New alert when metric crosses each threshold
Article ID: 130900
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
We are looking for options to generate a new alert when both thresholds are breached. For example, Disk monitoring in cdm, we need two separate alerts for lower and higher threshold that do not get automatically suppressed.
Environment
- UIM 9.0.2 SP1 or higher
Cause
- working as designed in UIM 8.5.1
Resolution
In UIM 8.5.1, generating separate new alarms with no suppression for associated high and low thresholds is not supported OOTB for cdm and other probes.
One workaround is presented here on how to create separate / distinct cdm Disk alarms:
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleId=125124
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That said, now in UIM 9.0.2 SP1, which is currently due on or about May 1st, this requirement is supported:
Requirement:
Generate a new alert when both thresholds are breached. For example, Disk monitoring in cdm, two alerts, one for the Low and one for the High threshold and the threshold alerts are distinct, so they don't get suppressed. This is now possible for a given QOS metric.
It IS possible to use the new alarm policy feature in the Operator Console as of UIM 9.0.2 SP1 but there are some important requirements.
To accomplish this goal the requirements include:
- UIM v9.0.2 SP1 (Note that SP1 introduces alarm policy priorities)
- Use of MCS
- Enhanced templates pushed to the robot(s)
- Creation of multiple policies with the SAME priority at the SAME level, e.g., Group, Device or Monitoring Services
- Robot v9.10
- Operator Console in USM-> The Operator Console is a built-in feature within UMP (USM) accessible from the Actions (drop-down) menu. But you need access/permissions to use it.
Here is some additional helpful information.
Probes that support enhanced templates (which are required for this testing and the ability to generate distinct alarms:
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/ca-unified-infrastructure-management-probes/GA/how-to-articles/configure-monitoring-with-profile-types.html#concept.dita_428193115eabacd1fb6be95ee90c1014aa9b7d98_MCSProfileTypes
Please also refer to:
Can I configure more than one threshold for a metric?
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/unified-infrastructure-management/9-0-2/configuring-and-viewing-monitoring-data/operator-console-functions/manage-alarms-with-centralized-alarm-policies.html
How to configure alarm thresholds in MCS.:
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/ca-unified-infrastructure-management-probes/GA/how-to-articles/configuring-alarm-thresholds-in-mcs.html
If you have 2 policies at the device level or 2 with the same priority at the group level. In testing we defined 2 policies at the device level (note that you cannot set a priority on an alarm policy at this level). Threshold was set so that the metric would breach and, it created 2 distinct alarms!
- To test if a clear alarm will close both alarms, you could copy a large file to a particular drive to make it breach the Disk threshold.
- Set up 2 alarm policies that will be triggered based on the space used, then delete the file to see if both alarms clear or not.
- You get multiple alarms even at the group level if the alarm policies all have the same priority.
- When the alarm condition clears for all of the configured policies, then all of the alarms clear as well.
WARNING:
1. Right now with UIM 9.0.2 SP1, if you make a change to ANY alarm policies, all active alarms are cleared!!!
2. Full metrics are not collected when created enhanced profiles.
3. Some (Enhanced) profiles automatically generate default alarm policies. Alarm policy priorities may not disable these policies and you may end up getting more alarms than expected.
For example:
- deploy the Default Disk(s) (Enhanced) template with %Disk Usage and %Disk Free QoS metrics enabled
- deploy the Disk(s) (Enhanced) template for the C:\ drive with %Disk Usage and %Disk Free QoS metrics enabled - this will generate a Default group alarm policy with priority 100
- Create two custom Disk alarm policies (for either or both of the monitoring metrics) for the C:\ drive both with a priory of 200
- if the QoS exceeds the configured threshold for the default and both of the custom alarm policies, 3 alarms will be generated
- the UIM v9.02 SP1 release notes specify that it is NOT recommended that you delete the default alarm policies generated when (Enhanced) templates are deployed to a monitoring group/device.
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