Grouping servers for Automatic Event Handling Tasks

[Ed Bruce_1]

I'm finally working on transitioning from Compaq Insight Manager 5.5 to HP Systems Insight Manager.

We have different groups that are responsible for responding to alerts for different servers (each group has about 100 servers). What is the easiest way to group these servers for the Automatic Event Handling Tasks. It seems like the security groups or systems lists do not carry over to the selection box when selecting servers for a particular Automatic Event Handling Task.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Ed

[Rob Buxton · Accepted solution]

I'm hoping that the Systems Lists will become available to Event Handling.

I asked a similar question a while back and it does seem to have been picked up by HP. Not sure when or even if it will be available though.

So, the only way is to individually select the Servers in each Automatic Handling task.

[David Claypool]

The use of a custom list for event handling was a topic of hot debate among the developers during the creation of hpSIM. The prevailing thought was that event handling was a "system" task and should not be tied to customized lists of a user.

While I think there is considerable momentum towards allowing custom lists to be used in event handling, this is a non-trivial change to the application. Do not expect to see the change in the 4.1 version expected this Spring.

[Rob Buxton]

David,
Perhaps because we might think of the Customised lists as System wide rather than just a User.
Allowing me, as an Administrator to tailor a Server List for a User Group and target Alerts from that same List saves me duplicating work and maintenance. Not a trivial task in some of the more changeable environments.

[Mike Kanakos]

I have setup tasks that mimic my group in the old insight mgr that you refer to. Here's how I did it..

NEW TASK
- TASK NAME equals group name (i.e. programmers alerts)
- I then set severity to all except informational
- then I pick the servers I want (lenghty process at times)
- I then created groups on my mail server of the people i want alerted

- last piece was to enter the email addy of new group in sight mgr task details.

Anyone needs help; feel free to email me.

Mike Kanakos

[Rob Buxton]

Mike,
I knew it could be done, but the advantage of being able to use the System Lists is that you only need to select the Servers once.
e.g. A number of Servers make up your Finance System. You Group those in a System List and from there you could tailor User Views Event Notifications etc. to that System List. Then if the Servers changed, added or removed you just need to change the list and not all of the Notification Tasks.

[bonnie_12]

When I choose Options/events/automatic handling/new task.. I am not able to select events. I get the "name" step (first step) but do not see any events to choose from.

What am I doing wrong?

thanks

[Mike Kanakos]

Bonnie,

You need to give the task a name. The name will show in the tasks window. I named my tasks similar to the groups I wanted alerted.

Also, see Rob's post before yours about system lists. I am new to the system lists coincept and am exploring my options with that..

[Pat Wilson]

I agree with Rob Buxton. Being able to specify affected systems via custom system lists would greatly simplify setting up event handling (exactly the way Mike Kanakos setup distribution lists on his email server as the notification destination). Modify one list, and thereby modify many notification tasks.

HPSIM uses its own custom lists (check out the 'targets' on the scheduled tasks - are they not specialized lists of systems?) so why can't we use them for our own Automatic Event Handling tasks? Would it really be that hard to add one additional selection criteria - "Is_Member_Of "?

[Reed Savory]

Allow me to add my vote to those arguing for Automatic Event Handling based on System List membership. I am also just now upgrading off of Compaq Insight Manager, and the loss of this ability is quite frankly, a real pain in the neck.

-Reed