Computer Monitor Properties

The Computer Monitor Properties window contains the settings for a Computer Monitor Trigger.

Property Pages

General

Name for this trigger (optional)

Optionally, specify a descriptive name for the trigger.

Enabled

Uncheck this box to disable the trigger. If the trigger is not enabled, adTempus will ignore it (it will not cause the job to trigger).

Continue to evaluate during Exclusion Periods 5.2Server version 5.2 or later
Console version 5.2 or later

When a job is affected by an Exclusion Period, this option determines how the trigger behaves:

  • When the option is checked (default), adTempus continues to evaluate the trigger during the exclusion period but if any triggering events occur, execution of the job is delayed until the Exclusion Period ends. For example, a File Trigger will continue looking for file changes and if it finds any that meet the trigger criteria, the job will be queued for execution at the end of the Exclusion Period. Generally you will want this option to be checked for the most reliable monitoring.
  • When the option is unchecked, adTempus does not evaluate the trigger during the Exclusion Period but resumes evaluation after the Exclusion Period ends. For example, a File Trigger will stop watching for file changes until the Exclusion Period ends. Note that it is possible to miss trigger events as a result of this (for example, the trigger conditions may no longer be present when adTempus resumes evaluating the trigger). You might want to uncheck this option if the Exclusion Period represents a maintenance window during which the trigger will fail. For example, for an Email Trigger if the monitored mail server is not available during this time.

This option is not available for all triggers.

Minimum Interval

Specify the minimum interval (in seconds) for this trigger. Once the triggers conditions are satisfied and the job is triggered, adTempus will ignore this trigger for the specified interval.

For example, suppose you are using a File Trigger to trigger the job whenever a new file is added to a folder. If you set the interval to 60 seconds, then once adTempus triggers the job, it will ignore any new files that arrive in the next 60 seconds.

Description/Notes

Enter any extended descriptive information or notes for this trigger.

Job Variables

The Job Variables page allows you to define Job Variables that will be set for this job only when it is started by this trigger.

The Job Variable list shows variables defined for the current object as well as variables inherited from a higher level. Icons next to each variable in the list convey information about their inheritance:

The variable is inherited from a higher level
The variable is inherited from a higher level and is locked (cannot be overridden)
The variable is inherited from a higher level and has been modified at this level
The variable is new at this level
The variable is inherited from a higher level and must be overridden (a value provided) at this level
The variable has been overridden (redefined) at a lower level. This icon only appears if you have analyzed variable usage (see below).

When you hove the mouse pointer over the icon for an inherited variable, adTempus will show where the variable was inherited from.

Filtering the variable list

The variable list can be filtered to:

  • Hide inherited variables (so you only see variables defined at this level)
  • Hide variables that cannot be modified (inherited variables that are locked to prevent modification)
  • Show only variables that must be overridden

Analyzing and viewing variable usage5.0Server version 5.0 or later
Console version 5.0 or later

When you click Analyze variable usage, adTempus searches for all the places where the variables are used or overridden. After this analysis is complete, new columns are added to the list to show, for each variable:

  • Whether it has been overridden (redefined) at a lower level
  • A count of how many times it is referenced (used)

Clicking Show variable usage opens a new window showing all the references and overrides for the variables. This is the same window shown by the Find Variable and Function References tool.

Analyze variable usage only finds references and overrides that are "below" the current level. For example, if you are viewing the variables for a job, this will find all references and overrides within the job, or within jobs that may receive variables from this jobs (jobs run by Responses or Job Triggers). If you are viewing a group, this will find all references and overrides within groups and jobs below the selected group. That is, the tool only lists places that might be affected by changes to the variables in the list.

This tool does not show other places where the variables might be used. For example if you are viewing job A and some of the variables are also used in job B, those uses will not be listed unless there is a link between job A and job B.

To find all references to a variable:

  • If the variable is defined at the server level, use the Analyze variable usage tool from the variables list at the server level. This will show all uses everywhere in adTempus.
  • Use the Find Variable and Function References tool to find a specific variable or all variables.

Target

Target

If the Test Method is "Simple Ping," specify the name or IP address of the computer to ping.

If the Test Method is "HTTP Request," specify the URL that adTempus should request. For example:

http://10.10.10.201/testapp.aspx

The Target may contain Job Variables, which will be expanded to resolve the target address.

Test Method

Select the type of test you want to perform:

  • Simple Ping. adTempus will ping the computer at the interval you specify. If a response is received, adTempus considers the computer to be alive. If no response is received, adTempus considers the computer to be dead, and triggers the job. Note that adTempus cannot distinguish between a failed computer and a failed network connection. Use the "HTTP Request" method for a better evaluation tool.
  • HTTP Request. adTempus requests a specific page from a Web server, and then evaluates the response it receives to decide whether to trigger the job. See Using adTempus to Monitor Your Web Application for more information.

Response Evaluation

These options apply only when you have selected the "HTTP Request" test method, and determine how adTempus should evaluate the reply it receives from the target computer.

  • Trigger if response matches. If the response matches the specified text, the job will be triggered.
  • Trigger if response does not match. If the response does not match the specified text, the job will be triggered.
  • Use a script to evaluate the response. adTempus will run the script you specify. Information about the response will be passed to the script using the Parameters object and the Job Variables collection. Your script then evaluates the response and returns True if the response represents a failure or False if it represents success.

When you specify text for adTempus to match, adTempus looks for that text anywhere within the response it receives. For example, if you specify that the job should trigger if the response does not match Application Status: OK, adTempus will look for the string Application Status: OK anywhere within the response, and trigger if it does not find it.

Use regular expressions

If this option is checked, the match text you enter is treated as a regular expression. If a match for that regular expression is found anywhere within the event message, the condition is satisfied.

Test Interval

These options determine how often adTempus will test the server:

  • Test every X minutes
  • Wait for a reply for Y seconds
  • Trigger after Z minutes

The options work together as follows:

  • Every X minutes, adTempus will send a ping or HTTP request to the target computer
  • adTempus will wait up to Y seconds to receive a response from the target.
    • If no response is received, it considers the target to be dead.
    • If a response is received, it checks the other criteria to see if the target should be considered alive.
  • If the target is dead, adTempus will continue checking every X minutes until Z minutes have elapsed since the first failure. If no valid response has been received after Z minutes, the job will be triggered.

If you want the job to be triggered the first time a failure is detected, set Z to be <= X.

Trigger at test interval until successful response received

If this option is checked, after adTempus first triggers the job it will continue to trigger the job at the test interval until the target is found to be alive.

If this option is not checked, adTempus will trigger the job only once per failure (that is, it will not trigger the job again unless the target is restored and then fails again).

Trigger again when successful response received

If this option is checked, adTempus will trigger the job again when a successful response is received from the target.

This option is useful if you are using the trigger to send a notification message to someone when the target fails. If this option is checked, a message would be sent when the target fails, and another sent when the target is restored.

The trigger sets a Job Variable named "ComputerMonitor.Action" (see below) that indicates whether the job is being triggered because the target failed or because it was restored. You can test this variable using a Script Condition to determine which steps of your job to run depending on the action.

For example, Step 1 could use a Script Condition so that it only executes if the Action variable is ConnectionFailed. Step 1 therefore would be run when the target computer fails.

Step 2 could use a Script Condition so that it only executes if the Action variable is ConnectionRestored. Step 2 therefore would be run when the target computer was restored.

Additional Options

Identity

Specify the credentials that will be used for the connection to the target computer.

  • If you are using a simple ping test, or requesting a page from a Web site that does not require authentication, check the The connection can be made without authentication... option.
  • If you are requesting a page from a Web site that requires authentication,
    • Check the The connection can be made without authentication... option if the Web server accepts Windows authentication and the user whose account is being used to run the job has permission to request the target Web page.
    • Otherwise, you need to specify a user ID and password for adTempus to use when connecting to the target server. Enter the user ID to select an existing Credential Profile or to create a new one.

Related Concepts

Computer Monitor Trigger

Related Topics

Using adTempus to Monitor Your Web Application