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Halcyon ‐ A division of HelpSystems

web application monitor

monitoring software for use with Halcyon Network Server Suite

user reference

CopyrightCopyright 2009 - 2016 Halcyon - A division of HelpSystems. All rights reserved.

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Although Halcyon Software has tested the software and reviewed thedocumentation, the sole warranty for the software may be found in theapplicable license agreement between Halcyon Software and the user.

Publication Revision: April 2106

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About this DocumentationThis document provides reference information relating to the use of the HalcyonWeb Application Monitor for Network Server Suite. It assumes that you havealready installed Network Server Suite and are familiar with its terminology andfunctionality.

Supporting Documentation

This document forms part of a series of manuals designed to assist you ingetting the most from your purchase.

Other documents available in this series, and available from our website; http://www.halcyonsoftware.com, are:

• Network Server Suite Installation and Getting Started

• Network Server Suite User Reference

Document Navigation

This document follows the on-screen menu path. It may be that items that youneed to have configured in order to start using other areas of the software arenot listed at the front of the document. However, where this is the case, it isusual that a link is provided, directing you to the relevant area of the manual.

Words and phrases in blue indicate a link to more information or websites.

Note: Any indented paragraphs with this symbol in the left margin indicate one of the following:

• an item of importance, relevant to the previous paragraph.

• an observation or tip on improving system performance.

• an item of further reading that can enhance your understanding of a topic.

Background information on Infor M3/Movex

The application name ‘Movex’ is the legacy name for the ERP applicationdeveloped and supported by Intentia out of Sweden.

Intentia was bought by the US company Lawson Software and then by Infor.Infor have continued to develop the Movex ERP application, renaming the latestversions as simply “M3” (representing the 3 M’s in Make, Move, Maintain)

The Infor M3 Enterprise Management System is designed specifically tosupport organizations that have make, move, or maintain processes. For thesecompanies, resources are constrained and processes are often complex,industry specific, and usually international in scope.


Table of Contents
Web Application Monitor Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Product Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Licensing the Web Application Monitor 3Licensing the Web Application Monitor . . . . . . 3

Documented Example of How the Monitor Works 6

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Monitoring Requirement . . . . . . . . . . 6Adding the Webpage to the Web Application Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Browsing Table Data . . . . . . . . . . . 7Adding Rule Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Adding Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Using the Web Application Monitor 13Selecting the Web Application Monitor . . 13Setting the Web Application Monitor to Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Creating Web Application Rules . . . . . . . . 14Rule Grouping and setting a Master Rule. 14

Creating a Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Rule Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Rule page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Alert page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Advanced page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Criteria options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Criteria Summary page . . . . . . . . . . 18

Adding Rule Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Criteria page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Browse Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Criteria Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Alert page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Authentication page . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Tables page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Advanced page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Testing the Criteria settings . . . . . . . . . 41Using Hyperlinks in Tables . . . . . . . . . 43

Columns with Multiple Hyperlinks in one row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Rule Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Actions For Rule Summary page . . . . . 45

Adding Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Control Service action. . . . . . . . . . . 46Execute Command action . . . . . . . . 47

Execute DTS Package action . . . . . . 48Log only (no Action) . . . . . . . . . . . 48Send Enterprise Console Alert action . . 48Send Instant Alert Message action . . . . 49Send SNMP Trap action . . . . . . . . . 50

Working with Substitution Variables 52Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Understanding Substitution Variables . . . . 53

The basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Using Substitution Variables within text . 54Adding Parameters to Substitution Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Substitution Variable Parameters . . . . . . 56Numeric Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . 57String Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

1

C H A P T E R

CHAPTER 1WEB APPLICATION MONITOR

OverviewThe Halcyon Web Application Monitor is a powerful tool that is used to monitor,in real-time, the content of live web pages and data within programs that usewebsites to display information, such as specialist software such as LawsonM3/Movex, JDE or SAP.

Typically, these specialist programs are natively installed on an IBM Power isystem but cannot be effectively monitored from this platform as they are Java-based applications and Java threads are not visible. However, via anapplication-specific, vendor provided HMTL Web page, data such asperformance statistics, response times, error conditions, active jobs and the likecan be displayed. The Halcyon Web Monitor Application can then monitor suchweb pages and take the actions that would normally be expected of anoperations team that were manually monitoring the same information.

Because the Web Application Monitor automates the monitoring process, it isavailable 24/7 and does not miss important information such as a change ofstatus or error condition, and can automatically raise alerts and take actions thatwould be expected of an operator.

The Web Application Monitor is a licensed addition to the monitors used fromwithin Network Server Suite - Central Configuration Manager and operates inthe same way in that you create rules, define criteria and set actions that thennotify you when criteria are matched.

Additional Examples of UsageOther examples of where the Web Application Monitor can be deployed includethe monitoring of high availability (HA) systems for ‘out-of-synch’ objects,alerting if a threshold is reached or breached, or performing pre-determinedactions if the temperature of a data center is reaching potential risk levels.

W e b A p p l i c a t i o n M o n i t o r 1-1

Product LimitationsThe following limitations apply to the use of the Web Application Monitor:

• The requested URL must be unique. It is not possible to apply the WebApplication Monitor to webpages that do not have their own specific URL butremain ‘hidden’ behind a single web address

• The Web Application Monitor is unable to process any web pages thatcontain an embedded login screen although Browser-based pop-ups thatrequire user name and password are supported.

• The requested data must be contained in an HTML table, definition listordered list or unordered list within the webpage.

1- 2 N e t w o r k S e r v e r S u i t e

C H A P T E R

CHAPTER 2LICENSING THE WEB APPLICATIONMONITOR

Licensing the Web Application MonitorThe Web Application Monitor does not come as part of the standard release ofNetwork Server Suite and requires an additional license for use. To obtain anew license code that permits use of the Web Application Monitor, please email:

[email protected]

Note: Please refer to the Network Server Suite Installation Guide or User Reference Guide for instructions on how to apply a product license code. Both of these documents can be accessed from:

http://www.halcyonsoftware.com/downloads

If the new product code has been generated with the same name as the existingproduct code and you have purchased enough licenses to cover all of theWindows systems currently operating within Central Configuration Manager, theWeb Application Monitor will be automatically visible within each system. If not,then you must assign the Web Application Monitor to each system using themethod below:

Assigning the Web Application Monitor license:

Note: This step is only required if the new license has been generated with a different name to the existing product code license.

1 Select the Systems tab from the left-hand navigation pane of the CentralConfiguration Manager and left-click on the system name to which the WebApplication Monitor is to be licensed. This system must already exist inDevice Manager and Central Configuration Manager Console.

Note: Please refer to the Network Server Suite Installation Guide for instructions on how to perform these steps.

L i c e n s i n g t h e W e b A p p l i c a t i o n M o n i t o r 2-3


http://www.halcyonsoftware.com/downloads

The system is currently displayed without the Web Application Monitor listed.

The System Details pane is displayed showing the current configuration,licensing, message log settings and connection check status for this system.In the Licensing section of this pane, the License to Use field currentlydisplays the number of licenses that you have remaining for use within yourproduct code.

2 From drop-down menu in the ‘License To Use’ field, select the OperatingSystem license (named as Windows Web Application in the screenshotbelow) applicable to this system. Only licenses that can be applied to thissystem are displayed in the drop-down. Once selected, the number ofremaining licenses for the Operating System or Monitor is reduced by 1).

The ‘License To Use’ field changes to reflect the assignation of the license,with the number of licenses available being reduced by one, and the WebApplication Monitor is enabled under the selected System.


3 From the menu bar select File | Save Settings. The settings are saved andthe Web Application Monitor is now licensed for use within Network ServerSuite.

L i c e n s i n g t h e W e b A p p l i c a t i o n M o n i t o r 2-5

C H A P T E R

CHAPTER 3DOCUMENTED EXAMPLE OF HOW THEMONITOR WORKS

Overview

The following example is based around an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)system, such as JDE, SAP or Lawson M3/Movex and monitors an HTML webpage that shows the current system status.

Following this actual example on paper, whilst browsing through the applicableWeb Application Monitor dialogs will help you understand the power of thisapplication and will help you familiarize yourself with the process of creating arule, specifying parameters and applying actions.

Note: Due to the nature of the Web Application Monitor software it is not possible to include a generic working example as every system is different. Do not enter the example data into the Web Application Monitor as it is for illustration purposes only.

If you have a local example with which you are familiar, you can substitute the data provided in this example, with your own so that you can accurately test the results.

Monitoring RequirementFor the purpose of this example, one of the statistics that may be used to provethe good health and integrity of the ERP system is that there are 33 active jobsat all times of type Sub:A:Mau.

If the number of active jobs falls below or is higher than 33 at any one time, thenthe Web Application Monitor can notify the relevant support staff and send anSMS to a third-party ERP support team.


Adding the Webpage to the Web Application MonitorOnce the rule has been given a description, had the periods of activity set andthe default alert text applied, the actual criteria can be specified.

Select the Criteria Tab and click Add Criteria.

The URL of the Web page is entered into the Web Application Monitor, as inFigure 3.1 below. In this example; http://devcms:6666, but you can use anexample known to you. Note that using the example provided will result in errorsas it is not generic.

Figure 3.1 Entering the Web Page URL

Without knowing exactly what information is contained on the page it is verydifficult to ascertain the criteria on which the rule is actioned.

Therefore, the Web Application Monitor contains a utility that allows you tointerrogate the data contained within the tables on the Web page, providingtable number, row and column headings that can then be used to pinpoint theexact position of the data that you wish to monitor.

Browsing Table DataFrom the Web Application Rule dialog, you can use the Browse Table facility toview the data that is currently held within the Web page URL.

D o c u m e n t e d E x a m p l e o f H o w t h e M o n i t o r W o r k s 3-7

To open the table view of the Web page, click Browse Tables.

The Browse HTML Table dialog opens, showing the data for the Web page,broken down by table number and row and column headings. Hyperlinks tofurther information are clearly displayed and can be used from this table to drill-down further into subsequent table data if required.

Figure 3.2 Browsing Table Data

Note: Tip: It is recommended that you take a printout of the Browse HTML Tables dialog so that you can refer to it when you are entering your rule criteria.

Now that you have the required information, you can begin to set the rulecriteria. Close the Browse HTML Tables dialog to return to the Web ApplicationCriteria dialog. You can return to the Tables as many times as you wish whensetting the rule criteria.

Adding Rule CriteriaRule criteria is set through a series of dialogs, each of which is differentdependent on the type of parameter being added.

A basic set of criteria would typically contain a table number, row identificationand the specific data for which you wish to monitor.

To begin adding criteria, click Add on the Web Application Criteria dialog.


The Select Parameters to Add dialog is displayed.

Figure 3.3 Select Parameter to Add

From this dialog, you can individually select the Table, Row and Columnparameters that pinpoint the exact position of the data that you wish to monitor.

From the Browse Table Data, you can see that the table containing the detaileddata is headed ‘Table 2 (servers)’. So the first criteria parameter is to specifythat the required data exists in table two.

Select the Table parameter from the list and click OK. The Add TableParameter dialog is displayed.

Figure 3.4 Add Table Parameter

On this parameter, you simply state:

• Table Name Number =

• Value(s) 2

Click OK and the parameter is added to the criteria for the rule.


Next, you need to add the parameter that identifies in which row the data iscontained. For the purpose of this example, the Server Type; Sub:A:Mau isrequired for monitoring.

Click Add again, to reopen the Select Parameter to Add dialog and this timeselect the Row parameter. Referring to the Browse Table data, it can beidentified that the data required is:

• Column Type

• Comparison =

• Value Sub:A:MAU

Click OK to add this parameter.

Finally, add the parameter that identifies the number of active jobs running onthis server. After checking the Browse Table data again to ensure accuracy,add another Row parameter, this time specifying

• Column Jobs

• Comparison <>

• Value 33

Click OK again and the Web Application Criteria now looks like the screenshotbelow:

Figure 3.5 Completed Rule Criteria Parameters

3- 1 0 N e t w o r k S e r v e r S u i t e

Click OK on this dialog to complete the entry of the rule criteria. The criteria isnow visible on the Add Rule Detail dialog.

Adding ActionsAlthough the monitor now knows what data it is monitoring, it does not yet knowwhat actions to take should the number of active jobs not equal ‘33’. You musttherefore add at least one action to instruct the rule on a necessary course ofaction.

For the purposes of this example, two actions are added. One to send an alertto your Enterprise Console and a second to send an SMS and email to the ERPEscalations team.

From the Add Rule Detail dialog, select the Actions tab. This dialog is currentlyblank as no actions have been added for this rule. Click Add Action to display alist of action from which a choice can be made.

Figure 3.6 Select Action

The first action required is to Send Enterprise Console Alert. Select this actionfrom the list and click OK. The Console Action dialog is displayed.

Retain the defaults on this display and click OK. The Send Enterprise ConsoleAlert is now defined as the first action for this rule.

The second action is to Send an Instant Alert Message to the ERP support teamnotifying them of a problem.

Note: Note that this action requires the SMS details of the ERP support team to be entered within the Network Server Suite - Instant Alert - Address Book component.


Select the Send Instant Alert Message action and click OK. The MessageAction dialog is displayed.

Select the recipient and complete the required details (instructions on how to dothis are provided in the Network Server Suite User Reference Guide). Click OKto add the action.

Figure 3.7 Actions For Rule summary

You now have two actions that are automatically taken whenever the number ofjobs on Server; Sub:A:MAU are not equal to 33.

Click OK on this dialog and the Web Application Monitor is now monitoring theERP system 24x7 without the need for onsite staff.


C H A P T E R

CHAPTER 4USING THE WEB APPLICATION MONITOR

The Web Application Monitor uses the same dialogs and menu options as theother monitors within the Central Configuration Manager. However the criteriaoptions are significantly different and are covered in detail in this chapter.

Selecting the Web Application MonitorFrom the Systems panel of the Central Configuration Manager console, selectthe system that contains the Web Application Monitor and expand the Servermanager view so that all monitors within this system are displayed.

Under Business Software Monitors, select the Web Application Monitor. Thecurrent settings and defined rules are displayed in the Web Application Monitorpanel. This is blank on the first time of opening.

Setting the Web Application Monitor to HoldIf you wish to stop the current rules from running and producing unwantedactions, for example, when you are trying to resolve an existing issue you canput the Web Application Monitor into a temporary hold state. Note that theinterval period is invoked at rule level and so cannot be set independently at thispoint. Click Hold Monitor to hold all the rules within the monitor from running.

Figure 4.1 Hold Monitor option

Once the issue has been resolved, click Hold Monitor again to remove thecheck mark and release all the rules which then start running again.

U s i n g t h e W e b A p p l i c a t i o n M o n i t o r 4-13

Creating Web Application RulesIn order that the Web Application Monitor is active, you must create at least onerule that provides instructions on changes to the web application that are to bemonitored and what action(s) to take as a result of those changes occurring.

The Web Application Monitor allows you to group rules under the title of amaster rule. For example, if a series of rules check a router and subsequentconnections, the master rule would first check that the router can be contacted.If not, a single alert is raised for the master rule and subsequent rules in thegroup are ignored. If the router can be contacted, the other rules are then run insequence. This prevents multiple alerts being generated in circumstanceswhere a single point of failure is the cause.

Note: If you do not define a specific Group then a ‘(default)’ Group is created and used.

Rule Grouping and setting a Master RuleGroups are added at Monitor level. To specify a new group for the WebApplication Monitor, click Add Group at the bottom of the display.

The Add Group dialog is displayed.

Enter a unique Name and Description for the new Group. If you have ruleshighlighted in the main display when this Group is created you are given theoption to move the selected rules to the new group.

Setting a Master RuleOnce the rules in the Group have been defined, right-click on the rule that youwant to define as the master rule for this Group.


From the pop-up menu, select Set As Master Rule. A star is placed next to therule in the main display to identify it as the master rule.

This rule is the one that is initially checked for this group. If this fails, an alert israised and remaining rules are ignored.

To remove the master rule setting, select the rule with the star icon beside it andright-click. From the pop-up menu select Clear Master Rule.

Note: Master rules have less settings:

You are unable to specify when the rule is active.

You are unable to use the 'Advanced' settings to, for example, suspend the rule.

Only one master rule is allowed per Rule Group.

Creating a Rule

From within the Web Application Monitor panel, click Add Rule. The Add RuleDetail dialog is displayed. Tabs and pages within this dialog are used to createthe detailed settings of the rule.

Rule Tab

The Rules tab contains three pages which are used to define the description(name), activity, alert detail and suspension settings of the rule.

Rule pageThe rule page is used to determine description and activity settings for this ruleand is displayed as the default page.

Figure 4.2 Rule settings


Rule Settings

DescriptionEnter a description to accurately summarize the purpose of this rule. Thisdescription is displayed in the summary page at monitor level.

IntervalThe Interval period is used to determine how frequently the Web Application ischecked against the criteria listed within this rule.

The default setting for new rules is 5 minutes. Seconds, Hours and Days arealso acceptable periods of time in this field and can be selected from the drop-down list.

Rule Active settingsThe default settings for these fields set this rule to be active 24 hours a day 7days a week. They can be overridden if required

Days ActiveThese fields are used to select the days on which this rule is active. The defaultsetting is for this rule to be active on every day of the week. Click on any day toremove the check mark and prevent the rule from running on the chosen day.

Times ActiveThese fields are used to select the times of day between which this rule isactive. The default setting is for this rule to be active over the 24 hour periodfrom 00:00:00 to 23:59:59. If applicable, enter new times between which therule is active.

Invert Time RangeIf a specific time range has been entered in the Times Active parameters, checkthis box to indicate the rules is active outside the time range indicated in the‘From’ and ‘To’ parameters.

Alert page The Alert page of the Add Rule dialog allows you to specify details of the alert ifthere is an error connecting to or validating the web page specified for this rule.


Figure 4.3 Alert Details

Alert TypeThis field determines the alert type that is displayed in the event of an ‘ErrorValidating Business Application’ alert being raised by the rule. This sets thelevel of severity for any alerts raised by this rule.

Note: The Alert Type is automatically set to the ‘Error’ default although this can be overridden by choosing another selection from the drop-down choice menu.

Alert TextSpecifies the message text that is used when an alert is raised by this rule.Substitution variables specific to the validation error can be used with free textto compile the alert text. Use Reset to return the Alert Text to the default settingif errors have been made when setting replacement text.

Note: An example of how the alert text will be displayed if generated, is shown in the Alert Example field as substitution variables and free text are added in the Alert Text field.

See “Working with Substitution Variables” for more information on the use of Substitution Variables in Network Server Suite.

Date and Time Substitution Variables

The substitution variables &Date and &Time can be used in the Alert textparameter in the following format:

&VAR| |calc| fxxx|;

Where:

&VAR &DATE or &TIME

calc Calculation such as +2d (add 2 days) or =1h30n (+1.5 hrs)

f Format of returned value (mm/dd/yyyy or hh:nn)


Date and Time Substitution Variable Examples

All of the below are based upon 31st Jan 2016 at 11.30 a.m.

&DATE||fmm/dd/yyyy|; 01/31/2016

&DATE||+2d|fmm/dd/yyyy|; 02/02/2016

&DATE||fdd-mmm-yyyy|; 31-Jan-2016

&DATE||+2d|fdd-mmm-yyyy|; 02-Feb-2016

&TIME||fhh:nn|; 11:30

&TIME||+130n|fhh:nn|; 13:00

Advanced page The Advanced page provides options to automatically suspend the rule andreset counters on Startup.

Figure 4.4 Advanced Settings

Advanced SettingsAutomatically suspend rule

When enabled, this option automatically suspends the rule once triggeredeither:

• until the rule has been triggered a specified number of times within adetermined time frame.

• for an amount of time once the rule has been triggered a specified number oftimes. This can be set as Minutes, Hours or Days so that repetitive alerts arenot generated.

The default setting is to suspend the rule for 30 minutes when first triggered.

Reset Counters on StartupClick to reset counters when the rule restarts, to ensure any historical alerts thatare still in the system are ignored:


Criteria options

You now need to define the rule specific criteria necessary to generate the alert.

The Criteria Summary page, displayed when you select the Criteria tab whenadding a rule shows the current criteria setup for this rule.

Criteria Summary pageFrom this page, you can Add, Edit and Delete Rule criteria.

Each separate criteria is automatically assigned a sequence number whencreated. To change the criteria sequence order on this page, use the up/downarrows on the right-hand side of this display.

Criteria Description and Parameters are also shown as part of this display.

Figure 4.5 Criteria Summary page

Perform Actions For First/Last/Each Criteria That TriggersWhen setting rule criteria it is possible to state that actions for the first, last oreach criteria that triggers are performed.


If this parameter is set to First, the first criteria in the list that triggers has itsaction performed and subsequent criteria are ignored. If set to Last, everycriteria in the list must be triggered before the action is performed and if set toEach, any criteria that are triggered in the rule sequence perform theirassociated actions.

Note: This option only works for all criteria within a single rule. If you only have onecriterion set per rule, then this option has no affect. Likewise, the option is notcross rule. Therefore, setting the perform actions for all matching criteria onone rule does not perform actions set on a separate rule.

Note: When using the ‘Use Results from Previous Criteria’ option, you must set the‘Perform Action For First/Each/Last Criteria That Triggers’ setting to eitherEach or Last. Leaving this setting to perform actions when the First criteria istriggered means that the second, and subsequent, criteria are neverreached.

Example: A CPU, Disk and Memory rule has three different levels of criteria set againstthe CPU loading to perform three different actions when triggered.

1 If CPU load >= 75% then log only

2 If CPU load >= 85% then Send Enterprise Console Alert

3 If CPU load >= 95% then Send Message

The CPU load hits 94%

With Perform Actions for First Criteria That Triggers enabled, the firstcriteria is triggered, the action performed and the rule returns to its monitoringstate.

With Perform Actions for Each Criteria That Triggers enabled, the firstcriteria is triggered, the action performed and followed by the subsequent actionas it also matches the criteria.

With Perform Actions for Last Criteria That Triggers enabled, no action forthis rule is performed as the CPU Load percentage did not trigger the lastcriteria.

Adding Rule Criteria Rule criteria determine the Web Application Monitor behavior so it is worthinvesting time in experimenting with various settings and observing the results.There is the facility to test the current settings at every level so that you canmeasure the actual results returned against those that you expected and alterthe criteria accordingly.

At this point, remember that it is not just the specific criteria that you haveentered that can affect the results. Changing program settings such as ‘Triggeron First Matching...’ or ‘Perform Actions on First/Each/Last Criteria ThatTriggers’, can also have an affect on the expected results.


On the Rule Criteria summary page, click Add Criteria to open the WebApplication Criteria dialog. There are five pages to be completed when addingcriteria.

Criteria pageSettings on this page define the URL of the web page to be monitored and theHTML table parameters within that page that you wish to interrogate.

This page also summarizes the current parameters that have already beensetup for this rule by providing the name of the parameter as well as the nameof the variable by which it can be used in subsequent criteria (if the parameterhas been saved as a variable).

Figure 4.6 Criteria Settings

Web Application Settings

URLUpon opening this dialog, this field defaults to the IP Address of the local hostsystem (127.0.0.1).

Override this setting with the URL of the webpage on which you wish to monitor.

Note: Before changing any other settings on this page, or beginning to add any criteria, use the Browse Tables facility to interrogate the HTML details of the entered URL. See “Web Application Settings” for more information.


Use Results From Previous CriteriaThe Use Results From Previous Criteria option can be used to perform actionson the hyper link results generated by the previous criteria in this monitor. Forexample, if the previous criteria has found that a certain condition exists on awebpage, then the entry in this criteria definition could be used to drill-downfurther into subsequent pages or tables via a hyper link allowing access to thesecondary condition. The previous criteria must have been saved as a variableto allow the use of this functionality.

Note: When using this option, you must set the ‘Perform Action For First/Each/Last Criteria That Triggers’ setting to either Each or Last. Leaving this setting to perform actions when the First criteria is triggered means that the second, and subsequent, criteria are never reached.

Note: The previous criteria must include a Row parameter in order that the subsequent drill-down is successful.

More than one row can be returned if the specified criteria parameters findsmultiple occurrences of the data.

When the Use Results From Previous Criteria option is enabled, the URL fieldchanges to Variable so that a previously defined variable can be specified.

The criteria summary page also has a graphical indication that subsequentcriteria are dependent on the results of this criteria being triggered, but onlywhen the Perform Actions For Last Criteria That Triggers option is selected.

Note: See “Save As Variable” for more information.

See “Using Hyperlinks in Tables” for more information


TimeoutSpecifies the connection timeout period between the CCM Server and thewebpage. The default setting is 5000 milliseconds. The maximum setting is30000 milliseconds. If the timeout period is exceeded then an alert is forwardedto the Enterprise Console informing that a connection between the CCM Serverand the intended web page could not be made.

HTML Table Parameters SettingsThese fields define at which point the criteria is triggered and the HTML tableelements on which the criteria is defined.

Trigger Criteria OnThis setting allows you to specify at which point the alert is raised.

• First Matching

The alert is triggered on the first matching instance of the criteria found.

• Each Matching

Separate alerts are triggered for each matching instance of the criteria found

• All

A single alert is triggered with the information of up to 50 matching instances of the criteria found

Table/RowThis field initially applies to tables but if you add row parameters then you canalso select whether the criteria is triggered on the first, each or all matchingtable or row data. This option is not enabled until row parameter data is added.

Note: If you use the ‘Use Results From Previous Criteria’ setting, this option must be set to ‘First Matching Row’. This is done automatically if Row is entered as the first parameter in the criteria list, otherwise the change has to be performed manually.

ParametersWhen creating a new rule this table is initially blank.

Figure 4.7 Web Application parameter settings


Click Add to open the Select Parameter Type To Add dialog from where aparameter selection can be made.

As parameters are added, they are displayed in this table, in the order in whichthey were created (earliest at the bottom). If a parameter has been saved as avariable, the name of the variable is displayed in the second column of thisdisplay.

Combinations of entered parameters then pinpoint the exact information on thespecified webpage on which you are looking to report.

Note: See “Criteria Parameters” for more information.

Browse TablesPrior to specifying any detailed criteria, it is recommended that you use theBrowse Tables option on this dialog to view the HTML tables contained on thespecified URL. By doing this, you can pinpoint the exact information that youwish to monitor.

Figure 4.8 Browse HTML Table data (example)

Click Browse Tables to retrieve the table data for the entered URL and displaythe information within the Browse HTML Tables dialog.

Each table identified on the page is displayed with number and row/column datathat can be used when setting parameter criteria.


Additionally if you have the ‘“Return Active Links”’ setting within the AdvancedCriteria page activated, hyperlinks are also displayed.

Note: It is recommended that you take a print of the Browse Table data so that you can refer to it when entering Criteria Parameters.

Criteria ParametersCriteria parameters are added from the Web Application Criteria dialog. ClickAdd to display the Select Parameter to Add dialog.

Any of the following seven parameters can be selected and each has its ownvariables to define its operation.

Figure 4.9 Select Parameter to Add

Column parameterThe Column parameter is used to specify the details of any column containedwithin the table on which you wish to report.


Figure 4.10 Add Column parameter

ColumnEnter either the column name or number from the HTML table on which youwish to report.

ComparisonUse the comparison field to specify whether the selected column should containor not contain the subsequent value(s).

Note: ‘Does not contain’ is a useful parameter if you are checking for data that by default is present on the webpage. By selecting this type of parameter, an alert is raised if the entered values are not displayed, allowing you to then investigate the reason.

Value(s)Enter one or more values that must be matched when this parameter scans thespecified column of an HTML table on the requested webpage. When using thisfield to Compare Dates, you can use the Alert Variables (see below) to enter amixture of numbers and date format entries to ensure the correct format is used.

Note: If more than one value is specified when entering Column Values, press Enter after each value typed to separate the criteria.

Compare DatesClick to enable this setting so that this column criteria is used to check if a datewithin the table has changed within a given time period. Once enabled, theFormat String, Date Offset and Alert Variable settings become active.


For example, you can enter 01-&MM-&YYYY (with a Format String parameterentry of DD-MM-YYYY) to represent 1st Day of any month in the year or 01-&DD-&YYYY (with a Format String parameter entry of MM-DD-YYYY) torepresent any day in the 1st Month of the year. Alternatively, you can enter theexact value that you wish to search for, i.e. Friday 30 September 2011.

The information entered as the value must match the one entered in the FormatString parameter. Dates that use a single digit, such as Monday 3 October, maynot return the required result due to the limitations of the &DD Numeric Dateformat.

Note: Verification of Dates/Times only works if ALL rows for the column to be checked have values in the format specified. For example, the 'Date' column in the following example can be checked;

Date Price

01-Jan-2011 11.95

01-Feb-2011 12.95

but the 'Value' column in the following example cannot be checked as some of the values within the column are not dates:

Element Value

Description My Item Description

Date Entered 01/02/2011

Format StringEnter the date format EXACTLY as it appears in the column. For example, DD/MM/YYYY, DDDD MM YYYY or MM:DD:YYYY. This can be used in conjunctionwith the Value(s) parameter to ensure that the correct format is used. Theformat entered must match precisely with the contents in the column.

Date OffsetWhen using the Compare Dates parameter, use this field to specify the numberof days/months/years (either in the future or previously from the date added inthe value field) in which a change of date within the column is deemed to haveoccurred.

Alert VariablesUse the pre-defined alert variables to build the required value for the dateformat. (see Value(s) above).

Save As Variable Click to enable the saving of this parameter as a variable that can then be usedwhen setting subsequent criteria to drill-down into more information.

Enter the name by which you wish this variable to be identified for use whensetting subsequent rule criteria. This must be name of the column in which thevalue was found and entered in the format ‘&columnname’. Therefore, if a valuewas found in a column called ‘Command’, you would save the variable as‘&Command’.


Click OK to save this Column parameter as part of the rule criteria.

Note: See “Use Results From Previous Criteria” for more information on using previously saved variables.

Count parameterThis parameter is useful when trying to ascertain if the table contains theexpected amount of columns and rows and can be used to determine thefollowing:

• The table has the correct number of rows/columns

• The table has more or fewer rows/columns than expected

TypeSelect either Rows or Columns as the type on which count is performed.

ComparisonSelect the comparator against which the count is measured.

CountEnter a value that must be matched (or not matched dependent on thecomparator used) when this parameter scans a table on the requestedwebpage.

Figure 4.11 Add Count parameter

Save As VariableClick to enable the saving of this count parameter as a variable that can then beused when setting subsequent criteria to drill-down into more information.

Note: See “Use Results From Previous Criteria” for more information.


Enter the name by which you wish this variable to be identified for use whensetting subsequent rule criteria (&Count is recommended).

Click OK to save this Count parameter as part of the rule criteria.

Ignore parameterUse the Ignore parameter to specify that the Web Application Monitordisregards the first or last number of rows within an HTML table on therequested webpage. This is useful for bypassing table headings and otherirrelevant data.

Note: This option only applies to Rows and cannot be used with table columns.

Figure 4.12 Add Ignore parameter

IgnoreSpecify whether this ignore parameter is for the First or Last number of rows.

RowsEnter the number of rows to be ignored.



Enter the name by which you wish this variable to be identified for use whensetting subsequent rule criteria. (&Ignore is recommended)

Click OK to save this Ignore parameter as part of the rule criteria.


Row parameterThe Row parameter is used to specify that a certain value either exists or doesnot exist within a given row/column combination, allowing you to pinpoint anexact location within the HTML table.

Note: Once this parameter has been invoked you are able to select whether the criteria is triggered on matching table or row data. If the row parameter is the first entered parameter for this criteria then this setting is changed automatically. See “Trigger Criteria On” for more information.

Figure 4.13 Add Row parameter


Column/VariableUse this selection to check for any rows that match the entered values in thespecified column heading. Therefore If you were searching for HalcyonSoftware in a column titled ‘Software Vendors’, you would enter SoftwareVendors as the Column/Variable and Halcyon Software as the Value with acomparator of ‘=’.

ComparisonSelect the comparator against which the Column/Variable and Value entries aremeasured.

Value(s)Enter one or more values that must be matched when this parameter scans thespecified column of an HTML table on the requested webpage. When using thisfield to Compare Dates, you can use the Alert Variables (see below) to enter amixture of numbers and date format entries to ensure the correct format is used.For example, you can enter 01-&MM-&YYYY (with a Format String parameterentry of DD-MM-YYYY) to represent 1st Day of any month in the year or 01-&DD-&YYYY (with a Format String parameter entry of MM-DD-YYYY) torepresent any day in the 1st Month of the year. Alternatively, you can enter theexact value that you wish to search for, i.e. Friday 30 September 2011.

However, the information entered as the value must match the one entered inthe Format String parameter. Dates that use a single digit, such as Monday 3October, may not return the required result due to the limitations of the &DDNumeric Date format.

Note: If more than one value is specified when entering Column Values, press Enter after each value typed to separate the criteria.

Compare DatesClick to enable this setting so that this column criteria is used to check if a datewithin the table has changed within a given time period. Once enabled, theFormat String, Date Offset and Alert Variable settings become active.

Format StringEnter the date format EXACTLY as it appears in the column. For example, DD/MM/YYYY, DDDD MM YYYY or MM:DD:YYYY. This can be used in conjunctionwith the Value(s) parameter to ensure that the correct format is used. Theformat entered must match precisely with the contents in the column.

Date OffsetWhen using the Compare Dates parameter, use this field to specify the numberof days/months/years (either in the future or previously from the date added inthe value field) in which a change of date within the column is deemed to haveoccurred.

Alert VariablesUse the pre-defined alert variables to build the required value for the dateformat. (see Value(s) above).


Treat Non Numeric Column Values As ZeroThis option allows you to specify whether non-numerical column data is treatedas a zero and only applies to columns containing numerical data as any textcontained within the column is ignored.

With this setting active, if a non-numeric value such as ‘-’, is found in thecolumn, then it is replaced with a zero. When the setting is inactive the value issimply left as it was originally defined.

Click OK to save this Row parameter as part of the rule criteria.

Start From parameterThe Start From parameter is used in conjunction with dynamic tables where thedata is frequently changing. When this parameter is used, the softwareremembers the last row that was read in the table and initiates the subsequentsearch from this point. This allows you to ignore data that has already triggeredthe criteria.

Note: If this parameter is used with a static table then subsequent criteria parameters will not be actioned as there is no actual data on which to search!

Figure 4.14 Start From parameter

Start From Last Row Read FromThis setting indicates the direction in which the data is read on the dynamictable. Therefore, if fresh data is entered at the bottom of the table, select‘Bottom’ to force subsequent parameters to read data from the saved rowonwards in a downwards direction. Likewise, if fresh data is entered at the top ofthe table select ‘Top’ to force subsequent parameters to read data from thesaved row onwards in a upwards direction.




Enter the name by which you wish this variable to be identified for use whensetting subsequent rule criteria.(&StartFrom recommended).

Click OK to save this Start From parameter as part of the rule criteria.

Table parameterThe Table parameter allows you to define a specific HTML table held within therequested webpage, from which data can then be analyzed.

Table Name/NumberSelect the comparator (equals, does not equal, etc.) to specify the method bywhich the table is identified on the webpage, when used in combination with theentered value(s).

Value(s)Enter the name(s) and/or number(s) of tables within the webpage on which theselected comparator searches for matching or non-matching results.

Figure 4.15 Table parameter



Enter the name by which you wish this variable to be identified for use whensetting subsequent rule criteria. We recommend the use of the table name ornumber in the format of ‘&TableName’ or ‘&TableNumber’.

Click OK to save this Table parameter as part of the rule criteria.


Total parameterThe Total parameter allows you to specify that the value of a specific column orspecified variable either matches or does not match the specified total value.

Figure 4.16 Total parameter

Column/Variable Enter the Column Name, Number or previously saved Variable name on whichthe total action is performed.

ComparisonSelect the comparator against which the Column/Variable and Total entries aremeasured.

TotalSpecify the total value that the parameter must either match or not match inorder to generate an alert.



Enter the name by which you wish this Total variable to be identified for usewhen setting subsequent rule criteria.

Click OK to save this Total parameter as part of the rule criteria.

Alert page When adding rule criteria, the Alert page allows you to specify the level of alerttype and alert text that is used in the message generated if the specified criteriais matched and an alert raised.


Figure 4.17 Criteria Alert Details

Override Rule Default Click to enable the ability to change the default alert settings for this rule criteria.

Alert TypeThe alert type that is displayed in the event of any alert being raised by thiscriteria. This sets the level of severity for any alerts raised by this criteria. If youhave selected to override the rule default setting, you can select an alternativealert type from the drop-down list.

Note: Alert Types are set up in Enterprise Server Options | Alerts | Alert Types. See the Network Server Suite User Reference for more information on the default types and how to create bespoke alert types.

Alert Text Specifies the message text that is displayed or sent when an alert is raised bythis rule criteria. Substitution Variables can be used with free text to compile thealert text.

Use Reset to return the Alert Text to the default setting if errors have beenmade when setting replacement text.


Note: An example of how the alert text will be displayed if generated, is shown in the Alert Example field as substitution variables and free text are added in the Alert Text field.

See “Working with Substitution Variables” for more information on the use of Substitution Variables in Network Server Suite.

Date and Time Substitution Variables

The substitution variables &Date and &Time can be used in the Alert textparameter in the following format:

&VAR| |calc| fxxx|;

Where:

&VAR &DATE or &TIME

calc Calculation such as +2d (add 2 days) or =1h30n (+1.5 hrs)

f Format of returned value (mm/dd/yyyy or hh:nn)

Date and Time Substitution Variable Examples

All of the below are based upon 31st Jan 2016 at 11.30 a.m.

&DATE||fmm/dd/yyyy|; 01/31/2016

&DATE||+2d|fmm/dd/yyyy|; 02/02/2016

&DATE||fdd-mmm-yyyy|; 31-Jan-2016

&DATE||+2d|fdd-mmm-yyyy|; 02-Feb-2016

&TIME||fhh:nn|; 11:30

&TIME||+130n|fhh:nn|; 13:00

Authentication pageThe authentication page is used to enter the details of any user name andpassword configuration need to access the requested web server.


Figure 4.18 Authentication page

URL Authentication SettingsThese settings specify the User name and Password required to access therequested URL.

Use AuthenticationClick to enable User Name and Password fields for any URL that requires userauthentication.

Note: The Web Application Monitor supports secure addresses (HTTPS). In order for the connection to an HTTPS address to be successful, the required domain must prefix the user name, for example; halcyon\jsmith, in the User Name parameter.

Note: URL Authentication only works with a browser based popup request for user name and password. HTTP pages that embed this information are not supported.

User NameEnter the user name required for access to the specified URL.

PasswordEnter the associated password for the specified user name.

Proxy Server SettingsThese settings are used to specify the details of any proxy server that may beneeded in order to access the required URL.


Use Proxy ServerClick to enable subsequent proxy server settings on this dialog.

Host/AddressEnter the IP address of the proxy server or the host name.

User NameEnter the user name required for access to the specified proxy server.

Password Enter the associated password for the specified user name.

Tables page

Figure 4.19 Tables page settings

Table Numeric settingsThe Table Numeric settings allow you to specify the symbols used to define the decimal and thousand separators.

The default settings specify that ‘.’ is used as a decimal separator, for example; 123.45 and the ‘,’ is used as the thousand separator, for example; 1,234.

Table Display settingsThe Table Display settings allow you to specify the way in which data isdisplayed when using the Test facility with Detailed Logging activated. Thesettings here can also affect the actual information displayed in the Alert Detailssection of any alert received at the Enterprise Console.

Note: See “Testing the Criteria settings” for more information.


Show Empty ColumnsClick to show columns that do not contain any data when the test results aredisplayed. Detailed logging must also be activated. Empty columns are alsodisplayed in any table shown in the Details section of the alert when received atthe Enterprise Console. If there are a lot of empty columns then viewing of thetable might be difficult from within the Alert Details section.

Show Empty RowsClick to show rows that do not contain any data when the test results aredisplayed. Detailed logging must also be activated. Empty Rows are alsodisplayed in any table shown in the Details section of the alert when received atthe Enterprise Console. If there are a lot of empty rows then viewing of the tablemight be difficult from within the Alert Details section.

Highlight Matching Rows/Columns Click to show any rows and/or columns that match the entered criteria as beinghighlighted with a yellow background when the test results are displayed.Detailed logging must also be activated. This is useful if the table contains alarge amount of data as it is easy to determine the data in which you areinterested.

When inactive, any matching rows/columns are not highlighted in the AlertDetails section of the alert when received at the Enterprise Console.

Only Include Matching RowsClick to show only the rows that match the entered criteria when the test resultsare displayed. Detailed logging must also be activated. This is useful whenworking with large tables full of data where you may be only concerned with oneor two items of information.

Table Scan settingsTable scan settings allow you to specify the type of information that is retrievedwhen the specified URL is interrogated. Unlike the Table Display settings, whichoperate in test mode, the table scan settings also apply to the live dataretrieved. Therefore if you specify that you do not wish to return active links, youare unable to ‘click-through’ to the originating webpage from the Alert Detailssection of the Enterprise Console.

Note: See Network Server Suite User Reference for more information relating to the display of Alert Details

Return Active LinksUse this setting to ensure that any data that is retrieved when the criteria ismatched is in the form of an active link that allows you to access the originatingwebpage and/or ‘drill-down’ into subsequent information. The default setting forthis field is enabled. If this field is not enabled, then you will not be able to usehyperlinks to interrogate further tables in subsequent criteria as only static textis returned.


Include Tags TypesThese settings allow to you to select which types of HTML lists are retrieved aspart of the webpage interrogation. All are enabled by default.

• Definition List

• Ordered list

• Table

• Unordered List

Note: If you switch off the Table tag type, then any rule criteria that use the table parameter become redundant.

Advanced pageThe Advanced page of the rule criteria is used to define the use of SLAStatistics, Source Device, User Agent and Wildcard Characters.

SLA settings

SLA StatisticAside from using the Report Monitoring tool within Network Server Suite tocheck for performance data on a system, it is also possible to set Service LevelAgreement (SLA) flags against the Web Application Monitor when setting rulecriteria. These SLA flags can then be used as a reporting mechanism inHalcyon Advanced Reporting Suite using a pre-defined report template that isshipped with the product.

Note: If you are setting multiple SLA flags for different criteria, we recommend that you create a Send Enterprise Console alert action so that you can determine which of the SLA criteria has failed.

SLA Statistic checking is not affected by the suspension of the rule, (SLA data is still gathered even if the rule is suspended) but is dependent on the time period when the rule is active (SLA data is not gathered outside the times when the rule is active).

We recommend that when creating SLA flags within rules, that all SLA criteria are kept together in the same rule that use the “Perform Actions For First/Last/Each Criteria That Triggers” option, otherwise SLA failures may or may not be indicated correctly.

System performance against the specified SLA flags can then be viewed on the SLA Statistics report (automatically included as a Report Template within Advanced Reporting Suite) for this system. See the Advanced Reporting Suite Installation Guide for more information.


Figure 4.20 Advanced page settings

Source Device settingsFor any TCP Monitor rule, it is possible to override the source device. For anyalerts raised by that criteria, the Device for the alert is shown as the selected‘Override Source Device’ rather than the Device that actually performed thecheck. This allows for faster pinpointing of potential problem diagnosis.

Override Source DeviceClick to enable the Override Source Device functionality.

Source DeviceFrom the drop-down list, select the device to be used as the source device forany alerts raised by this rule criteria.

User Agent settingsUnder normal circumstances, the user agent string is most commonly used forcontent negotiation, where the origin server selects suitable content oroperating parameters for the response. For example, the User-Agent stringmight be used by a web server to choose variants based on the knowncapabilities of a particular version of client software. However, the user agentstring is one of the criteria by which Web crawlers may be excluded fromaccessing certain parts of a web site using the Robots Exclusion Standard. Thissetting allows you to override the default user agent string with text of your ownchoice.


User Agent StringEnter text that replaces the default user agent string applied when visitingwebpages defined in this rule.

Wildcard Character settingsThe wildcard characters area is used to define characters which are then usedas substitutes for search spans or single characters.

Use ... As A Substitute For Zero or more CharactersEnter the character that you wish to use as a substitute for this search span.The default setting for this field is *. Thus, any entry with Heat* would find Heat,Heats, Heating, Heated and so on.

Use ... As A Substitute For A Single CharacterEnter the character you wish to use as a substitute for a single character. Thedefault setting for this field is ‘?’. Thus, any entry with Hea? would find Heat,Head, Hear and so on.

Testing the Criteria settings

Prior to actually creating the rule it is a good idea to test the current settings toensure that the results are as expected. If not, amendments can then be madeto correct the criteria and a retest performed. This routine can be continuedrepeatedly until you are satisfied with the results.

Note: The test applies to the current criteria section that you are currently adding/editing. If you are at the first entry in the rule criteria list, then the test only applies to this selection and not to subsequent criteria in the list. If you are at the last entry in the rule criteria list, then all the preceding criteria are included in the test.

The test options are available at the bottom of the Web Application Criteriadialog, but remember that other factors such as Trigger on First Matching Table/Row can also influence the test result.

Figure 4.21 Test options

Local v Remote TestingTest options allow you to run the tests from either the local or remote device. Ifyou run the test locally, you are testing from the machine on which you arecreating the rule, typically the machine on which Central Configuration manageris installed. If you run the test remotely, it is run from server agent on the devicefor which the rule is intended.


Detailed LoggingClick to enable detailed logging which, when active, returns a full list of thematched criteria, the actual content of the display being dependent on the activesettings defined within the Criteria “Tables page”.

The following screen shots show the difference between the test resultsobtained with having detailed logging turned off or on.

Figure 4.22 Without Detailed Logging enabled


Figure 4.23 With Detailed Logging enabled

Click Test to begin the test with the current criteria parameters. Repeat until theexpected result for the entered criteria parameters is returned.

Using Hyperlinks in Tables

If the table data contains hyperlinks to subsequent information that is pertinentto the original enquiry then it is possible to ‘drill-down’ into this information bysaving the first parameter as a variable and then select ‘Use Results FromPrevious Criteria’ with the saved variable to interrogate the table data lyingbeneath the first hyperlink. There is no limit to the number of hyperlinks that canbe progressively used as part of the drill-down process.

Note: “Return Active Links” must be enabled within the Table Scan Settings of the Advanced Criteria page otherwise active hyperlinks are returned as static text.

When using hyperlinks to drill down into subsequent HTML pages, the setting for ‘Trigger Criteria On’ must be set to ‘First Matching’ and ‘Row’ rather than ‘First Matching and ‘Table’.

ExampleYou will need to know the table and row data from both the first and subsequent HTML pages on which you are setting criteria entering parameter details.

Part 1: Entering the first criteria

1 Enter the URL of a Web page with which you are familiar and know that you can drill-down into subsequent Web pages and browse the table data.


2 Click Add Criteria and add a Table parameter that identifies the required table number and click Save As Variable, entering the name of the variable as & followed by the column name in which the subsequent hyperlink resides. For example &Address. Click OK.

3 Add a subsequent Row parameter that identifies the column name and row data variable that contains the hyperlink.

4 Change the ‘Trigger Criteria On’ setting to ‘First Matching’ and ‘Row’.

5 Click OK.

6 Click Test, with Detailed Logging activated, to check that data is returned as expected and that the entered criteria was triggered.

7 If successful, click OK to enter this criteria. If not, edit the parameters and re-test until successful.

Part 2: Entering the second criteria

1 Click Add Criteria and in the Variable field (where you initially entered the URL) enter the name of the Variable that you specified in step 2, above.

2 If not already checked, click Use Results From Previous Criteria.

3 Click Add and add a Row parameter that identifies the column name and row data variable from the HTML page into which you wish to drill-down.

4 Ensure that the ‘Trigger Criteria On’ setting for this parameter is also set to ’First Matching’ and ‘Row’.

5 Click OK.

6 Ensure Detailed Logging is still active and click Test again. The result from the first criteria is displayed, but if the row parameter has been successfully entered, the subsequent HTML table and active link is returned beneath. Use the vertical scroll bar on the right of this dialog to view additional data.

The drill-down through a Web page to another Web page is complete and youcan now set further criteria, drill-down further and set actions that can beactivated on the first or last condition being proven.

Columns with Multiple Hyperlinks in one rowThere may be occasions where the required row in the respective column of thetable includes more than one hyperlink. In these instances, you must providespecific instructions so that the correct hyperlink is used.


Figure 4.24 Example Movex Screenshot

In the screenshot above, the end column titled ‘Command’ has two possiblehyperlinks; ‘Lock’ and ‘Shutdown’ available as options for most of the rowvariables. It may be that, if a specific condition exists on a server, such as anincorrect number of jobs running, you may need to take action direct from theWeb Application Monitor. By using a specific link, you can be sure that you aretaking the correct course of action from the two possible options.

To do this, you would create the first rule criteria in the same way as before, toidentify the table and row for the server type; Sub:A:MAU.

Now add another criteria, ensuring that the ‘Use Results From Previous Criteria’option is checked and enter the variable as; &”Command.1.link”.

Now add a new Row parameter with the the parameters as ‘Command’ and‘Lock’. This tells the Web Application Monitor that you wish to use the 1st link inthe column Command.

As you are using the results from the previous criteria, the correct row hasalready been identified. Also note, that the variable is enclosed in quotationmarks.

Make sure that the Parameters are set to trigger on the first matching Row andsave this criteria.

When run, the rule knows that if a certain condition exists on this server, it musttake the Lock option. in this example, if you wanted the server to be shutdown,you would enter the criteria as; &”Command.2.link” and change the parametersto ‘Command’ and ‘Shutdown’.

Rule Actions

The actions tab of the Rule Detail dialog allows you to specify the action that isperformed when the criteria parameters are matched and an alert generated.

Multiple actions can be defined for each parameter that is triggered.

Note: If there is an error in the rule execution, an alert is generated and sent to the Enterprise Console but the associated rule actions are not applied.


Actions For Rule Summary pageFrom this page, you can Add, Edit and Delete actions for rule criteria.

Figure 4.25 Actions Summary

Each separate action is automatically assigned a sequence number whencreated. To change the sequence in which the actions are performed for thisrule, use the up/down arrows on the right-hand side of this display.

Action Sequence, Description and Parameters are also shown as part of thisdisplay. An icon displayed in the first column of this display, graphicallyidentifies the action to be performed.

Adding Actions

On the Actions For Rule summary page, click Add Action to open the SelectAction dialog.


Figure 4.26 Select Action dialog

The actions available for use within the Web Application Monitor are the sameas those that are available within the general monitoring capabilities of NetworkServer Suite.

The following actions may be selected:

Control Service actionThe Control Service action allows the Web Application Monitor to start/stop/pause/resume a selected Windows® service from those running on the systemon which the Web Application Monitor is installed.

This option also caters for dependency and stops associated services ifrequired.

Figure 4.27 Control Service action


Service Parameters settings

ServiceThis allows you to select the service to be controlled by this action. By default,this selection specifies ‘Use Criteria Service’, which selects the servicespecified in the rule criteria as the service on which the action is performed.Alternatively, select ‘Use This Service’ to select a different service, from thosecurrently available on this device, from the drop-down choice menu.

ActionSelect the action to perform on the service. You can choose from Start, Stop,Pause or Resume.

TimeoutFor all control actions other than Start Service, select the period of time, inseconds, for the selected action to be successful, after which the attemptfails.The default time period is 30 seconds.

Stop Dependent ServicesIf the Stop Service action has been selected in the Action parameter, check thisoption to also stop any other services that are dependent on the selectedservice running. Click OK to confirm the action.

Execute Command actionThe Execute Command action allows you to execute a specific command, suchas running an OS Command or a bespoke script upon the trigger of the rulecriteria.

Figure 4.28 Command action


Log only (no Action)Selecting this option, results in the alert details being stored in the Server.hlf file but no other action is taken. There are no additional parameters to complete when

Send Enterprise Console Alert actionThis action sends the alert to any defined Enterprise Console.

The Send Enterprise Console Alert action allows you to include informationrelating to the alert that if selected then appears in the Alert Details dialog whenthe alert is opened from within the Enterprise Console. The followinginformation can be included:

• Result

• Status

• Rule

Figure 4.29 Console Action


Overriding the Default DeviceIt is possible to send the generated alert to via a version of Enterprise Consolerunning on a server other than the default device. To do this, click OverrideDefault Device and then Select Server. The Select Device dialog is displayed.This list is populated from those devices listed in the Device Managercomponent of Network Server Suite. Highlight the required device and clickSelect to change the default Enterprise Server device.

Send Instant Alert Message actionThis action sends an e-mail message to recipient(s) listed in the Instant AlertAddress Book or can send a SMS message if a GSM Data Terminal is installed.

All contacts within the Instant Alert Address Book are displayed from where theycan be added to the Recipients list. (Only those names listed in this sectionreceive details of the alert if generated).

Select the method by which the message is delivered to the recipient(s). UsingDefault sends the message via the default setting (either Email or SMS) foreach selected recipient.

Figure 4.30 Send Instant Alert Message action


Use free text and substitution variables to create the subject and content of themessage. An example of how the message is generated is displayed as text isentered and variables added.

Send SNMP Trap actionThis action sends an SNMP Trap to a specified device. To be available in thisdialog, the device must have already been loaded via Device Manager andmust be recognized as being able to accept SNMP Traps.

If there is no default device defined for the receipt of SNMP Traps, click SelectTarget to display a list of devices that have been defined as being able toreceive SNMP Traps from which a selection can be made.

Figure 4.31 SNMP Trap action

When you have finished creating actions for this Web Application rule, click OK.

The rule is now created and appears on the Rule summary page from where itcan be edited, deleted, held and released.


C H A P T E R

CHAPTER 5WORKING WITH SUBSTITUTIONVARIABLES

Overview

Substitution variables are used to insert information or text within an existingpiece of text. Different variables allow you to determine the text or detail thatyou wish to insert and at which point.

The commonest use of substitution variables within the Web ApplicationMonitor is when allowing you to format the text of alerts sent to the EnterpriseConsole or Instant Alert to be forwarded as SMS messages or emails.

All substitution variables begin with an ampersand (&) and are usually case-sensitive. When a substitution variable is used, the rule searches for anampersand and if found, compares the following text against a list of validvariables. If a match is made, the existing text is replaced with the substitutionvariable. Any non-matching text is left in its original condition.

When using substitution variables throughout the Web Application Monitor, anyentries that are made correctly are highlighted in green and those that will resultin an error are highlighted in red.

ExampleIn the following substitution variable:

‘User &NA is not authorized to file &FN in folder &FL’

where:

&NA equals User Name

&FN equals File Name

&FL equals Folder Directory and Name

may produce the following text:

‘User John is not authorized to file Payroll.dat in folder C:\Program Files\

W o r k i n g w i t h S u b s t i t u t i o n V a r i a b l e s 5-53

Retaining an ampersand in the existing textIf you already have an ampersand in the existing text that you wish to retainwhen using substitution variables, simply insert a double ampersand to instructthe Web Application Monitor that you wish to retain the original entry instead ofusing a substitution variable.

An example of how this works in practice can be seen below:

Text entered as

‘Drives C, D && E are working normally’ would result in

‘Drives C, D & E are working normally’

Understanding Substitution Variables

The basicsIn their most basic form, substitution variables are 2-character combinations.However, they can be of any length and longer variables are often requiredwhen 2 characters are not enough to differentiate one variable from another.

Generally, when a variable is used in a piece of text it is directly followed abreak character such as a space, comma, period and the like. This isdemonstrated in the example below:

‘An error has occurred for Device &Name. Please Investigate.’

where:

&Name equals Backup

produces the following text:

‘An error has occurred for Device Backup. Please investigate.’

In the above example, the use of the period tells the Web Application Monitorwhere the substitution variable ends so that it can correctly insert thereplacement text.

Substitution variables can also be placed directly next to each other as shown inthe next example which also demonstrates how substitution variables can beused in file naming conventions:

‘HECArchive_&DD&MM&YYYY.eca’

where:

&DD equals Day

&MM equals Month

&YYYY equals Year

may produce something similar to:

‘HECArchive_18June2009.eca


Using Substitution Variables within textIn the previous sections, we explored entering substitution variables asstandalone items, but there may be occasions when you need to use asubstitution variable that is immediately followed by more text.

The following example uses variables called ‘&Type’ which returns a value of‘Run’, and ‘&Name’, which returns a value of ‘Backup’.

‘&Typetime Error Logged for System &Name’

Entered in this format, the following is returned:

‘&Typetime Error Logged for System Backup’

By using this format, entering the variable ‘&Type’ immediately followed by theword ‘time’, results in an error as the Web Application Monitor is looking for thesubstitution variable ‘&Typetime’, which doesn’t exist.

In order for the Web Application Monitor to differentiate between where thesubstitution variable ends and the text begins, a pipe character followed by asemi-colon ‘|;’ (without quotes) must be inserted between the end of the variableand the start of the text.

Therefore, by using the previous example:

‘&Type|;time Error Logged for System &Name’ now results in:

‘Runtime Error Logged for System Backup’

The ‘|;’ signifies the end of a variable and that any text that immediately followsthe semi-colon (and up to the next ampersand or break character) should beinserted as entered. The pipe and semi-colon characters are also used whenadding parameters to substitution variables.

Adding Parameters to Substitution VariablesParameters can be added to substitution variables to further enhance ormanipulate the values that are substituted in the text.

Parameters are added in the same way as when inserting substitution variableswithin text, in that you add a pipe character ‘|’ (without quotes) to the end of thevariable. You can then add further parameters, each separated by ‘|’, finishingwith ‘|;’ when you have entered the full substitution variable with the requiredparameters. This combination tells the Web Application Monitor when to startand end processing of the substitution variable with parameters.


ExamplesIn the following examples, the substitution variable ‘&UN’ is used to return thetext of ‘Administrator’.

If the basic form of the substitution variable was used:

‘User &UN has logged on’ would return:

‘User Administrator has logged on’

However, by using parameters you can display the user name in upper case. Todo this, add the ‘u’ parameter. (a full list of parameters can be found inSubstitution Variable Parameters). This would affect the previous example asfollows:

‘User &UN|u|; has logged on’ returning:

‘User ADMINISTRATOR has logged on’

To add multiple parameters and change the appearance of the substitutionvariable even further you could specify:

‘User &UN|u|+5|; has logged on’.

This substitution variable entry would now return:

‘User ADMIN has logged on’

This is because the variable now has the parameters of firstly converting theuser name to upper case and then returning just the first five characters of theuser name.

Note: Substitution variables can return either string or numeric values. Whilst applying each parameter, Network Server Suite checks to see if the variable result is numeric. If it is, then only numeric parameters can be applied from that point onwards. To override this behavior and treat the numeric result as a string, the ‘s’ parameter can be used.


Substitution Variable Parameters

Numeric Parameters

Parameter Description Example Value Variable Result

f Returns the fractional part of a floating-point number

N=1784.23 &N|f|; 0.23

I Returns the integer part of a floating-point number

N=1784.23 &N|i|; 1784

pn Formats the variable to n decimal places from 0-9

N=1784.238175 &N|p2|; 1784.24

‘kb’

‘mb’

‘gb’

‘tb’

‘pb’

‘eb’

Converts a number representing bytes into the respective storage unit.

The result is the decimal representation of the byte value (i.e. divided by 1000)

N=10273460156234512340 &N|kb|;

&N|mb|;

&N|gb|;

&N|tb|;

&N|pb|;

&N|eb|;

10273460156234512.34

10273460156234.51234

10273460156.23451234

10273460.15623451234

10273.46015623451234

10.27346015623451234

‘kib’

‘mib’

‘gib’

‘tib’

‘pib’

‘eib’

Converts a number representing bytes into the respective storage unit.

The result is the binary representation of the byte value (i.e. divided by 1024)

N=10273460156234512340 &N|kib|;

&N|mib|;

&N|gib|;

&N|tib|;

&N|pib|;

&N|eib|;

10032675933822765.9570

9797535091623.79487991

9567905362.91386218741

9343657.58097056854239

9124.66560641657084218

8.91080625626618246307

+n

+&v

Adds the number n to the variable result, or adds the value of variable &v to the result

N1=356

N2=78

&N1|+45|;

&N1|+&N2|;

401

434

-n

-&v

Subtracts the number n to the variable result, or subtracts the value of variable &v to the result

N1=356

N2=78

&N1|-45|;

&N1|-&N2|;

311

278

*n

*&v

Multiplies the number n to the variable result, or multiplies the value of variable &v to the result

N1=356

N2=78

&N1|*45|;

&N1|*&N2|;

16020

27768

/n

/&v

Divides the number n to the variable result, or divides the value of variable &v to the result

N1=356

N2=78

&N1|/45|;

&N1|/&N2|;

7.91111111111111111111

4.56410256410256410256


String Parameters

Parameter Description Example Value Variable Result

t Trims any spaces from the beginning and end of the variable result

S=’ Error Occurred ‘ &S|t|; ‘Error Occurred’

tl Trims any spaces from the beginning of the variable result

S=’ Example text’ &S|tl|; ‘Example text’

tr Trims any spaces from the end of the variable result

S=’Example text‘ &S|tr|; ‘Example text’

l Converts the variable result to lower case

S=’Example Text’ &S|l|; ‘example text’

u Converts the variable result to upper case

S=’Example text’ &S|u|; ‘EXAMPLE TEXT’

p Converts the variable result to proper case. i.e. the first letter of each word is a capital followed by lower case characters

S=’EXAMPLE text’ &S|p|; ‘Example Text’

P The same as the ‘p’ parameter but preserves any existing capital letters

S=’EXAMPLE text’ &S|P|; ‘EXAMPLE Text’

n- Removes the first n characters from the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|3-|; ‘mple text’

-n Removes the last n characters from the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|-3|; ‘Example t’

n+ Returns the first n characters from the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|4+|; ‘Exam’

+n Returns the last n characters from the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|+4|; ‘text’

‘s’- Removes all characters up to and including s from the beginning of the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|’ple’-|; ‘ text’

-’s’ Removes all characters from s to the end of the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|-’ple’|; ‘Exam‘

‘s’+ Returns all characters up to and including s from the beginning of the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|’ple’+|; ‘Example’

+’s’ Returns all characters from s to the end of the variable result

S=’Example text’ &S|+’test’|; ‘ple text’

s Instructs Network Server Suite that the variable result should be treated as a string

N=1784.23 &N|s|-4|; ‘178’


AB/WAM/040516

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