Alert Monitor Trouble Ticket Interface

Configuring the Alert Monitor › Alert Monitor Trouble Ticket Interface

Alert Monitor Trouble Ticket Interface

The alert monitor provides an interface that lets you send alert information in the form of a trouble ticket to another interface automatically or manually.

The alert monitor supports the following interfaces for raising trouble tickets:

Electronic Mail

Sends an email describing the problem to a problem management application or a particular person. This method can be used to send tickets to multiple problem management applications.

Custom

Lets you write your own NCL procedure to deliver the trouble ticket to an application by whatever means you choose. For example, you can do the following:

Invoke a REXX procedure and pass alert variables.
Send to any external interface, for example, problem management product.
Send to z/OS system facilities, for example, system console, data sets, SMF user records, batch jobs.
Invoke applications, for example, FTP.

Service Desk

Creates a new CA Service Desk request from the alert details.

Note: If your CA Service Desk installation is configured with the optional ITIL application, incidents are created instead of requests.

Note: You can choose one interface only.

If you want the operator to supply information when creating a ticket, you also need to set up the trouble ticket data entry definition.

Define an Email Trouble Ticket Interface

This option sends an email describing the problem to a problem management application or a particular person.

Note: To enable this option, you must ensure that your z/OS Systems Programmer enables SMTP support on this region's TCP/IP stack.

To define an email trouble ticket interface

Enter /ALTTI at the prompt.
The Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Interface Definition panel appears.
Enter EMAIL in the Interface Type field and press F6 (Action).
The Email a Trouble Ticket panel appears.
Complete the following fields:

Mail Address

Specifies the email address of the trouble ticket system to which you want to send the message.

Note: The &$USRNAME variable works with the default trouble ticket data entry definition. If you do not want operators to change the address, specify an address in this field and delete the fields in the data entry definition.

Host Name

Specifies the host name of this system. This value is usually the NJE node name.

Note: Applies to IBM's Communications server only.

SMTP Node Name

Specifies the NJE node name on which the SMTP server runs. This name usually has the same value as the Host Name.

Note: Applies to IBM's Communications server only.

SMTP Job Name

Specifies the name of the address space in which SMTP runs. This name is usually SMTP.

Note: Applies to IBM's Communications server only.

SMTP DEST Id

Specifies the destination ID in the REMOTE (...) parameter of the SMTP statement in member APPCFGxx of the PARM data set.

Note: Applies to CA TCPaccess CS only.

Exit Procedure Name

Specifies the name of an NCL exit routine, in which you can customize the email message sent by this trouble ticket. Enables you to send a trouble ticket to multiple email addresses.

Subject

Specifies the heading to display as the subject of the email message.

Enter Mail Text Below

Specifies the mail message text. Press F1 (Help) for information about variables.

Press F3 (File).

The definition is saved.

Define a Custom Trouble Ticket Interface

This option lets you write your own NCL procedure to deliver the trouble ticket to an application by whatever means you choose.

To define a custom trouble ticket interface

Enter /ALTTI at the prompt.
The Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Interface Definition panel appears.
Enter CUSTOM in the Interface Type field and press F6 (Action).
The Custom Trouble Ticket panel appears.
Complete the following fields:

Procedure Name

Specifies the name of your NCL procedure for delivering tickets.

Note: NCL must be in the CA NetMaster NM for TCP/IP COMMANDS concatenation. To list the concatenation, enter /DATASET.A.

Enter Parameters Below

Specifies any parameters that you want the NCL procedure to receive.

Note: For more information about variables, press F1 (Help).

Example: Execute a REXX Procedure

The following example shows an NCL statement that executes a REXX procedure in your environment:

REXX rexx_procedure parm_1...parm_n

Define a CA Service Desk Trouble Ticket Interface

This option creates CA Service Desk request from the alert details.

To define a CA Service Desk trouble ticket interface

Enter /ALTTI at the prompt.
The Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Interface Definition panel appears.
Enter SERVICEDESK in the Interface Type field and press F6 (Action).
The Custom Trouble Ticket panel appears.
Complete the following fields:

CA Service Desk Server Web Services HTTP URL

Specifies the HTTP URL of the web services definitions on the target CA Service Desk server.

Default: If left blank, the CA Common Services for z/OS CAISDI/soap component chooses the default server.

Note: This URL points to the web services definitions that CAISDI/soap invokes to create the requests. This URL is not the same as the URL that is used to log on to CA Service Desk. Contact your CA Service Desk Administrator for the URL.

CCI Sysid

Specifies the CA Common Services for z/OS CCI system ID of the z/OS LPAR where the CAISDI/soap task is active. This ID is the SYSID name specified in the CAICCI startup JCL.

Default: If left blank, the local CAICCI on this LPAR locates a suitable CAISDI/soap task.

Request Description Format

Specifies whether the SD Request Description field is produced with HTML formatting or in plain text (TEXT).

Default: HTML

Note: In most cases, you can leave the CA Service Desk Server Web Services HTTP URL and CCI Sysid fields blank. Leaving the fields blank allows the CAISDI/soap component to use its default values.

Press F3 (File)

The definition is saved.

Set Up the Trouble Ticket Data Definition

If you want the operator to supply information when creating a trouble ticket, you need to set up the ticket data entry definition.

To set up the trouble ticket data definition

Enter /ALADMIN at the prompt.
The Alert Monitor : Administration Menu appears.
Select option D - Define Trouble Ticket Data Entry.
The Trouble Ticket Data Entry Definition panel appears.
In the free-format data entry section of the panel, enter the data entry definition for the panel that the operator will use when creating a ticket.

Notes:

For more information about completing this section, press F1 (Help).
You can create multiple field names by replicating the key variables linked by default.

Example1 : Trouble Ticket Data Definition

This example shows a definition that prompts the operator to identify the receiver of the ticket.

 PROD-------- Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Data Entry Definition -------------
 Command ===>                                   Function=Update Scroll ===> CSR
 
 ****** ***************************** TOP OF DATA ******************************
 000001 FIELD NAME=$USRNAME
 000002  VALUE="Problem@sydney.enterprise.com"
 000003  DESC="Send Email to:"
 000004  COMMENT="(name for email)"
 000005  REQUIRED=YES
 000006  LENGTH=40
 ****** **************************** BOTTOM OF DATA ****************************


  F1=Help      F2=Split     F3=File      F4=Save      F5=Find      F6=Change
  F7=Backward  F8=Forward   F9=Swap     F10=Left     F11=Right    F12=Cancel

Example 2: Data Entry Definition

To make the panel more user-friendly, you can change this panel by creating a trouble ticket data entry definition.

PROD-------- Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Data Entry Definition -------------
 Command ===>                                   Function=Update Scroll ===> CSR
 AMTTDED08 TROUBLE TICKET DATA ENTRY DEFINITION SAVED
 ****** ***************************** TOP OF DATA ******************************
 000001 FIELD NAME=$USRX
 000002  VALUE=
 000003  DESC="Press F6 to send the ticket"
 000004  COMMENT=
 000005  REQUIRED=NO
 000006  LENGTH=0
 ****** **************************** BOTTOM OF DATA ****************************


  F1=Help      F2=Split     F3=File      F4=Save      F5=Find      F6=Change
  F7=Backward  F8=Forward   F9=Swap     F10=Left     F11=Right    F12=Cancel

PROD---------------- Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Details ------------------- 
Command ===> 

Press F6 to send the ticket ..

Implement Trouble Ticket Interface for Multiple Email Addresses

You can use an exit procedure, together with the trouble ticket interface and data entry definitions, to implement an interface that prompts operators for more than one email address to which they can send a trouble ticket.

To implement a trouble ticket interface for multiple email addressees

Create an NCL procedure with the following statements, and save it to your TESTEXEC:
```
&IF .&$USRNAME1 NE . &THEN +
&$AMTADDRESS1 = &$USRNAME1
&IF .&$USRNAME2 NE . &THEN +
&$AMTADDRESS2 = &$USRNAME2
...
```
Note: The number of &IF statements sets up the number of addresses you want to provide.
Update the trouble ticket data entry definition with the following fields:
```
FIELD NAME=$USRNAME1
VALUE="&$AMTADDRESS1"
DESC="EMAIL ADDRESS #1"
COMMENT=""
REQUIRED=NO
LENGTH=40
FIELD NAME=$USRNAME2
VALUE=""
DESC="EMAIL ADDRESS #2"
COMMENT=""
REQUIRED=NO
LENGTH=40
...
```
Notes:
- The number of fields corresponds to the number of email addresses in the procedure you created.
- The value &$AMTADDRES1 must be specified.
Define the email trouble ticket interface specifying a default address in the Mail Address field and the name of the procedure in the Exit Procedure Name field.
The trouble ticket interface prompts operators for email addresses when they enter TT next to an alert.

Example: Implement a Trouble Ticket Interface for Two Email Addresses

To create an NCL procedure called EXAMPLE that sends emails to two addresses

Create an NCL procedure called EXAMPLE with the following statements, and save it to the TESTEXEC:

&IF .&$USRNAME1 NE . &THEN +
&$AMTADDRESS1 = &$USRNAME1
&IF .&$USRNAME2 NE . &THEN +
&$AMTADDRESS2 = &$USRNAME2
...

Enter /ALADMIN at the prompt.
Select option D - Define Trouble Ticket Data Entry.

Complete the panel as follows:

 PROD-------- Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Data Entry Definition -------------
 Command ===>                                   Function=Update Scroll ===> CSR
 
 ****** ***************************** TOP OF DATA ******************************
 000001 FIELD NAME=$USRNAME1
 000002  VALUE="&$AMTADDRESS1"
 000003  DESC="EMAIL ADDRESS#1"
 000004  COMMENT=""
 000005  REQUIRED=NO
 000006  LENGTH=40
 000007 FIELD NAME=$USRNAME2
 000008  VALUE=""
 000009  DESC="EMAIL ADDRESS #2"
 000010  COMMENT=""
 000011  REQUIRED=NO
 000012  LENGTH=40
 ****** **************************** BOTTOM OF DATA ****************************

Enter /ALTTI at the prompt.
Enter EMAIL in the Interface Type field and press F6 (Action).

Complete the panel as follows:

 PROD--------------- Alert Monitor : Email A Trouble Ticket -Columns 00001 00072
 Command ===>                                   Function=Update Scroll ===> CSR
 
 Mail Address              defaultaddress@tt.com_____________________________
 Host Name      (IBM)      HOSTNAME
 SMTP Node Name (IBM)      NODENAME
 SMTP Job Name  (IBM)      SMTP____
 SMTP DEST Id (TCPaccess)  ________
 Exit Procedure Name       EXAMPLE_
 Subject                   &$AMDESC__________________________________________
 
                              Enter Mail Text Below
 
 ****** ***************************** TOP OF DATA ******************************

Result

When an operator enters TT next to an alert, they are prompted for an email address as follows:

 PROD--------------- Alert Monitor : Trouble Ticket Details --------------------
 Command ===>

Email Address #1 ... defaultaddress@tt.com Email Address #2 ...