AppDynamics Integration

Create alerts in ilert based on custom thresholds from AppDynamics

AppDynamics provides application performance management (APM) and IT operations analytics across cloud computing environments as well as inside the data center.

With ilert's AppDynamics integration, you can automatically create alerts in ilert based on custom thresholds from AppDynamics. That way, you will never miss a critical alert and always alert the right person using ilert's on-call schedules, automatic escalation, and multiple alerting channels. When a threshold in AppDynamics is exceeded, ilert will alert the on-call person through their preferred channel, including SMS, phone calls, push notifications and Slack. ilert will automatically escalate to the next person, if the alert is not acknowledged. ilert also lets you define alerting rules based on support hours and delay alerts until your support hours start.

In ilert: Create an AppDynamics alert source

1. Go to Alerting → Alert sources and click Create new alert source.
2. Search for AppDynamics, click its tile, and click Next.
3. Give your alert source a name, optionally assign teams, and click Next.
4. Choose who gets notified: select Use existing escalation policy and pick a policy, or Generate new escalation policy to start with a basic one that notifies you first. Click Next.

   

   Pick an existing escalation policy, or generate a basic one without leaving the wizard.
5. Select Default grouping and click Continue setup. It groups events by the alert key the integration sets; the other grouping options are easier to judge once events are arriving.
6. The next page shows more settings, such as notification priority and alert templates. Click Finish setup for now; you can change them later.
7. On the final page, ilert shows the integration key and URL for this alert source. You will need them later in this guide.

In AppDynamics: Create HTTP Request Template

1. Go to Alert & Respond --> HTTP Request Templates and click on New to add a new template

1. Give the template a name (e.g. "ilert Notification") and add the following Custom Templating Variables:
2. ilertApiKey - set it to the alert sources's API key from above
3. ilertEventType - set it to ALERT
4. In the Request URL section, set the the Method to POST and the Raw URL to https://api.ilert.com/api/v1/events

1. In the Custom Request Headers section, add the following header Accept: application/json
2. In the Payload section, set the MIME type to application/json and copy and paste the following JSON payload:

{
"apiKey": "${ilertApiKey}",
"eventType": "${ilertEventType}",
"incidentKey": "${latestEvent.node.name} - ${latestEvent.application.name}",
"summary": "${latestEvent.displayName} on ${latestEvent.node.name}"
}
}

1. In the Response Handling Criteria section, add the following Success Criteria

1. Under Settings, check One Request Per Event and click on Save

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Test the HTTP Request Template

You can now test the template to make sure an alert is created in ilert.

1. Click the Test button at the bottom of the page
2. Click Add Event Type and select any event and then click Run Test.

1. Go to ilert and check that an alert has been created by AppDynamics.

Create action

1. Go to Actions in the left navigation menu, select an application, server or database to create the action for, and click Create

1. Select HTTP Request from the list and click OK.

1. Give the action a name, e.g. "ilert Alert" and select the ilert HTTP Request Template from above and click on Save.

1. Create another action that will be used to resolve alerts in ilert. Give the action a name (e.g. "ilert Resolve") and select the same HTTP template again. Change the iLertEventType from ALERT to RESOLVE, then click Save.

Create policy

1. You can use the above actions in your policies. Go to Policies in the left navigation menu, select an application, server or database to create the policy for, and click Create

1. On the Triggers tab, create a new policy with the settings that should create alerts in ilert.

1. Switch to the Actions tab and add the ilert Alert that you've created above. Then, click on Save.

1. Now repeat the last 3 steps with your desired recovery conditions to have alerts in ilert close automatically when your application, server or database in AppDynamics recovers.

FAQ

Will alerts in ilert be resolved automatically?

Yes, as soon as the recovery conditions of application, server or database are met, the alert in ilert will be resolved automatically.

Can I use AppDynamics with multiple alert sources from ilert?

Yes, you can create arbitrary mappings between your applications in AppDynamics and alert sources in ilert. Simply create additional actions in AppDynamics using the same HTTP Request Template with a different ilertApiKey.

Can I customize the alert messages?

Yes, you can customize the events sent to ilert by changing the JSON payload in the Payload section of the HTTP Request Template.