Alerts: may need escape character for variable

Debbi

The following text, included in my Alert action, does not expand out correctly when I use the $DNS variable:

telnet://${DNS}/

Do I need to escape the slashes to get this to work? Cannot find anything in the documentation about it.

Thanks.

Debbi

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Accepted answers

ecklerwr1

Here's some of you Date and Time options to try:

${DateTime} Current date and time. (Windows control panel defined “Short Date” and “Short Time” format)
${Date} Current date. (Short Date format)
${LongDate} Current date. (Long Date format)
${MediumDate} Current date. (Medium Date format)
${Time} Current Time. (Short Time format)

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Karlo.Zatylny

Hi,

I was able to create an alert where I logged the telnet://${DNS}/ to the NPM Event log and it worked just fine. Perhaps you can give more detail as to what is not working about this syntax. Note that NPM will not have a DNS entry for all your nodes. Perhaps try using ${IP_Address} instead to see if that gets you closer to where you want to be.

Thanks

ecklerwr1

I too am able to use $DNS in multiple locations even map hover overs. One thing I've noticed is if there is no data for the variable I just get the variable name back ie. ${variablename} Another example I find is with system MIB variables... if they aren't set I get back instead of the Location and Contact info the following:

${Location}
${Contact}

So if it's not expanding for your Alert action it could be as Karlo said try another variable like IP_Address or something else just to verify. The definition of $DNS is:

${DNS}

DNS name determined using a reverse DNS lookup. The DNS entry is checked during rediscovery of the network node.

you might verify that you are able to do a reverse DNS lookup on the node in question also to test if there is anything able to gotten from DNS. You can do this with nslookup from command line like this for node in question:

nslookup ipaddress

see if your DNS responds back with a DNS name for the IP address you passed nslookup above.

Debbi

I set up a Basic alert with this variable and got the correct info. I set up an Advanced alert and just got back the variable (same node). Can you guys verify that yours is working with Advanced Alerts?

Thanks!

Debbi

ecklerwr1

Try using ${Node.DNS} instead of ${DNS}... that worked for me.

Debbi

Where did you come up with that????

It does work, thank you very much.

BTW, I see a big difference in the ${DateTime} between Basic and Advanced alerts. Are you seeing that too?

Basic: 1/12/2010

Advanced: Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I need a shorter date/time in Advanced so will have to play with it.

Debbi