The Notifications tab allows you to create notifications. Saved searches are the building blocks for creating notifications. However, you cannot configure a notification on the basis of saved searches shared by other users. If you still want to use saved searches shared by other users, you can clone them and then use the cloned copy to configure a notification.
This topic contains the following information:
Ensure that the following requirements are met:
While creating a notification, you need to provide information regarding when, how, and where the notification must be sent. This information can be categorized into the following inputs: Determines the type of notification that you want to create – an alert or a report. The notification type also determines the notification destination options and the number of conditions that you can configure. Based on the notification type, the notification destination determines where the notification must be sent. You can select multiple options available while configuring an alert.Notification creation process overview
Input Description Notification naming details Basic information by which you can identify and manage the notification. Notification type Scheduling details Determines the frequency for triggering a notification. Notification destination(s)
On the Administration > Notifications tab, click Add Notification, provide the following information, and click Create.
Under the Notification Details section, provide the following information:
Name: Provide a name to identify this notification.
Note
Notification names must be unique across users. If you try to create a notification with a name that already exists, you get an error.
By default, this field is automatically populated with the saved search description.
When you create a notification, by default the notification type is set to Alert.
You can create two types of notifications – an alert and a report. Alerts can be used for logging events on external systems, sending email notifications, and specifying script paths based on which notifications are sent. Reports can be used for sending an email notification and optionally attaching a PDF report containing details about the search string.
The following links provide additional information about the inputs applicable to the notification type selected.
Provide the following inputs to define details regarding the frequency of the notification and the duration for which the notification must be run.
Field | Description |
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Scheduling | (Optional) Specify the time schedule when the notification must be sent. By default, the schedule is set to every 1 minute. You can specify the schedule frequency on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis and also specify options for the frequency. This means that suppose you select Yearly, you can specify the month, day, and time at which the notification must recur. Example: When you select Yearly, the options can be set as, "Every January, 5th, at 08 : 15 hours". This selection indicates that you want the notification to be sent on January 5, at 8.15 AM, every year. Notes:
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Search Duration | (Optional) Select one of the time ranges to determine the duration for which the notification must be run. When you select a saved search, the search duration changes to the time context of the saved search. You can override this by manually selecting the search duration. Default: Last execution to current execution |
Notes: The following capabilities are only applicable while configuring an alert:
For more information, see Alert configuration details. |
The notification destination determines the following details:
For more information, see Notification destination details.
You can trigger an alert based on a combination of conditions. To specify conditions, you need to already have saved searches created. Based on these saved searches, you can configure an alert. The search string and the time context of the saved search act as the base for creating the alert. When you configure a notification alert, the saved searches included in the notification are run. If the number of results obtained for that saved search meets the condition added in the notification, an alert is triggered.
You can select multiple saved searches and specify conditions regarding the number of results for each of these saved searches. You can also specify whether all (AND) or either (OR) of the conditions must be met before an alert is triggered.
The following table describes the inputs that you need to specify for configuring an alert.
Field | Description |
---|---|
When to send a notification? | |
Saved Search | Select the saved search for which you want to create a notification. Based on the saved search that you select first, the search duration is automatically populated. You can manually change this selection. Note: Saved searches with custom time range are not displayed in this list. This is because such saved searches are run for a fixed duration and therefore are not relevant for adding notifications. For more information about creating a saved search, see Managing saved searches. |
Number of Results | Specify a condition to trigger a notification: if the number of results is to be less than (select <), equal to (select =), or more than (select >) the selected threshold (specify a number). Example: If you set the number of results to greater than 100 (> 100). If the results for the search string exceed 100, a notification is automatically sent. |
Actions | Click Add Saved Search to add the saved search and associated condition. You can add multiple saved searches with associated conditions. Based on these conditions an alert is triggered. You can also define whether all the conditions or either of the conditions must be used to trigger the alert. This can be done by selecting the AND or OR operation.To delete a saved search with its associated condition, click Remove Saved Search . |
How often to send a notification? | |
Scheduling | Determines the frequency of sending the alert. For more information, see Scheduling details. |
Search Duration | Determines the duration that must be used while running the saved search. For more information, see Scheduling details. |
Do you want to use an external system as the notification destination? | |
Exclude duplicate events | This feature is applicable only if you want to use one of the supported external systems (for example, BMC ProactiveNet) as the notification destination. Determines whether you want to exclude duplicate events returned from a supported external system. For example, BMC ProactiveNet. This is applicable when you are already monitoring data coming from the external system in IT Data Analytics. Perform one of the following actions:
Notes:
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Application Name | This feature is applicable only if you want to use BMC TrueSight Operations Management as the notification destination. You can search for an application (by name) configured on BMC TrueSight Operations Management with which you want to associate the event that will be logged. This means each time a notification alert is sent to BMC TrueSight Operations Management and an event is logged, that event is automatically associated with the application specified. |
Where to send a notification? | |
Notification Destination(s) | You can select multiple notification destinations options while configuring an alert. For more information, see Notification destination details. |
You can configure a report to send an email notification and optionally attach a PDF report containing details about the search string. An email is sent containing the search string, the result count, and a link that takes you to the specific search context. Furthermore, you can select whether or not to attach a report and include log entries in the report.
Note
By default, the report provides details about search results displayed on the Search tab within one minute. To change this time limit, you can add the property, indexing.psJobGetMoreTimeoutInmsec
by navigating to the searchserviceCustomConfig.properties file. This property defines the time limit (in milliseconds) after which the search (including notifications and views) times out. For more information, see Modifying the configuration files.
The following table describes the inputs that you need to specify for configuring a report.
Inputs | Description |
---|---|
When to send a notification? | |
Saved search | Select the saved search that must be used for configuring the report. After you create the notification, this saved search is run for the selected search duration and the results of the saved search are sent as a PDF report. Unlike an alert, while configuring a report, you can only specify one saved search at a time. |
How often to send a notification? | |
Scheduling | Determines the frequency of sending the report. For more information, see Scheduling details. |
Search Duration | Determines the duration that must be used while running the saved search. For more information, see Scheduling details. |
Where to send a notification? | |
Email Destination | Determines the SMTP server that must be used for sending emails. The notification destination name is displayed in the format Email:extConfigName, where extConfigName refers to the name that you used while creating the external configuration for integrating with an SMTP server. For more information, see Setting up emails. Depending on the SMTP server with which you want to connect for sending email notifications, select the appropriate check box. For more information, see Notification destination details. |
Notes: The following capabilities are not applicable while configuring a report:
|
The notification destination determines the following details:
While creating a notification, you need to perform the following steps:
The notification options selected determines where the notification is sent. This selection depends on the notification type selected – alert or report.
The following table provides information about the notification destination options available for the notification types.
Notification type | Notification destination options |
---|---|
Alert | The following options are available while configuring an alert:
|
Report | While configuring a report, you can select the SMTP server that must be used for sending the email alert. The notification destination name usually starts with "Email". |
The various notification destinations are explained as follows:
After you select the notification destination option, you need to provide some details that determine how the notification must be sent.
These details vary depending on whether you want to configure an alert or report. The details required to configure an alert refer to two kinds of notification destinations – supported external systems and script. The details required to configure an email alert or report are the same. If you specify a script notification destination, then you need to specify the script path. For more information about the script notification destination, see Notification destination options.
The following sections describe the details required for logging an event on an external system and for sending email notifications.
After you select the notification destination for logging events, provide the following details:
Field | Description |
---|---|
Template selection | Select a template that you want to use for logging an event. This template carries details regarding the logged event such as, the saved search name, number of search results, start and end time of the search query, and so on. You can use the default template or create your own new template for logging an event. While creating a new template, you can use default macros in the event message. For more information, see Creating templates with custom notifications messages. |
Event severity | Specify the severity level of the event that you want to log into the selected notification destination (for example, BMC ProactiveNet) for this notification. You can select one of the following options:
|
After selecting the email notification destination, specify the inputs listed in the following table.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Template selection | Select a template that you want to use for sending an email notification. This template carries details regarding the notification message that must be sent, such as the saved search name, number of search results, start and end time of the search query, and so on. You can use the default template or create your own new template for sending an email notification. While creating a new template, you can use default macros in the event message. For more information, see Creating templates with custom notifications messages. |
Send Email to | Provide a comma-separated list of email addresses to which the notification must be sent. |
Attach Report | (Optional) Select this check box if you want to attach a PDF report. |
Include Log Entries | (Optional) Select this check box if you want to include log entries in the PDF report (maximum first 1,000 entries). This field is available only after you select the Attach Report check box. |
Summarization Field | (Optional) Select the field by which you want to summarize the chart that will be a part of the report. This field is available only after you select the Attach Report check box. |
Chart Type | (Optional) Select one of the following chart types for summarizing the search results, and include it in the report:
Click Preview to view the PDF report. |
While configuring an alert or report, you can choose to use the default template or create a new template with custom messages to send notifications. This section does not apply to a script alert.
Depending on the notification destination selected, the following kinds of templates can be created:
To create a template, select a notification destination, click Create on the left panel, and provide the following details depending on whether you are creating a template for logging an event or sending an email.
While creating a template for logging an event on an external system configured, provide the following details and click Save:
To edit a template, after selecting the notification destination, click a template on the left panel, and click Edit. Make your changes and click Save.
To delete a template, after selecting the notification destination, click a template on the left panel, and click Delete.
While creating a template for sending an email, provide the following details and click Save:
To edit a template, after selecting the notification destination, click a template on the left panel, and click Edit. Make your changes and click Save.
To delete a template, after selecting the notification destination, click a template on the left panel, and click Delete.
Macros denote objects that can be used to substitute common details specified while creating a notification. For example, saved search name, search string, count of results, and so on. The macros are substituted with appropriate values at run time when the notification is triggered.
You can use macros in the following ways:
If you specified multiple conditions (or multiple saved searches) in the notification, then some macros can take multiple values. For example, the ${QUERYNAME} macro can take multiple values. Macros with multiple values can be accessed as an array. For example, to access the first value of the macro ${QUERYNAME}, you need to specify ${QUERYNAME[0]}. Similarly, to access the second value of this macro, you need to specify ${QUERYNAME[1]}.
To see an example of how macros can be used in the message while sending email notifications, see Example of the template message for sending emails.
The following table provides a list of default macros that can be used in the Message field while creating a template.
Macro Syntax | Macro description |
---|---|
${NAME} | Name of the notification that was used for logging the event or sending the email notification. |
${QUERYNAME} | Name of the saved search used in the notification. If you specified multiple conditions (or multiple saved searches) while creating the notification, then the value can be a comma-separated list. |
${QUERYSTR} | Search string used corresponding to the saved search name. If you specified multiple conditions (or multiple saved searches) while creating the notification, then the value can be a comma-separated list. |
${COUNT} | Number of search results returned by the search query. If you specified multiple conditions (or multiple saved searches) while creating the notification, then the value can be a comma-separated list. |
${STARTTIME} | Indicates the start point for the search duration. |
${ENDTIME} | Indicates the end point for the search duration. |
${URL} | The URL for logging on to IT Data Analytics. |
${HOST} | Name of the target hosts from which the data is collected. Note: If the search query used in the notification is not specific to a particular host, then instead of the actual host name, the macro displays the value as "multiple hosts". |
${APPNAME} | Indicates the name of the application configured in BMC TrueSight Operations Management, that you specified at the time of configuring an alert or report. Note: To use this macro, you must have already integrated IT Data Analytics with BMC TrueSight Operations Management. For more information, see Integrating with TrueSight Presentation Server. |
${APPID} | Indicates the ID associated with the application configured in BMC TrueSight Operations Management, that you specified at the time of configuring an alert or report. Note: To use this macro, you must have already integrated IT Data Analytics with BMC TrueSight Operations Management. For more information, see Integrating with TrueSight Presentation Server. |
The following table provides an example of a template message and the actual message used for sending an email notification.
Template message | Actual message (email body) |
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Saved search ${QUERYNAME} has result count: ${COUNT} for duration: [${STARTTIME}] to [${ENDTIME}] <div>Dear User,</div><br/><div> This email is for information only. Please do not respond to it.</div><br/><div> The configured notification, ${NAME} containing query, [${QUERYSTR}], with name ${QUERYNAME}, has been triggered. </div><br/><div> Result Count: ${COUNT}, Launch URL: ${URL}</div><br/><div> You can login and change the notification. Click <b> Administration > Notifications</b> to navigate to the notifications page.</div> | Saved search ITDA_Log_Monitoring has result count: 3567 for duration: 01/30/2015 11:30:30 GMT to 02/06/2015 11:30:30 GMT Dear User, This email is for information only. Please do not respond to it. The configured notification ITDA_Log_Monitoring_Notification, containing query, COLLECTOR_NAME="ITDA_logs", with name ITDA_Log_Monitoring, has been triggered. Result Count: 3567, Launch URL: Show in BMC TrueSight IT Data Analytics You can login and change the notification. Click Administration > Notifications to navigate to the notifications page. |
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Harihara Subramanian
Priyanka Nanwani
Harihara Subramanian
Priyanka Nanwani