Alert by entering the Basic Details and configuring a single Data Model.
- Basic Details include a Summary and Description.
- Data Models to be alerted on let you choose a Data Model, specify the evaluation timeframe, and create conditions based on the selected Data Model's metrics and thresholds. You can add multiple Data Models in a single alert under different rules (R1. R2, etc).
Compound Alert Creation
Include the previous steps from Simple Alert Creation, that is, Basic Information and Data Models and continue to configure Logic Conditions explained further.
- Logic Conditions You can use metric values to determine when to send notifications, change their content, and select recipients and channels, giving you control over when, what, and to whom alerts are sent.
Programmable Alert Creation
Include the previous steps from Simple Alert Creation and Compound Alert Creation, that is, Basic Information, Data Models and Logic Conditions, and continue configuring the Evaluation Script and Alert Controls as explained further.
- Evaluation Script provides advanced control over how your alert rules behave. You can define a list of condition blocks, each with conditions and actions, along with comparison rules. These scripts determine when alerts are generated, who receives them, and what the notifications contain, with rules executed one by one until a match is found.
- Alert Controls help manage alert notification generation. You can schedule alert rule execution, enable or disable alarm mode to control notification timing, set up throttling for the non-alarm mode to prevent repetitive alerts, and configure when alerts should be active to avoid notifications during specific periods, such as weekends or non-business hours.
Common Configuration for all types of Alerts
- Alert Channels allow you to manage how notifications are delivered. You can use email, WhatsApp, SMS, Runbook Automation, Slack, and Teams for communication. Configure recipients, groups, and message content to tailor alert content to your needs.
View Generated Alerts: This View Generated Alerts guides where to find notifications.
Alert Document: An Alert Document is a detailed record of an alert event, providing essential information.
Explore Behind the Scenes, and Common Use Cases to gain comprehensive insights into how vuSmartMaps manages alert notifications.
These sections deeply dive into the Alert Engine's workings and various applications.
FAQs
I want to be alerted on my mobile through WhatsApp if CPU utilization for a server goes above 95%. How can I do that?
The minimum requirement is to configure a Data Model and a Notification Channel.
Navigate to the Alerts section and create a new alert rule. Choose the Data Model and set the condition to trigger when CPU utilization exceeds 95%. Choose WhatsApp as the notification channel. Enter your mobile number or group for WhatsApp notifications. Save the alert rule and activate it.
Can I create an alert for when transaction volumes drop below 1,000 transactions per minute?
Yes, by using Simple Alert creation. Fill in the Basic Details, choose the transaction volume data model, set your evaluation timeframe, and configure the condition to trigger when transaction volumes fall below 1,000 transactions per minute.
How can I set an alert that notifies me when transaction failure rates are above 5% and transaction durations exceed 10 seconds?
Create a Compound Alert. Start with Basic Details and Data Models (transaction failure rate and transaction duration). Then, use Logic Conditions to specify that both failure rates must be above 5% and transaction durations must exceed 10 seconds for the alert to trigger.
Can I create an alert when transaction volumes are high but failure rates increase?
Yes, use Compound Alert creation. Input the Basic Details, select data models for transaction volumes and failure rates, and set up Logic Conditions to trigger an alert when transaction volumes exceed a certain threshold and failure rates increase.
Can I set up an alert to check multiple server metrics and control notification timing to avoid non-business hours?
Yes, with Programmable Alerts. After configuring Basic Details, Data Models, and Logic Conditions, use the Evaluation Script for detailed conditions and actions. Then, use Alert Controls to schedule alert execution and set active periods to avoid alerts during non-business hours.
How do I handle high alert traffic from receiving too many notifications?
Alert traffic or noise can be a significant issue, especially in high-volume environments. Enable throttling under the “Alert Control” option to prevent repeated notifications for the same condition within a specified interval. Adjust the severity and thresholds of your alerts to ensure you only receive critical notifications.
Can I set up different alert rules for different times of the day or days of the week?
Yes, you can configure active periods for alert notifications under the Alert Control option to match your business hours or specific operational windows. This setup helps avoid unnecessary notifications during low activity periods.
How can I monitor alerts via mobile devices?
vuSmartMaps supports mobile notifications via WhatsApp and SMS.
What should I do if I receive an alert that seems inaccurate or unnecessary?
Start by reviewing the alert rule configuration to ensure conditions and thresholds are accurately set. Verify the data models used and adjust the alert conditions if necessary. If the issue persists, consult the support team for further assistance.
What happens to notifications when an alert configuration is set to non-alarm mode?
In non-alarm mode under Alert Controls, the system will continue generating notifications at regular intervals as long as the alert conditions remain true.
How can I ensure that alerts are only sent for critical issues, not minor fluctuations?
Implement a buffer in your evaluation script by setting a buffer range around your thresholds. Alerts will only be generated if the metric exceeds the threshold significantly, reducing alerts for minor fluctuations.
Can you provide an example of setting up a multi-condition alert rule?
Sure! For example, you can create an alert rule with the following conditions:
- Condition 1: Check for CPU Usage and Memory Usage (Server Resource Usage Data Model).
- Condition 2: Check for Service Requests Turnaround Time (TAT Data Model).
By configuring these conditions, an alert will only trigger when both conditions are met, ensuring a more comprehensive alert.
I'm encountering "permission denied" when accessing alerts. What should I do?
If you receive a permission denied message when accessing some particular module, contact your system administrator. They can review and adjust your permissions to ensure you have the necessary access.
