Configuring alerting

Alerting monitors records to detect when an item of interest changes or is viewed by someone. To monitor items of interest, alert definitions are added to records (single or multiple) and to queries. When a change is detected, an alert is raised.

Alerting is available in SQL Server databases only. When you initialize an SQL Server database for alerting, you turn on Audit History and create SQL Server triggers and jobs to raise and process alerts. To correctly process results, the audit generates queries that are known as alert definitions based on each user's requests. These queries are run on a schedule.

Every time the alerting jobs run, they generate one alert for each alert definition where actions are detected, batching up all detected actions so that users receive a single alert or email.

Note: The date and time of an alert is the date and time that the job is processed at the server. Alerting requires that the server on which SQL Server is running has the same date and time as the iBase client. A significant time difference between an iBase server and its clients might prevent the server from detecting the events that trigger iBase alerts.

There are four types of alert:

Record Viewed alerts

A Record Viewed alert is raised whenever the record is:

• Displayed in a record list, for example as a result of finding, browsing, or opening a set

• Displayed in Show or on a datasheet

• Displayed when soft deleted records are purged or restored

• Listed or viewed in Audit Viewer or the Audit History (but not when you are setting up alert definitions or viewing alerts)

• Listed as a link end record

• Viewed on an iBase link chart

• Exported or sent to an Analyst's Notebook chart

The alert is raised when the record is first shown or listed.

Record Changed alerts

A Record Changed alert on entities is raised when:

• Any entity fields are changed

• New links are added to the entity

• The strength or direction of any link to the entity is changed

• The entity is deleted

• Any links to the entity are deleted

• Entities or links are soft deleted or restored

Note: Changing a field on any links to the entity is not a change to the entity itself.

A Record Changed alert on links is raised when:

• Any link fields are changed

• The strength or direction is changed

• A link end entity is replaced by a different link end entity

• The link is deleted

• A link end entity is deleted causing the link to be deleted

• Link end entities or links are soft deleted or restored

Note: Changing a field on any link end entities is not a change to the link itself.

Records Added alerts

A Records Added alert is raised whenever an extra record is found that matches the selection criteria for the Query. This might be for the following reasons:

• New record added that matches the Query

• Changed so that it now matches the Query

• Restored (having previously been soft deleted)

• Changes to your permissions, which mean that you can now see more records

Records Removed alerts

A Records Removed alert is raised whenever a record that previously matched the selection criteria for the Query is no longer found. This removal can be for the following reasons:

• Changed so that it no longer matches the Query

• Deleted

• Changes to your permissions, which mean that you can now see fewer records

Note:

• Alerting is available in SQL Server databases only

• You can only add alert definitions if you are permitted to do so

• Email alerts can only be sent if your system administrator has enabled this feature

Users use the alert details to determine the exact nature of the changes. Users who are denied access to the audit history receive alerts and can see the alert summaries but are unable to see the details of the alert. The alert details are taken from the audit history and the same details are displayed regardless of the audit level of the database.

Note: Contact i2 Support for details about:

• Setting up alerting on SQL Server Express (you must to use Windows scheduling).

• Alerting in a replicated environment.