Dotcom-Monitor is an active external service that simulates end-user interactions with Internet services, such as web applications, mail servers, and video streaming. As Dotcom-Monitor imitates a user’s behavior, it simultaneously monitors for problems affecting availability, accessibility, and performance. Alerts are a critical part of the Dotcom-Monitor service and provide real-time alert whenever service-affecting problems are detected.
This guide walks you through multiple alert configuration options and offers tips on how to get the most out of alerts.

Concepts

Dotcom-Monitor offers an extremely flexible framework for problem alerting. To maximize the effectiveness of this alerting system, there are several key concepts to understand.

Alert Delivery

An alert is a single message notifying the recipient about specific issues exposed during the monitoring process. Alerts are delivered by a number of means, including any combination of the following delivery mechanisms:

For specifications of the delivery mechanisms, see Alert-delivery mechanisms.

Alert delivery mechanism can be chosen while configuring a delivery address group.

Delivery Address Groups

A delivery address group, or alert group, is a collection of alert addresses assigned to a monitoring device. This grouping is designed for organized and efficient alert notifications. By assigning specific recipients or teams to alert groups it ensures that the right people are promptly informed about errors detected during monitoring.

For example, an alert group could contain e-mail addresses, SMS addresses, and phone numbers as alert addresses. There is no limit on the number of alert addresses assignable to a group, and there is no limit on the number of alert groups per account. You can find and configure alert groups under Manage > Delivery Address Groups. Multiple alert groups can be assigned to one monitoring device (changes take effect immediately).

We suggest clients create a dedicated mailbox, designated only for Dotcom-Monitor testing. This ensures that alert notification emails from Dotcom-Monitor won’t mix with your regular emails.

Alert Templates

Dotcom-Monitor uses a default format for alerts but allows modification of the alert template. Users can create custom templates with a set of variables that Dotcom-Monitor provides. Templates can be created for any type of alert address. You can manage and create new custom templates under Manage > Custom Alert Templates.

Scheduler

The scheduler allows assigning specific activation periods to alert groups, which enables on-call coverage between specific groups of recipients or disables alerts during specific time periods. Dotcom-Monitor allows for multiple schedules within the same account.

As an example, three schedulers could be created as follows:

  • Scheduler 1 – 08:00 –15:59, Monday  – Friday
  • Scheduler 2 – 16:00 –23:59, Monday  – Friday
  • Scheduler 3 – 00:00 –07:59, Monday  – Friday, all-day Saturday and Sunday

In the following example, there are three groups in the account with the following alert types:

  • Alert Group A – E-mail, Phone
  • Alert Group B – E-mail, SMS, Phone
  • Alert Group C – Wireless e-mail, SMS, Phone, SNMP trap

Using these examples, Scheduler 1 could be assigned to Alert Group A, so the individuals whose e-mail and SMS addresses are specified in the alert device will receive e-mail and phone alerts Monday through Friday from 08:00 –15:59 only.
If no schedule is assigned to a group, it is assumed that the group is available for alerts 24/7.

Filters

By default, all monitoring issues are processed as monitoring errors which trigger the alerting system. Filters are used to define rules that specify “how and when” alerts should be triggered in the alerting system and the criteria for sending alert notifications.

ALERTING_CHAIN

Filters can be assigned to a device while configuring device alert settings.

Advanced Alerting Options

Advanced options such as escalation, throttling, uptime alerts refine incoming alerts and can be set up for a device while configuring its alert settings.

You may encounter alerts that seem false or inappropriate. Please read this troubleshooting article to eliminate false positives.

Setup Order

To set up alert options, we suggest following this order:

    1. Set up templates.
    2. Set up filters.
    3. Set up schedules.
    4. Create an alert group:
      • Assign a schedule to the group.
      • Add alert addresses to the group.
      • Assign templates to each address.
    5. Create a monitoring device: