Configuring Alert Settings

The following section describes how to configure alert settings and includes the following tasks:

 Specifying Where to Initiate Notifications

You can send notifications from the local machine on which the alerts occur or you can send notifications from a notification server. This setting is stored in the alertSystem rule and can be specific for each PATROL object. For example, you could send notifications locally for one parameter, while for another parameter you could forward the event to a notification server that sends the notification. For more information, see Deciding Where to Place Rules.

To specify Where to Initiate Notifications

1. From the PATROL console, access the host KM menu commands as described in Accessing KM Commands and InfoBoxes.
2. Choose the KM menu command Event Management > Alert Settings > Notification System.
3. Select the PATROL object (application, class, and parameter) that you want to configure. To configure all PATROL objects, select the menu command Set For Classes and then select / as shown in the following figure.
   
   Selecting / to Represent all PATROL Objects
   
4. From the SET EVENT MANAGEMENT VARIABLE: alertSystem dialog box, select the appropriate alert option, described in For more information about advanced uninstallation options, such as uninstalling the KM but retaining log files, which contain history for future analysis and configuration files for redeployment, see the ..
5. To save your changes, click Accept.

 Preventing False Alerts

This procedure describes how to reduce the number of false alerts sent from the notification server to an enterprise console after an agent restart. For more general information about reducing the number of alerts, see Too Many E-mail Alerts Are Being Generated

Why False Alerts Occur upon an Agent Restart

If an agent or an agent machine goes down, there may be outstanding events open at the enterprise console. These events can be considered false alerts because after the agent or the agent machine restarts, these events are no longer relevant. You can configure PATROL to determine which events are no longer relevant and close those events upon an agent restart. The settings for this option are stored in the alertResetOnInit rule.

To Prevent False Alerts upon an Agent Restart

1. From the PATROL console, access the host KM menu commands as described in Accessing KM Commands and InfoBoxes.
2. Choose the KM menu command Event Management > Alert Settings > Local Alert Settings > Send Reset on Init.
3. From the SEND RESET NOTIFICATION ON AGENT INITIALIZATION dialog box, select Yes.
4. To save your changes, click Accept.

The value of the variable /AS/EVENTSPRING/ALERT/alertResetOnInit is set to 1, which indicates that alerts are sent to close the open events.

 Changing the Number of Times Alerts are Resent

This procedure describes how to change the number of times that alerts are resent if they remain in a warning or alarm state in consecutive polling periods. As with other PATROL KM for Event Management variables, you can configure this setting at the PATROL object level (application, instance, or parameter). This setting is stored in the alertResend rule.

To Change the Number of Times Alerts are Resent

1. From the PATROL console, access the host KM menu commands as described in Accessing KM Commands and InfoBoxes.
2. Choose the KM menu command Event Management > Alert Settings > Local Alert Settings > Alert Resend.
3. Select the PATROL object (application, instance, or parameter) that you want to configure.
    The SET EVENT MANAGEMENT VARIABLE: alertResend dialog is displayed.
4. In the ALARM Resends and WARN Resends fields, enter the number of times alarm alerts and warning alerts are resent.
    To resend alerts continuously until the PATROL object is no longer in a warning or alarm state, enter -1.
5. To save your changes, click Accept.

The variable /AS/EVENTSPRING/ALERT/ object /alertResend is updated.

 Defining Agent-to-Notification Server Protocol Settings

This procedure describes how to define the protocol settings used by remote agents when performing the following activities:

• sending NOTIFY events to the notification server
• checking the notification server for availability

These protocol settings are stored in the RemoteAgentCommSettings variable.

To Define Protocol Settings

1. From the PATROL console, access the host KM menu commands as described in Accessing KM Commands and InfoBoxes.
2. Choose the KM menu command Event Management >Alert Settings > Remote Alert Settings > Remote Comm Settings.

3. From the REMOTE AGENT COMMUNICATION SETTINGS dialog box, select the appropriate protocol settings, described in the following table.

    REMOTE AGENT COMMUNICATION SETTINGS dialog box
4. To save your changes, click Accept.

The variable /AS/EVENTSPRING/ RemoteAgentCommSettings is updated.