Ch 18 - Alerts

The alerts functionality is in essence WebSphere Product Center's messaging system. Alerts can be tied to any type of event and can be used to notify specific users or group of users that a specific event has occurred.

Events include a successful export job to a problem during an import job.  WebSphere Product Center supports a number of different alerts that accommodate a wide variety of events.


Alerts Console

The Alert Console is the area where all alerts are managed in WebSphere Product Center. From this screen, it is possible to subscribe to alerts and browse through alerts that have been triggered. It is also where alerts can be configured and users can be associated to specific alerts.

The Alert Console is broken down into multiple sections that correspond to the various functional areas of the application. The alerts can also be monitored from the Alerts display in the left quick access bar.

Accessing the Alerts Console

Use the menu path: Data Model Manager > Alerts > Alerts Console.

Figure 18. 1 - Alerts subscription console

Figure 18. 2 - Alerts displayed in the Left Pane

Displaying alert activities

The Alerts Subscription Console displays a user's subscribed alerts. To display all alert activities, use the menu path Data Model Manager > Alerts > Alerts Display. A table appears "Current Results" that show all of the alerts that have triggered.

Subscribing to an alert

Alerts can be individually set up for each user through the Alerts Subscription Console. 

Use the menu path: Data Model Manager > Alerts > Alerts Console

1. Select Event Group

Available event groups available correspond to the functional areas of the application, including:

Select an event group and click +ADD and the "Add A New alert Subscription" wizard appears.

2. Select Event Type

An event type defines the precise nature of the alert to be configured. The list of event types is dependent upon the group selected in the first step.

3. Select Event Conditions

Specify additional parameters that trigger an alert under very specific circumstances. This step can be skipped if no parameters are necessary

4. Alert Description

Provide a description for the alert that will make it easy to locate when reviewing a long list of pre-configured alerts.

5. Select Distribution

Click the question mark button and select a distribution group that is to be notified when the alert is triggered or click New to create a new distribution group. Click Select to go to the next step.

Note: The user setting up the alert is automatically subscribed for the alert, and therefore a user who selects their own name from the user list while subscribing to an alert will get the alert twice!

6. Select Users

Instead of selecting a distribution group, select the user(s) that is to be alerted when the event occurs.

Once the alert subscription wizard is completed, alerts can be viewed from the Alerts Subscription Console.

Note: Alerts can be viewed from the Left Pane if it has been added.

Viewing alerts results

Alert results can be viewed from one of three areas:

1) Alerts Console - Click on the alert name to view results

Figure 18.3 - View alert results from the Alerts Console

2) Left Pane - click on the alert number in the Left Pane and the results appear in the right pane

Figure 18.4 - View results from the Left Pane

3) My Task List - From the Alerts Module, click on the Alert Description name to view results.

Figure 18.5 - View results from My Task List