Working with the Alerts Backend

The PingDirectory server stores recently-generated admin alerts in an Alerts Backend under the cn=alerts branch.

The backend makes it possible to obtain admin alert information over LDAP. The backend’s primary job is to process search operations for alerts. It does not support add, modify, or modify DN operations of entries in the cn=alerts backend.

The alerts persist on the server in the config/alerts.ldif file so they can survive server restarts. By default, the alerts remain in the system for seven days before being removed. Administrators can configure the number of days alerts are retained by using the dsconfig tool.

The administrative alerts of Warning level or worse that have occurred in the last 48 hours are viewable from the output of the status command-line tool and in the administrative console.

Viewing information in the Alerts Backend

About this task

To view admin alerts:

Steps

Run ldapsearch.

Example:

$ bin/ldapsearch --port 1389 --bindDN "cn=Directory Manager" \
  --bindPassword secret --baseDN cn=alerts "(objectclass=ds-admin-alert)"

Result:

dn: ds-alert-id=3d1857a2-e8cf-4e80-ac0e-ba933be59eca,cn=alerts
objectClass: top
objectClass: ds-admin-alert
ds-alert-id: 3d1857a2-e8cf-4e80-ac0e-ba933be59eca
ds-alert-type: server-started
ds-alert-severity: info
ds-alert-type-oid: 1.3.6.1.4.1.32473.2.11.33
ds-alert-time: 20110126041442.622Z
ds-alert-generator: com.unboundid.directory.server.core.directory.server
ds-alert-message: The Directory Server has started successfully

Modifying the alert retention time

Steps

To change the retention time of admin alerts, run dsconfig.

Example:
```
$ bin/dsconfig set-backend-prop --backend-name "alerts" \
  --set "alert-retention-time: 2 weeks"
```
After this time, the information is purged from the PingDirectory server. The minimum retention time is 0 milliseconds, which immediately purges the alert information.

To view the alert-retention-time property, use dsconfig.

Example:

$ bin/dsconfig get-backend-prop --backend-name "alerts" \
  --property alert-retention-time

Result:

Property	: Value(s)
---------------------:---------
alert-retention-time : 2 w

Configuring duplicate alert suppression

About this task

The duplicate-alert-time-limit property specifies the length of time that must pass before duplicate messages are sent over the administrative alert framework.

The duplicate-alert-limit property specifies the maximum number of duplicate alert messages that can be sent over the administrative alert framework in the time limit specified in the duplicate-alert-time-limit property.

To configure the maximum number of times an alert is generated within a particular timeframe for the same condition:

Steps

Run dsconfig.

Example:

$ bin/dsconfig set-global-configuration-prop \
  --set duplicate-alert-limit:2 \
  --set "duplicate-alert-time-limit:3 minutes"