Newly Added Element Default Monitors

by Jan 10, 2009

When an agent monitored new element is added, four monitors are automatically added by uptime. These monitors are Configuration Update Gatherer, PING, Platform Performance Gathere, and UPTIME agent monitor.

Two of these, PING and agent monitor, have a default alert profile, “uptime-alert” associated with them.

The “uptime-alert” profile has a notification group “NotifySysAdmins” associated with it.

Only uptime users that are members of the “NotifySysAdmins” notification group, and EVERY member of the “NotifySysAdmins” group will receive notification when one of the two default monitors trigger an alert.

If there are two groups of uptime users, one that only wants to know about UNIX systems, and the other that only wants to know about Windows problems, the above configuration presents a problem.

If the members of the two groups are not members of “NotifySysAdmins” they will not see problems from the PING or UPTIME agent monitors. If the members of the two groups ARE members of “NotifySysAdmins” they will see problems for systems that they should not see.

Obviously neither scenario is acceptable.

I suggest as a minimum, that a check box is added to the add a new element screen, to elect NOT to install the two default monitors that use the uptime-alert profile.

Possibly an “expert” new element screen with a drop down to allow a choice of the monitor to be used for the host check (PING) and UPTIME agent monitors. Each of the two monitors could then be associated with alert profiles that notify the correct group of users.

I understand that neither proposed solutions will work as they stand, as they both require additonal configuration for each new element that is added.

My ideal solution? When adding a new element, have a check box to not include default monitors. Have a monitor in the “Service Group” for the new element that can be flagged as the “Host Check” monitor. Make sure that one and only one monitor is marked as the “Host Check” when adding a new element.