Test alert

Job details

Name:	Test alert
Platform:	Oracle
Category:	Availability
Description:	Test alert that alerts every ‘X’ minutes.
Long description:	Test alert that alerts every ‘X’ minutes. Useful for testing extensions and not intended for use in production environments. Instance centric, so intended for single instance or each instance in a RAC cluster.
Version:	3.0
Default schedule:	5,15,25,35,45,55 * * *
Requires engine install:	Yes
Compatibility tag:	.[type=‘instance’ & databasetype=‘oracle’]/.[hasengine=‘YES’]

Name	Default value	Description
Time between warnings	180	The time in minutes between each alarm message.
Time between alarms	360	The time in minutes between each alarm message.
Warning message	Test WARNING	The message to send if we send a warning message
Alarm message	Test ALARM	The message to send if we send an alarm message
Ok message	Test OK	The message to send if we send an OK message
Disable warnings	NO	Enables/disables warnings. YES or NO values
Disable alarms	NO	Enables/disables alarms. YES or NO values

Purpose: The purpose of this job is to periodically generate test alerts in Oracle instances, primarily designed for testing and validation of monitoring and alerting mechanisms within dbWatch.
Why: This job is important to validate the functionality and responsiveness of alert systems in a controlled environment. It ensures that when an actual alert condition occurs, the system will respond appropriately.
Manual checking: You can check this manually in the database by issuing these SQL commands:

SELECT histr_date, type_message FROM dbw_test_alert_history_#instance~id# ORDER BY histr_date DESC;

The job is categorized under “Availability” suggesting it contributes towards understanding system’s alert readiness.
Specifically oriented towards Oracle database instances.
Scheduled to alert every ‘X’ minutes as specified in the provided parameters (with default values).
Includes capability to disable either warnings or alarms conditionally, enhancing test flexibility.

A specific SQL procedure (`dbw_test_alert_#instance~id#`) is implemented which:
- Checks the last time warnings or alarms were sent,
- Inserts new messages into the history table if the defined conditions (based on time intervals) are met,
- Manages messages based on whether warnings or alarms are enabled or disabled.
A history table (`dbw_test_alert_history_#instance~id#`) retains a log of all alerts sent, including the type of message and the date it was sent.
The SQL job clears entries in the history that are older than 30 days to manage database space.

This job has a self-dependency to ensure it functions solely on its intended instance.
Also has dependencies on its historical data, which supports reporting and oversight of alert functionality.

Title	Description	Data Presented	Frequency
Test Alert	Report for Test Alert	Details of test alerts including type and occurrence	Hourly updated

The report provides insights via a table displaying the historical data from alerts which includes types of message and dates of occurrence.

The job should not be used in production environments as emphasized, ensuring that it remains a tool for testing rather than for operational use.
Ensures only current data within the past month is retained to manage the database size and relevance of the information.
Whilst error handling is embedded within the SQL procedure to catch and log exceptions, ongoing monitoring of this job is suggested to ensure it continues to meet expected operational standards.