Version 4.1 User's Guide
Pulse Sentry	Previous | Next Contents

A unique feature of PageSentry is its ability to monitor itself using a "Pulse." To ensure reliability, PageSentry will check in with you periodically to let you know that PageSentry is "on the job." The final link in the chain of server monitoring, however, is you: If you don't hear from PageSentry on schedule, then something has gone wrong with the PageSentry Mac, the network connection, or the notification application (if you're using an AppleEvent-driven application in a Notifier). Figure 16 shows the Pulse Sentry Configuration dialog box.

Figure 16: Configuring a new Pulse.

To configure the Sentry, fill in the appropriate fields. In addition to the common configuration options, the Pulse has the following options:

Schedule At

This fields specifies the "anchor time" PageSentry uses to synchronize the pulse. For example, if you have a pulse Frequency of 6 hours and an anchor time of midnight, as in the above example, the Sentry will only run at midnight, 6 AM, noon, and 6 PM. The Pulse is not affected by the last time PageSentry was rebooted or launched; it will run at those times, and only then. This is different from other Sentries, which are run at randomized times selected when PageSentry is started.

Set Message

Pulse messages are normally sent via e-mail or pager. E-mail messages can be quite long without problems, while pager messages often need to be very short. Because of this, and the fact that the information required in Pulse messages varies widely, the messages are completely customizable. Click on the "Set Message" button to bring up the Pulse message dialog box, shown in figure 17:

Figure 17: The Pulse Message window.

Subject

For Pulses sent via e-mail, enter the text you would like to appear as the Subject of the e-mail message.

Header

The first line of the Pulse message is set using the Header field text.

Send Detail

PageSentry will send a detail line in the message for all defined Sentries, or only those in error based on the setting of this field.

Detail

For each Sentry being reported on in the Pulse message (either all defined Sentries or those in an error mode, as defined by the "Send Detail" field above), the information specified in the Detail field will be sent. This field can be multiple lines long, if you choose, and will almost always contain at least one token, as described below.

No Errors

If you have set the Send Detail field to report only on Sentries that are in error, and none are at the time the pulse is sent, then the No Error text is sent instead. The default message "All Sentries Report OK" seldom needs to be changed.

Tokens are available for use in the Pulse message that allow you to specify specific bits of information that should be included in the message at the time it is sent. Usually, tokens are used in the Detail field, but are also legal in any of the text fields.

Sentry Name

Used in the Sentry Detail field, the Sentry Name token will cause the name of the Sentry being reported on to be inserted into the message. When used in any other field, the name of the Pulse Sentry that is issuing the message will be inserted.

Uptime %

The percentage of tests that have been successfully passed by the Sentry will be inserted into the message for this token.

Failed URL

The URL or test description of the Sentry will be inserted for this token.

Error Desc

The English language error description of the current error detected by the Sentry will be inserted. If the Sentry is currently detecting proper functioning of the server, the Error Description will be "OK".

Date

The Date at the time the message is sent will be inserted into the message.

Time

Inserts the current time into the Pulse message.

Copyright © 1995-2002 Maxum Development Corporation http://www.maxum.com/ Rev. 7/10/02	Previous | Next Contents