Action Escalation
You can define a set of escalating detail actions, called an escalation group, for Oracle Alert to perform when it finds the same exceptions during consecutive alert checks. Oracle Alert performs a different detail action each time it encounters the same exception, so you can define actions that correspond to increasing severity levels.
For example, you can define a series of detail message actions for Oracle Alert to distribute if it encounters the same exception during sequential alert checks. You can define each message to go to a different, and higher level manager. Oracle Alert sends one message each time it finds the same exception during an alert check, notifying the next level of management, until it sends the highest level message to the senior manager. Oracle Alert continues to send the highest level message to the senior manager until the exception is removed from your database.
Defining Escalating Actions
Before you define an escalating action, make sure you first define an alert, and save history for at least one day longer than the number of days between alert checks.
You also want to define at least two detail alert actions, one that you want Oracle Alert to perform during a first alert check, and a second that you want Oracle Alert to perform during a subsequent alert check if it finds the same exceptions.
1. Navigate to the Alerts form and create a new alert or display an existing alert that you want to define an escalating action for.
Note: You need to save history for your alert for at least one day longer than the frequency of the alert if you want to use action escalation. Oracle Alert cannot check for duplicates if history for the previous alert check is not retained.
4. Display the Outputs alternative region.
6. In the Alerts form, choose Actions.
Note: You can use only detail level actions for action escalation, but you can define as many detail actions as you like.
10. Specify the escalation group type as either Message, SQL Statement Script, Operating System Script, or Concurrent Program, in the Type field.
You can define as many escalation groups as you like, but an escalation group can contain only detail level actions. And, actions within an escalation group must be of the same action type; for example, one escalation group can contain message actions only.
11. In the Escalation Group Members block, display the list of predefined actions that you can add to the escalation group in the Action Name field. The list contains only actions created for this alert that are of the same type as the escalation group type.
12. Oracle Alert assigns an escalation level to each action in the escalation group and automatically defaults to the next available number for each successive action. You can change the escalation level of an action.
Each time Oracle Alert checks the alert and finds the same exception, it performs the next higher level of action in the escalation group. Once it reaches the highest enabled action level Oracle Alert continues to perform that action until the exception is removed from your database.
13. Check Enabled to enable the escalation group member.
14. Enter a current or future date in the End Date field if you want an escalation group member to be disabled by a certain date.
1. Include your escalation group in an action set for Oracle Alert to perform the escalated actions.
2. Save your work. Your alert is now ready to perform escalated actions.
To invoke duplicate suppression:
1. For each action set you define, you can choose to have Oracle Alert "suppress" duplicates. That is, you can have Oracle Alert stop performing the actions in an escalation group once it has performed the highest level action.
2. If you check the Suppress Duplicates check box in the Actions Sets window of the Alerts form, Oracle Alert performs each action in the escalation group. Once it has performed the highest level action, Oracle Alert no longer performs any action within that escalation group, even if the exception remains in your database.
For example, suppose you define actions of levels 1 and 2. When Oracle Alert first detects an exception, it performs the level 1 action. If, during the next alert check, Oracle Alert finds that same exception, Oracle Alert performs the level 2 action. If, during the third alert check, the duplicate exception still exists, Oracle Alert does not perform the level 2 action again.
3. If you uncheck the Suppress Duplicates check box, Oracle Alert performs each action at the appropriate level, but when it reaches the highest level action it continues to perform that action as long as the exception remains in your database.
4. If your action set includes a summary message action and you check the Suppress Duplicates check box, Oracle Alert includes any duplicate exception in the summary message, but flags each duplicate found with an asterisk (*).
- You can tailor your alert's duplicate configuration at the action set level. When you define an action set, Oracle Alert automatically creates the duplicate configuration from the default duplicate configuration of the alert. You can customize the duplicate configuration of each action set by altering the Check For Duplicates check box in the Action Sets window. Oracle Alert uses this duplicate configuration when checking for duplicate exceptions.
Note: Each action set duplicate configuration takes precedence over the alert duplicate configuration during an alert check.
1. Display the existing escalation group in the Escalation Groups window of the Alerts form.
2. Choose Delete Record from the Edit menu.
3. If the escalation group is an active member of an action set, an error message followed by a References window appears.
You can also choose References from the Special menu in the Escalation Groups window at any time to display the References window.
You must navigate to the Action Sets window and remove or disable the escalation group from those action sets before you can delete the escalation group.
5. Once you delete your escalation group, save your changes.
See Also
Creating a Periodic Alert
Creating an Event Alert
Creating Alert Actions
Creating an Action Set for an Alert
Checking for Duplicates
