Using Notification Manager › Notification Manager Concepts › REXX Programs › Defining Methods to Notification Manager

Defining Methods to Notification Manager

Methods are aliases for a REXX program and a set of parameters. For Notification Manager to notify someone, it must use the REXX programs that actually know how to communicate with the outside world. For example, the NMVOICE program knows how to send speech over a phone line and accept DTMF input. Also the NMPAGE program knows how to send a page to a TAP-compliant paging service.

We provide you with a starter set of the following REXX programs to use when creating your methods:

• NMPAGE, allows you to issue TAP-compliant alphanumeric and numeric pages through CA Automation Point's notification services.
• NMTAP, allows you to issue TAP-compliant alphanumeric and numeric pages without the use of CA Automation Point's notification services. The NMTAP REXX program can therefore be user customized to interface with paging services that are not fully TAP-compliant.
• NMPAGE2WAY, allows you to issue a page request and receive a response to this page request using a paging service that supports the SNPP protocol or the WCTP protocol.
• NMMAILPG, allows you to issue a page using the local email system.
• NMMAILSMS, allows you to issue a Short Message Service (SMS) text message using the local email system.
• NMMAIL, allows you to notify a person or group using the local email system.
• NMSPEAK, allows you to perform a speech notification using the TCP/IP network.
• NMVOICE, allows you to perform a voice notification.
• NMNETSND, allows you to perform a NET SEND notification from one workstation to another using the TCP/IP network.

Using these programs, CA creates the following methods in the sample Notification Manager database that is shipped with the Notification Manager component:

• Voice at work
• Voice in the car
• Voice at home
• Voice 1
• Voice 2
• Alphanumeric Pager 1
• Alphanumeric Pager 2
• Numeric Pager 1
• Numeric Pager 2
• 2-Way Pager 1
• 2-Way Pager 2
• 2-Way Pager with URL
• TAP 1
• TAP 2
• EMail 1
• EMail 2
• Email with URL
• Email pager via SkyTel
• Speak 1
• Speak 2
• Speak with URL
• Text Msg via ATT
• Text Msg via Sprint
• Text Msg via T-Mobile
• Text Msg via Verizon
• Net Send 1
• Net Send 2

The open architecture of Notification Manager allows you to create your own REXX programs and use them to define additional methods that Notification Manager can use when attempting to notify people.

When installing Notification Manager consider the following points when deciding on a set of methods:

• The method names are independent of the actual invocation string. Thus, you can choose any name for the methods you create. For example, you do not need to name a method that invokes the NMVOICE REXX program NMVOICE.
• A particular REXX program can be used to create any number of methods. Usually with a different set of parameters or parameter values for each method.

You can define a single method that is always used to invoke NMVOICE and another that is always used to invoke NMPAGE. This method is probably not in your best interest to do so. Rather, use the capabilities of Notification Manager to create methods that have "personality." For example, the NMVOICE program has several parameters that specify the number of times to call a person, the number of times to let the phone ring on each call attempt, and the amount of time to wait between attempts.

You may want Notification Manager to persistently try to notify a particular person, or to run quickly through a whole list of people because you need an answer quickly. You can accomplish this task by creating the following methods:

LongVoice

Invokes NMVOICE and tells it to try to call the person 20 times at intervals of 5 minutes and let the phone ring 10 times on each try.

QuickVoice

Invokes NMVOICE and tells it to try to call the person only one time and to let the phone ring only three times.

Specify the LongVoice method during a particular time block is easier than it is to specify the NMVOICE method and the parameters and values that make it behave like the LongVoice method.