<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Sensor Notifications Settings

The status or the data of a sensor can trigger notifications. Using this mechanism, you can configure external alerting tailored to you needs.

Example of Notification Trigger Settings

Note: Although the sensors activate a trigger, you can set notification triggers higher in the hierarchy (for example for groups or devices), thus defining triggers for multiple sensors using the inheritance mechanism.

Note

This section describes one of three steps to set up the notification system in PRTG. A complete notification setup involves:

Check and set up the Notification Delivery settings. This will tell PRTG how to send messages.
For detailed information, see System Administration—Notification Delivery.
Check and set up several Notifications. This will define the kind of message and its content.
For detailed information, see Account Settings—Notifications.
Check and set up Notification Triggers for objects. These will provoke the defined notifications.
For detailed information, see Sensor Notifications Settings.

For background information, please see Notifications section.

Available Notification Triggers Settings

On an object's detail page, click on the Notifications tab to change sensor notification triggers. The available options are the same for all objects. When defining triggers for probes, groups, or devices, they can be inherited down to sensor level.

Triggers that can be inherited from parent object(s)
You see a list of all notification triggers that are defined higher in the hierarchy. The list is empty when there are no triggers defined in groups or devices above the current object. You can see the type and the notifications that are executed once this trigger is activated.
Trigger Inheritance	Define whether the triggers shown above will be handed on to the current object. Choose between: Inherit trigger(s) from parent object(s): Use the triggers shown above. Only use triggers defined for this object: Do not use the triggers shown above; for this object only use the triggers defined below. This setting is valid for all triggers shown above. It is not possible to only select some of them.

Triggers that can be inherited from parent object(s)

You see a list of all notification triggers that are defined higher in the hierarchy. The list is empty when there are no triggers defined in groups or devices above the current object. You can see the type and the notifications that are executed once this trigger is activated.

Trigger Inheritance

Define whether the triggers shown above will be handed on to the current object. Choose between:

Inherit trigger(s) from parent object(s): Use the triggers shown above.
Only use triggers defined for this object: Do not use the triggers shown above; for this object only use the triggers defined below.

This setting is valid for all triggers shown above. It is not possible to only select some of them.

You can set up one or more of the following triggers, each with different setting options. Which trigger types will be visible depends on the kind of object you're editing:

All notification triggers can be created in a very easy way, forming natural sentences. There are different options for every type.

Add State Trigger

Define a trigger that is activated when a sensor changes its current status. This is the most common reason to send out notifications. Click on the Add State Trigger button to add a new trigger, or click on the Edit button next to an existing notification to change it. Then define settings as described below. Every trigger will provoke one or more notification(s) to be executed.

State Trigger
When sensor is...	Select the condition that will trigger the notification. The trigger will be activated when a sensor enters the selected status. Choose from the drop down menu: Down: The trigger will be prompted if a sensor changes to a Down status. Warning: The trigger will be prompted if a sensor changes to a Warning status. Unusual: The trigger will be prompted if a sensor changes to an Unusual status. Partial Down: The trigger will be prompted if a sensor changes to a Down (Partial) status (available in a cluster configuration).
...for at least ... seconds	Define how many seconds will be waited before a notification is provoked. This can avoid false alarms in case a sensor 'flickers' and, for example, changes to a down status for just a few seconds. If the selected condition (i.e. the sensor status) persists after the defined time in seconds, the notification will be triggered. Please enter an integer value.
...perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the condition (i.e. the sensor status) selected is true and the latency time defined has elapsed. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications setttings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
When condition continues for at least ... seconds	Define an escalation latency in seconds. A second notification can be triggered if this number of seconds has passed since the sensor status has entered the defined condition. Use this to automatically escalate a notification in case a problem persists for a longer time. Please enter an integer value.
...perform...	Select a (second) notification that will be triggered if the condition (i.e. the sensor status) selected is true and the escalation latency time defined has elapsed. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
...and repeat every ... minutes	Define an interval in minutes in which the escalation notification (defined above) will be sent repeatedly. The second (escalation) notification defined will be resent every x minutes. Please enter an integer value.
When condition clears perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the condition (i.e. the sensor status) selected is not true any more because the sensor's status has changed again. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications setttings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
Save	Click on the Save button to save your settings.
Delete	Click on the Delete button next to an existing notification trigger to delete it.

Add Speed Trigger

Define a trigger that is activated when a sensor (for example, a traffic sensor) changes its current speed. Click on the Add Speed Trigger button to add a new trigger, or click on the Edit button next to an existing notification to change it. Then define settings as described below. Every trigger will provoke one or more notification(s) to be executed.

Speed Trigger
When ... channel	From the drop down menu, select the channel which's data will be regarded for this comparison. Select Primary to generally use a sensor's primary channel (this can be defined in the sensor's settings) or choose a specific channel name from the list (there are different channels for every sensor type). All following settings for this trigger will be based on the chosen channel.
...is...	Select the condition that will trigger the notification. Choose from the drop down menu: Above: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel overruns a defined value. Below: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel undercuts a defined value. Equal To: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel is the same as a defined value. Not Equal To: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel is different than a defined value.
[value]	Define the value the channel's data will be compared with. Please enter an integer value.
[scale]	From the drop down menu, select the unit in which you entered the [value] above. [scale] and [time] together define the unit for the given value. If the channel's data is shown in a different unit PRTG will automatically convert values internally. Choose between: bit kbit mbit gbit tbit Byte KByte MByte GByte TByte
[time]	Select the time for the scale (so you create a scale per time designation). Choose from the drop down menu: second minute hour day [scale] and [time] together define the unit for the given value. If the channel's data is shown in a different unit PRTG will automatically convert values internally.
..for at least ... seconds	Define how many seconds will be waited before a notification is provoked. This can avoid false alarms in case a channel reaches a limit for just a few moments. If the combined channel condition of [value], [scale], and [time] persists after the defined time span, the notification will be triggered. Please enter an integer value.
...perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the combined channel condition of [value], [scale], and [time] is true and the latency time defined has elapsed. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
When condition clears perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the combined channel condition of [value], [scale], and [time] is not true any more because the channel's value has changed again. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
Save	Click on the Save button to save your settings.
Delete	Click on the Delete button next to an existing notification trigger to delete it.

Note: No escalation notification and no repeat are available for this trigger type.

Add Volume Trigger

Define a trigger that is activated when a sensor (for example, a traffic sensor) reaches a certain volume limit in a specified time. Click on the Add Volume Trigger button to add a new trigger, or click on the Edit button next to an existing notification to change it. Then define settings as described below. Every trigger will provoke one or more notification(s) to be executed.

Volume Trigger
When ... channel	From the drop down menu, select the channel which's data will be regarded for this comparison. Select Primary to generally use a sensor's primary channel (this can be defined in the sensor's settings) or choose a specific channel name from the list (there are different channels for every sensor type). All following settings for this trigger will be based on the chosen channel.
...has reached... [value]	Define the value the channel's data will be compared with. If the channel's data overruns this value, a notification will be triggered. Please enter an integer value.
[scale]	From the drop down menu, select the unit in which you entered the [value] above. [scale] and [time] together define the unit for the given value. If the channel's data is shown in a different unit PRTG will automatically convert values internally. Choose between: Byte KByte MByte GByte TByte
per [time]	Select the time for the scale (so you create a scale per time designation). Choose from the drop down menu: Hour Day Week Month [scale] and [time] together define the unit for the given value. If the channel's data is shown in a different unit PRTG will automatically convert values internally.
...perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the [value] in the combined unit of [scale] and [time] is overrun. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
Save	Click on the Save button to save your settings.
Delete	Click on the Delete button next to an existing notification trigger to delete it.

Note: No escalation notification, no repeat, and no notification when condition clears are available for this trigger type.

Add Threshold Trigger

Define a trigger that is activated when a sensor reaches specific values. Click on the Add Threshold Trigger button to add a new trigger, or click on the Edit button next to an existing notification to change it. Then define settings as described below. Every trigger will provoke one or more notification(s) to be executed.

Threshold Trigger
When ... channel	From the drop down menu, select the channel which's data will be regarded for this comparison. Select Primary to generally use a sensor's primary channel (this can be defined in the sensor's settings) or choose a specific channel name from the list (there are different channels for every sensor type). All following settings for this trigger will be based on the chosen channel.
...is...	Select the condition that will trigger the notification. Choose from the drop down menu: Above: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel overruns a defined value. Below: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel undercuts a defined value. Equal To: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel is the same as a defined value. Not Equal To: The trigger will be prompted if the value of the selected channel is different than a defined value.
[value]	Define the value the channel's data will be compared with. It will be directly compared to the channel's data. Please enter values in the smallest possible (base) unit, for example, in bytes or seconds. Please enter an integer value.
..for at least ... seconds	Define how many seconds will be waited before a notification is provoked. This can avoid false alarms in case a channel reaches a limit for just a few moments. If the defined channel condition persists after the defined time span, the notification will be triggered. Please enter an integer value.
...perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the defined channel condition is true and the latency time defined has elapsed. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
When condition clears perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered if the defined channel condition is not true any more because the channel's value has changed again. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings. You can also choose no notification in order to only use other conditions for this trigger.
Save	Click on the Save button to save your settings.
Delete	Click on the Delete button next to an existing notification trigger to delete it.

Note: No escalation notification and no repeat are available for this trigger type.

Add Change Trigger

Define a trigger that is activated by an 'on change' trigger. Some sensors offer the option to send such a trigger whenever sensor values have changed. Click on the Add Change Trigger button to add a new trigger, or click on the Edit button next to an existing notification to change it. Then define settings as described below. Every trigger will provoke one or more notification(s) to be executed.

Change Trigger
When sensor changes perform...	Select a notification that will be triggered whenever a compatible sensor sends a 'change notification'. You can enable this option in the settings of some sensors. The notification trigger will be activated immediately whenever a sensor sends an 'on change' trigger. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings.

Change Trigger

When sensor changes perform...

Select a notification that will be triggered whenever a compatible sensor sends a 'change notification'. You can enable this option in the settings of some sensors. The notification trigger will be activated immediately whenever a sensor sends an 'on change' trigger. Choose a notification from the drop down menu. The menu shows all notifications defined in the Account Settings—Notifications settings.

Note: There are no other options available for this trigger type.

Sensor Settings Overview

For information about sensor settings, please see the following sections:

Object Settings Overview

For more general information about object settings, please see section Object Settings.

Ajax Web Interface—Device and Sensor Setup—Topics

Other Ajax Web Interface Sections