Working with Monitor Alert Sources

Monitor Alert Sources raise alerts based on Monitor Checks. For example, a Monitor Alert Source can raise an Alert if the host running the RunMyJobs server is running out of swap space, or a Queue is held.

Note: To enable monitoring, you will need to create the registry entry below and set it to true:
/configuration/jcs/monitoring/enabled

Creating a Monitor Alert Source

To create a Monitor Alert Source:

  1. Navigate to Configure > Control > Alerting > Monitor Alert Sources.

  2. Click New.

  3. Choose a Partition and enter a Name.
  4. Choose the Monitor Check you want to alert on from the Monitor dropdown list.
  5. On the Rules tab, click Add for each monitor Alert Source rule you want.
  6. Click Save & Close.

Tabs and Fields

Note: For tabs and fields that are common to all objects, see Object Tabs.

Tab Field Description
Monitor Alert Source Enabled Lets you enable or disable the Alert Source.
Monitor Alert Source Monitor The Monitor Check to send Alerts for.
Monitor Alert Source Time Window Lets you specify that Alerts should only be fired when a particular Time Window is open or closed (depending on the value in the Time Window Status field).
Monitor Alert Source Time Zone The time zone for the selected Time Window.
Monitor Alert Source Operator Message Expression A custom Operator Message expression. This field allows substitution parameters.
Monitor Alert Source Operator Message Reply Expression A custom Operator Message reply expression. You can use regular expressions in the reply expression to force the user to select a reply option. If no reply expression is specified, the default reply expression is Acknowledge. This field allows substitution parameters.
Monitor Alert Source Address The email address to which the Alert should be sent. This field allows substitution parameters and is resolved by an Email Alert Gateway. The alert will be sent to the specified address and escalated, if necessary, using the escalation specified in the Default Alert Escalation field.
Monitor Alert Source Default Alert Escalation The default escalation to use.
Monitor Alert Source Escalation Expression

If you do not provide a Default Alert Escalation, you must specify an Escalation Expression.

Note: The Escalation Expression field is evaluated before the Default Alert Escalation field. If the Escalation Expression field results in a match, the Default Alert Escalation is ignored.
Rules Processing Order The order in which the rule is processed.
Rules Severity The severity level that triggers the Alert.
Rules Rising If this is checked, the Alert will be triggered only when the severity has risen (not fallen) to the specified Severity.
Rules Delay Amount The number of Delay Units to wait until the Alert is sent. The system will only raise the Alert if the process is still in the status mentioned after the specified delay.
Rules Delay Units The units of time used in the Delay Amount.
Rules Operator Message Expression A status-specific Operator Message expression. If specified, this overrides the default Operator Message.
Rules Alert Escalation Lets you specify a rule-specific escalation. If you specify an option, this overrides the Alert Source's default escalation.
Alert Source Email Body The body of the email to send, see Customizing email messages for information on how you can customize it.
Actions Type The type of action to take when an Alert needs to be fired. The only valid option for Alert Sources is Post Alert. Any action you define here will be executed after the Alert is sent. You must reply to the Operator Message and delete it if you want to suppress it.
Actions Library The user under which the code in the action is performed. You must set this if you want to use jcsSession.
Actions Action Subject Lets you specify a library containing methods you want to use in the Source field.
Actions Source The source code of the script.

Promotion, Deletion, and Renaming

If you promote a Monitor Alert Source, the watched Monitor Checks must exist in the target instance prior to importing the Alert Source. For example, if you have a Monitor Alert Source that uses a Monitor Node belonging to a Job Server, you will have to import the Job Server separately before you import the Monitor Alert Source or the import will fail.

If you delete an Object which you are watching with a Monitor Alert Source, the Monitor Check for that object will NOT be deleted immediately and a warning will be logged. The monitor path of the Alert Source will NOT be updated. You must update it manually.

If you rename an Object for which a Monitor Alert Source is watching a Monitor Node, the path to the Monitor Node will change independently of the Monitor Alert Source. For example, if your Monitor Alert Source is watching System.ProcessServer.MSLN_WINS3 and you rename the Job Server MSLN_WINS3 to MSLN_WINS16, the Monitor Check will not change to System.ProcessServer.MSLN_WINS16 automatically. You must update it manually.

Operator Message Reply Expressions

The Operator Message Reply Expression works the same way as the reply expression for the System_OperatorMessage Job Definition. This can be specified at the Alert Source level, and overridden per severity level. If no reply expression is specified, the default reply expression is Acknowledge.

You can use the following substitution Parameters in the Operator Message Reply Expression.

  • ${data}: The current severity.
  • ${alertSourceType}: The type of Alert Source.
  • ${alertSourceUniqueId}The unique ID for the Alert Source.