[Xymon] Question about TIME keyword in alerts.cfg

[Mike Burger]

> The "man page" for alerts.cfg says:
>
> ====================================
> An example:
>
> 	HOST=www.foo.com
> 		MAIL webmaster at foo.com SERVICE=http REPEAT=1h
> 		MAIL unixsupport at foo.com SERVICE=cpu,disk,memory
>
> The first line defines a rule for alerting when something breaks on the
> host "www.foo.com".
> There are two recipients: webmaster at foo.com is notified if it is the
> "http" service that fails, and the notification is repeated once an hour
> until the problem is resolved.
> unixsupport at foo.com is notified if it is the "cpu", "disk" or "memory"
> tests that report a failure. Since there is no "REPEAT" setting for this
> recipient, the default is used which is to repeat the alert every 30
> minutes.
>
> OK, suppose now that the webmaster complains about getting e-mails at 4 AM
> in the morning. The webserver is not supposed to be running between 9 PM
> and 8 AM, so even though there is a problem, he doesn't want to hear about
> it until 7:30 - that gives him just enough time to fix the problem. So you
> must modify the rule so that it doesn't send out alerts until 7:30 AM:
>
> 	HOST=www.foo.com
> 		MAIL webmaster at foo.com SERVICE=http REPEAT=1h TIME=*:0730:2100
> 		MAIL unixsupport at foo.com SERVICE=cpu,disk,memory
>
> Adding the TIME setting on the recipient causes the alerts for this
> recipient to be suppressed, unless the time of day is within the interval.
> So with this setup, the webmaster gets his sleep.
> ====================================
>
>
> This makes sense, but I'm confused and obsessing about the word
> "suppressed" in the second to last sentence.
>
> Suppose http went "red" at midnight. No alert was sent then, because of
> the TIME keyword in the webmaster's line (unixsupport didn't get an alert
> either, because it wasn't configured for it).
>
> So far, so good. Now suppose 7:30AM comes, and http is still red (no
> status change). What happens? Does the webmaster receive an email? Even
> though there is no new http status change to trigger it?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> glauber

Hello, Glauber.

Your understanding is correct...the email should be received once the
Xymon server's time reaches the start time (in this case, 7:30AM) and the
alarm is still active.

Note, my testing also indicates that the test won't even change color at
all until after the start time indicated in your TIME option.

-- 
Mike Burger
http://www.bubbanfriends.org

"It's always suicide-mission this, save-the-planet that. No one ever just
stops by to say 'hi' anymore." --Colonel Jack O'Neill, SG1