Configure Spotlight to run a program when an alarm is raised.

The standard scenario may be:

  • for a given connection
  • when a specific alarm is raised
  • of specific severity (severities)
  • run a program

How can this rule be created and maintained?

Create and maintain alarm action rules from the Spotlight Client

From the Spotlight Client:

  1. Click Configure | Alarms Actions.
    Configure Alarm Actions
  2. Click New to create a new rule. This opens the Alarm Action Dialog.

Select the conditions under which the rule will run.

If this rule is related to specific connections

  1. In the list of conditions, tick The connection is…

  2. In the rule description click connections. Select the connections this rule applies to.

If this rule is related to specific alarms

  1. In the list of conditions, tick The alarm is…
  2. In the rule description click alarms. Select the alarms this rule applies to.

If this rule is related to specific severities

  1. In the list of conditions, tick The alarm severity is…
  2. In the rule description click Low, Medium or High. Select the severities this rule applies to.

Variable conditions - multiple rules

For any given rule, all the actions are taken when all the conditions are met. Any variability requires separate rules.

Following is an example.

For all alarms
where the connection type is one of os/vmware, os/windows
      and the alarm severity is High
   run programA

For all alarms
where the connection type is database/sqlserver
      and the alarm severity is Medium or High
   run programB

Select the action to Run a program

In the list of actions to perform, tick Run a program

Open and fill in the Run a Program dialog

In the rule description, click (program). This opens the Run a Program dialog.

Enter the command to run the program at the Command line prompt.

You can include variable values specific to the alarm in the command line. See Alarms - Message Variables for more information. For example you can echo tag values as follows.

Output to file

echo {{TAG_VALUE #tagname}} >>c:\output.txt

Output to monitor

MSG /SERVER:<computer name> * "{{TAG_VALUE #tagname}}"

Note:

  • The behavior of the invoked program depends on the nature of the program.
  • It is recommended that you do not invoke a UI-based program in response to the alarm, as the program will run as a service on a remote host.
  • If the program that runs in response to an alarm is still running when the alarm fires again, subsequent commands to run the program are ignored until that execution finishes.
  • If you attempt to stop Spotlight whilst a program or command line action is still running, Spotlight will wait until that program or command line action has ended before stopping.