Filters—Action

This page uses adding filters to an AI Engine Rule as an example. The names of windows and setting options vary slightly depending on where you are creating or modifying a filter.

On the Actions tab of the Filter Editor, you assign Actions (SmartResponses) to Alarms. More than one Action can be assigned to a single Alarm. The Actions can be configured to run in a specified order or all at the same time. Actions can also be required to have approval before being executed.

The Actions tab consists of the following sections:

• Action. Manage the actions to be executed and how they are executed.
• Run Actions. Set the order in which actions are executed.
• Set Action. Select one of the available actions from all active SmartResponse plugins.
• Parameters. Define the command line parameters that pass constant values or data fields to the executable.
• Approvals. Manage approvals required before the action is executed.
• Execute SmartResponse Action from. Specify the component from which the SmartResponse action should be executed.
• Save Action. Save the action to add it to the Action list.

Actions

The sections below explain all the actions associated with a rule or alarm. You can add more than one action to the list, delete actions, reorder actions, and specify whether actions should run at the same time or in the order listed.

For AI Engine rules, SmartResponse actions do not work if the Alarm on event occurrence check box is not selected on the Settings tab.

Add an Action

1. Click New Action. 
   If no SmartResponse actions are configured yet, New Action is unavailable. For more information, see SmartResponse.
2. On the Set Action menu, select an action.
3. In the Parameters section, configure all the required parameters for the action.
4. (Optional) In the Approvals section, add approvals for the action.
5. In the Execute SmartResponse From section, select the component from where the action should run.
6. Click Save Action.

Delete an Action

1. In the Action grid, select one or more actions.
2. Click Delete, and then click Yes when prompted to confirm the deletion.
   The selected actions are removed from the list.

Reorder Actions

1. In the Action grid, select an action.
2. Click the up or down arrow to move the action.

Specify How Actions Run

When at least two actions are configured in the Action list, you can specify how the actions should run using the Run Actions option.

1. In the Run Actions section, do one of the following: 
   
   • Select At the Same Time if you want all actions to run at the same time.
     If any action requires approval, an approval notification will be sent, and the action remains in a state of pending execution until all of its approval requirements have been met.

   • Select In the order listed if you want the actions to run one after the other, in the order listed from top to bottom.
     Each action waits for its predecessor action to complete before it is initiated. If an action requires approval, an approval notification is sent, and the Action remains in a state of pending execution until all of its approval requirements have been met. Subsequent actions will not run until the action needing approval has completed.

     

     An action in a sequenced response executes regardless of whether the action before it fails or succeeds.

Set Action

To configure any of the available SmartResponse actions, select an action from the Set Action menu. The Set Action menu only displays actions available in SmartResponse Plugins that have been loaded in the SmartResponse Plugin Manager.

Define Parameters

The Parameters grid displays the selected action's script and all the command line parameters that can be passed to the action. The Script row is fixed and cannot be modified. All other rows can be modified.

For each configurable parameter, do the following:

1. Chose one of the following for the Type column. Your choice determines the options available for the Value column:
   • Constant Value. Requires a manual entry in the Value column, to be used when running the script. Requires user input.
   • Alarm Field. Requires a specific metadata field be selected in the Value column. Does not require user input but you can change which field is selected.
2. For fields whose type is Encrypted Value, you need to enter a value in the Value column. The value is masked as it is typed.
3. Configure the Values fields as needed.
4. (Optional) For time-based metadata fields, specify a time zone and format to use in the Time Zone and Time Format columns.

Set Approvals

The Approvals section allows you to select individuals or groups who must approve the selected action before it is executed. This is optional and if no approvals are specified, the action executes immediately when the alarm is raised. Approvers with valid email addresses specified in their contact method are notified of any pending approvals.

Add Individual or Role Approvers

1. In the Approvals section, click Add.
   The Person Selector window displays.
2. (Optional) To show retired Individuals or roles, click the Show Retired check box.
3. Click Individual or Role.
4. (Optional) To narrow the list in the Person Section, enter text in the Text Filter field.
5. Select the search type, Keyword or Regex, and then click Apply.
6. Select the individuals or roles who will approve or deny the selected action.
7. To save approvers, click OK.
8. (Optional) Edit the type of Approver in the Type field. The default value is Person.

Add Group Approvers

1. In the Approvals section, click Add Group to add distribution groups.
2. Select the groups responsible for approving the Action.
3. To add the Groups to the Approvals list, click OK.
4. (Optional) Edit the type of Approver in the Type field. The default entry is Person.

Delete Approvers

1. In the Approvals grid, select the individuals or groups to be deleted.
2. To remove the individual or group approvers, click Delete.
3. To confirm the deletion, click Yes.

Set the Levels for Approvers

You can specify up to three levels of approval for a SmartResponse action. You can have more than one person in each level, and at least one person in each level must approve the action before it moves to the next level or is finally executed.

Set the Origin for a SmartResponse Action

For each configured action, you must decide where the SmartResponse is going to be deployed.

1. In the Execute SmartResponse Action From section, do one of the following:
   • From Platform Manager, select From Platform Manager.
   • From System Monitor Hosts, select From System Monitor.
     1. Click Browse.
     2. Select the Entity to which the host belongs.
     3. (Optional) Filter the list of hosts by entering search criteria in the Text Filter box, and then click Apply.
     4. Select the System Monitor host on which to run the SmartResponse, and then click OK.
   • From System Monitor Host in Alarm, select System Monitor Host in Alarm and do one of the following:
     • To run the SmartResponse on the host impacted by the event, select Impacted Host.
     • To run the SmartResponse on the host from which the event was initiated, select Origin Host.

Save and Add an Associated Action

After you have configured all options for the selected SmartResponse action, click Save Action to add it to the Action list.