Creating a Monitoring Blackout Script

This task describes how to create a blackout script that suspends propagation of state changes (for example, alarms and warnings) on selected application classes and instances.

Before you begin

The PATROL KM for UNIX will create the blackout script for you; you do not have to write the script before you begin this procedure. However, you must ensure that the default BMC PATROL account has read and execute permissions on the directory in which the blackout script resides.

To Create a Blackout Script for Immediate Execution

1. Access the SCHEDULER application menu as described in Accessing KM Commands and InfoBoxes.
2. Select Schedule Blackouts from the SCHEDULER application menu.
   The Schedule Blackouts dialog box is displayed.
3. Select Add New Blackout Script and click OK.
   The Blackout Script File Name dialog box is displayed.

4. Type a file name (and path, if desired) in the Blackout Script Full File Path field and click OK.

   Note

   The PATROL default account must have read and execute permissions on the directory in which the script is stored.

   The Blackout Instance Selection dialog box is displayed.

5. Use the following table to perform the actions necessary to select application instances for a blackout period.

   To Achieve this Result	Perform the Following Action(s)
   suspend monitoring for all application class instances on a computer	Click the Select All Instances option and click Select.
   suspend monitoring for all application instances within selected application classes	1. In the Application List group box, select all the application classes for which you want to suspend monitoring.  2. Click the Select All Instances in the Highlighted Classes option and click Select.
   suspend monitoring for selected application instances	1. In the Application List group box, select the application class for which you want to suspend monitoring.  2. Click the Select Only the Highlighted Instances option and click Select. The application class expands to list all instances within the application class.  3. Highlight the instances for which you want to suspend monitoring and click Select.
   clear all of your instance selection choices and start over	Click the Clear All Selections option and click Select.

   Note

   If you want to remove an application class or instance from the script, highlight it in the Selected Instances group box and click Select.

6. Click Done.
   The Add New Blackout Script dialog box is displayed.

   Note

   The Blackout Script Status dialog box is also displayed. This dialog box provides information about the status of the blackout script; you cannot enter data into it.

7. Use the spinner buttons or type a value in the following fields:

   Field	Description
   Days	Indicate how many days the blackout period should last
   Hrs	Indicate how many hours the blackout period should last
   Mins	Indicate how many minutes the blackout period should last

8. Perform one of the following actions to set monitoring blackout periods:
   1. If you want to set the same blackout period for all instances in the blackout script, click the Apply period to all remaining instances button.
   2. If you want to set different blackout periods for each application instances, do not select the Apply period to all remaining instances button. If this button is not selected, the Blackout Period dialog box will display for each instance in the script, allowing you to set different blackout time periods for each instance.
9. Click Apply.
   The Add New Blackout Script Name Summary dialog box is displayed.
10. Click Continue.
    A confirmation dialog box displays, asking if you want to schedule the script for execution now.
11. Perform one of the following actions:
    1. Click Yes if you want to schedule the blackout script for execution now.
    2. Click No if you do not want to schedule the blackout script for execution now. If you click No, you must perform the steps in Scheduling a Blackout Script for Execution before the blackout script will execute.
       If you clicked Yes, the Schedule PATROL PslExecute() Action dialog box is displayed. Proceed to step 14.

12. In the Execute Script at:group box, use the spinner buttons or type a value in the following fields to schedule the blackout script:

    Field	Description
    Month	Indicate the month in which the blackout script should execute
    Day	Indicate the date on which the blackout script should execute
    Year	Indicate the year in which the blackout script should execute
    hh	Indicate at which hour of the day the blackout script should execute Enter hours in military time. For example, if you want to schedule a script to execute at 4 P.M., enter 16 in this field.
    mm	Indicate at which minute the blackout script should execute
    ss	Indicate at which second the blackout script should execute

13. If you want to set the blackout script to occur at regularly scheduled intervals, use the spinner buttons or type values in the following fields of the Repeat Execution:group box:

    Field	Description
    Days	Number of days that should pass between blackout script executions
    hh	Number of hours that should pass between blackout script executions
    mm	Number of minutes that should pass between blackout script executions
    ss	Number of seconds that should pass between blackout script executions

14. Click Accept.
    The dialog box closes, and BMC PATROL schedules the blackout script for execution.