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Oracle Alerts

Mona Lisa Sahu

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TopicsTopics

What does an Alert do ? Characteristics of Alerts Demo for Creating an Alert Additional Information

• Summary Message • History of Alert • Distribution Lists

Additional functionalities• Escalation Groups, • Threshold Group• Response Processing

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What does Oracle Alert do?What does Oracle Alert do? Oracle Alert is your complete exception control solution. It informs you of critical activities in the database Delivers key information from applications (ie HR, Payroll,

etc) in the format you choose Provides regular reports via email instead of having to run

reports Automate system maintenance, and routine online tasks

You can define one of two types of alerts :You can define one of two types of alerts :

Periodic Alert

Checks the database for information according to a schedule you define.

Event Alert

Immediately notifies you of activity in the database as it occurs

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Periodic AlertPeriodic Alert

Characteristics of a periodic alert : Characteristics of a periodic alert :

It is a SQL Statement that retrieves a specific database information

ie. sql to retrieve new hires who starts today, employees who were terminated yesterday

You can specify the frequency that you want a periodic alert to run the SQL statement

ie. Every Day, Every Other Day/Business Day, On Day of the Week / Month, Every N Calendar/Business Days, On Demand.

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Set up the actions you want Oracle Alert to perform once it runs the SQL statement.

Types of Actions:

- Email with the retrieved information sent to recipient. This is the most common action used.

- Running a SQL statement script ie. Update script

- Running a concurrent program

- Running an operating system script

Periodic Alert Scheduler will automatically execute the alert at the time you have specified for it to be checked.

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Event AlertEvent AlertCharacteristics of an event alert :Characteristics of an event alert :

It is a database event of an Insert or Update to a specific database table

i.e. Insert to FND_USER_RESP_GROUPS table where responsibility name like HR

You can specify the SQL select statement to retrieve specific information as a result of the database event

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Event AlertEvent AlertCharacteristics of an event alert :Characteristics of an event alert :

When an insert or update is done, the Event ALERT Database trigger will fire; *BUT* no action will be done.

The trigger will exit immediately once it determines that the 'Event' is not being executed within an Application "context".

For each event alert database triggers are created. The trigger name is created by prefixing the table name with ALR_ and suffixing the table name with _IAR (after insert) or _UAR (after update).

Query the DBA_TRIGGERS table for the trigger that is associated with this event alert.

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Set up the actions you want Oracle Alert to perform as a result of the database event. Types of Actions:

- Email with the retrieved information sent to recipient. The most common

action used.- Running a SQL statement script ie. Update script

- Running a concurrent program - Running an operating system script

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Periodic Alert vs. Event AlertPeriodic Alert vs. Event Alert

Event Alert is less preferred because each database event (Insert or Update) that occurs in an actively used table

ie. PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F,

PER_ALL_ASSIGNMENTS_F, etc

triggers a request to the Concurrent Manager queue, hence causing congestion to the queue.

Periodic Alert is more desirable because each alert run sends only one request to the Concurrent Manager, even though there might be more than one exception found in the request

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To create an alert, you need:To create an alert, you need:

Alert Manager Responsibility

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Periodic Alert Creation DemoPeriodic Alert Creation Demo

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How to Create a Periodic AlertHow to Create a Periodic Alert

1. In Alert Manager, navigate to Alert > DefineThis is an empty alert form

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Choose the Application that owns the alert ie. Oracle Human Resources

Enter Name & Description for the alert

Enabled flag – for activation of alert. You can leave it unchecked until you are ready to run the alert

Choose Periodic tab. Enter the Frequency and Start Time you want the alert to run.

Specify the number of days you want to keep the alert history logs in Keep Days.

Enter SQL statement in Select Statement. Format:

SELECT first_name INTO &firstname identify output with an & before name

FROM PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F

WHERE employee_number = ‘99999’;

Choose Verify to parse the Select statement. The results will be displayed in a Note window.

Choose Run to execute the Select statement. It will display the number of rows returned in a Note window.

Save your work.

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Example of Periodic AlertExample of Periodic Alert

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How to Create an Event AlertHow to Create an Event Alert

1. Choose the Application that owns the alert ie. Oracle Human Resources

2. Enter Name & Description for the alert

3. Enabled flag – for activation of alert. You can leave it unchecked until you are ready to run the alert

4. Choose Event tab.

5. Choose the Application and database table you want Oracle Alert to monitor.

6. Check After Insert and/or After Update if you want the event alert to run when a user inserts and/or updates a row in the database table.

7. Specify the number of days you want to keep the alert history logs in Keep Days.

8. Enter SQL statement in Select Statement

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Format: SELECT fnd.user_name

INTO &newuser

FROM FND_USER fnd

WHERE fnd.rowid = :ROWID;

The Select statement must include a join from the table where the event transaction occurs (FND_USER) to an implicit input called :ROWID. Oracle Alert uses :ROWID to pinpoint the inserted or updated record in the table that caused the event. If this join is not included, Oracle Alert cannot locate the row where the event transaction occurred.

Choose Verify to parse the Select statement. The results will be displayed in a Note window.

Choose Run to execute the Select statement. It will display the number of rows returned in a Note window.

Save your work.

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Example of an Event alertExample of an Event alert

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Creating Alert ActionsCreating Alert Actions

After defining a Period or Event alert, you need to create actions for the alert to perform. On the same alert form, click on Actions button.

On the Actions form, select a level for Action: Detail, Summary or No Exception.

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Detail Action - Performs once for each individual exception Summary Action - Performs once for all exceptions found No Exception - Performs when no exceptions are found Choose Action Details button on Actions form. On the Action

Details page, select the type of action you want to create in the Action Type field.

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Creating an Action SetCreating an Action Set Next, you need to include

the Alert Actions created previously in an enabled Action Set for Oracle Alert to perform during an alert check. An Action Set can include an unlimited number of Actions and any combinations of Actions.

Additionally, you can create as many Action Sets as you like for each alert. Oracle Alert executes the alert SQL Statement once for each Action Set You defined. During each action set check, Oracle Alert executes each Action Set Member in the sequence specified.

To get to this form, click on Action Sets button on main alert form

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Specifying Alert DetailsSpecifying Alert Details

• Click on Alert Details button on the main alert form.• On the Outputs tab, you will see the outputs of the Select Statement, defined on the INTO clause. • Make sure they are lined up in the same order as they appear on the Select Statement.

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InstallationInstallation

Oracle ID - specify an Oracle ID if you want Oracle Alert to check your alert against the specific Oracle ID. ie APPS

Operating Unit – If alert is defined for US, choose the business group Oracle Corporation. For Global Alerts, leave it blank.

Enabled flag – to enable/disable the Installations.

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Running an AlertRunning an Alert

To manually run a Periodic Alert, go to Request > Check

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Summary MessageSummary Message Oracle Alert can perform a summary message action on a combination of the exceptions found during an alert check, rather than on each exception found.

• Separate summary message to the purchasing agent for each purchase order.

To: &AGENTCc:Bcc:Subject: Unapproved purchase order &PO

PO Number: &PO Vendor: &VENDOR Description: &DESC

Line Item Description Quantity Price–––– –––––––––––––––– –––––––– –––––=**= Enter summary template below this line =**=

** &LINE &ITEM &QTY $&PRICE

=**= Enter summary template above this line =**=

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History of an AlertHistory of an Alert

To view action logs of any alert, go to Menu Item History

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Distribution ListsDistribution Lists

predefine a set of message recipients for use on many actions. To create, click on ‘Distribution list’ in navigator

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Transfer AlertTransfer Alert

Transfer an alert definition to another database, or make a copy of an existing alert. Click on the Menu Tools->Transfer Alert from the main alerts window.

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Threshold GroupThreshold Group

automatically determine whether to perform a detail or summary action, depending upon the number of exceptions found by the alert Select statement.

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EscalationEscalation Oracle Alert performs a different detail action each time it encounters

the same exception, corresponding to increasing severity levels.

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Associating Threshold and Escalation Groups with Associating Threshold and Escalation Groups with Action SetAction Set

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Duplicate Checking for EscalationDuplicate Checking for Escalation

Oracle Alert cannot check for duplicates if history for the previous alert checks is not retained.

We can choose outputs for checking duplicates at Alert and Action set level.

If you check the Suppress Duplicates check box in the Actions Sets window of the Alerts form, Oracle Alert no longer performs any action within that escalation group, after reaching the highest escalation level.

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Response ProcessingResponse Processing

When Oracle Alert receives a response to a specific alert message, it automatically performs the actions you define.

Actions can be defined for valid and invalid responses. Oracle Alert lets you define responses that may include

response variables whose values are provided by the responder.

Oracle Alert lets you define follow–up actions that Oracle Alert takes if the message recipient does not respond within specified number of days

Once a valid response is received for a message the further response processing is not done for it. Oracle Alert uses message handle for this.

#:<Oracle_Alert_installation_number.message_number.Oracle_ID.organization_ID>

e.g. 2.347.3.5

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Response SetResponse Set

Response Set consists of response variables, valid response definitions, actions, Invalid response actions and follow-up actions.

Click on ‘Response Set’ button from the main alert window

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Attaching Response Set to an ActionAttaching Response Set to an Action

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Thank You