I saw Dirk's message that you can't generate XML each cycle. Actually there is a way. I used the HTML page output to generate an XML file. I created a template that is used to generate the file at the end of each cycle. We use the XML file to generate some web pages and show the data in a couple of different presentation. I am more than willing to share my template file. Ian Burns
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Servers Alive Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 11:05 To: Servers Alive Discussion List Subject: [SA-list] SA possible enhancements Hi Dirk (et al for info), We had an internal service review today on our monitoring services (of which SA forms the backbone). A number of things came up as a result of that, which I would like to pass on as enhancement requests: * We need to do some significant restructuring of alerts, and to do this check by check is going to be a huge piece of work. What would be really great would be to have a number of predefined alerts (e.g. Alert A is an alert set up to send SMS to engineer team X immediately; Alert B does the same but to engineer team Y; Alert C is set up to send an email to management group Z after 3 downs, etc). My idea is that you would then, in each check, be able to say "use predefined alerts A, B and D", as well as being able to create additional alerts for that specific check. I could imagine this being done with tick boxes - i.e. have (say) 10 predefined alert types which you can select within a check. The point of all this is that, if I need to make changes such as changing who gets the alerts, or what the wording of the alerts are, or when they get sent, or even add a new alert to a number of checks, one can simply change a single predefined alert, and/or tick an additional box in each check that is to be affected. Do you follow me? * I can adjust when an alert is sent (e.g. after x downs), and I can adjust how often a check is done (e.g. every x cycles). However, what I can't do is determine when a failed check should be considered a "down". Example: as mentioned in the past, we have a COM check that looks at an SQL db on a server, which quite often fails with a timeout. I have adjusted the alert to only go out after 2 downs (and in fact not to go out at all if the response includes "Timeout", but that doesn't stop that check from going red on our screens. (To be absolutely accurate, therefore, the issue is when a failed check should be presented as a "down" on the on the HTML outputs, but that's probably getting too complicated...) * XML output (that favourite topic of the discussion group) - I can manually export to XML, but I can't (I don't think) have SA do that automatically every check cycle. Hey - I don't understand XML at all, but my colleagues tell me that they can do something clever with it... * I think I've asked this before, but I'll double check... The on-call schedule for people defaults to "Not on call". Would it be possible (as standard or as an option) to change this to defaulting to "On call"? Thoughts? Many thanks as ever, Ian _________________________________ Ian K Gray OEL IS - European Infrastructure Support Tel: +44 1236 502661 Mob: +44 7881 518854 Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit ______________________________________________________________________________ Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily of the Company. This email and any files transmitted with it, including replies and forwarded copies (which may contain alterations) subsequently transmitted from the Company are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient. It may contain material protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this email in error and that any use is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender immediately of the error and delete any copies of this message Warning: Although the Company has taken reasonable precautions to ensure that no viruses are present in this e-mail, the Company cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from the use of this e-mail or attachments. To unsubscribe send a message with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to [email protected] If you use auto-responders (like out-of-the-office messages), make sure that they are not sent to the list nor to individual members. Doing so will cause you to be automatically removed from the list. To unsubscribe send a message with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to [email protected] If you use auto-responders (like out-of-the-office messages), make sure that they are not sent to the list nor to individual members. Doing so will cause you to be automatically removed from the list.
