Pingdom-style alerts

You can configure Pingdom-style alerts to monitor your website, URI, and Synthetic transaction entities in SolarWinds Observability Digital Experience. The Digital Experience alert templates are configured using the state.nativeState == down attribute to alert you through email similarly to Pingdom, with features such as:

• Clearly defined subject lines such as DOWN alert: Website down

• Links to the affected website, URI, or Synthethic transaction entity

• Lists the entity's current status

• Lists the reason for the entity's status

• Additional information relating to the alert

This topic demonstrates how to create a Pingdom-style alert using the Digital Experience alerting templates. Use the Website down, URI down, or Synthetic transaction down alerts from Alert Templates, or configure the alert from scratch using the state.nativeState attribute.

How are Pingdom-style alerts different?

Pingdom-style alerts in SolarWinds Observability resemble the alerts you may have been familiar with in Pingdom, as the name suggests. The image below displays a standard SolarWinds Observability alert (left) and a Pingdom-style alert (right).

See the table below for some key differences.

SolarWinds Observability standard alert	SolarWinds Observability Pingdom-style alert
1. Uses a general subject line describing alert such as Critical ALERT Triggered - Website down.	1. Uses a clearly defined subject lines such as DOWN alert: Website down
2. Uses the Monitored condition such as composite.synthetics.availability.	2. Uses the state.nativeState == down attribute.
3. Links to the related entity.	3. Links to the affected website, URI, or Synthethic transaction entity.
4. Notifies you when the alert was triggered in UTC.	4. Lists the entity's current status
	5. Lists the reason for the entity's status
	6. Adds additional information relating to the alert

Create an entity down alert

This section demonstrates how to set up a Pingdom-style alert in SolarWinds Observability with the Digital Experience alerting templates.

1. Open Alert Settings and click the Templates tab.

2. Search for website, URI, or Synthetic transaction templates.

3. Click the vertical ellipsis on the website down, URI down, or Synthetic transaction down template, and then click Create Alert.

4. Review the Details page. Modify the alert name, description, severity, and enable alert setting. Optional: Enter a Runbook URL. Click Next.

5. Review the Alert Type page. Metric Condition is selected in the template by default. Click Next.

6. Review the settings on the Conditions page. The templates are configured to alert you when the state.nativeState of any monitored website, URI, or Synthetic transaction entity is down. You can keep this configuration, or refine the scope to trigger only for selected websites.

7. Configure the alert scope and condition:

   The Digital Experience alerting templates have the state.nativeState == down attribute configured by default as shown in the image.

   

   1. Entity type: The Website, URI, or Synthetic transaction entity type is selected by default (based on the selected template).

   2. Scope by: All is selected by default.

   3. Alert Condition: state.nativeState == down is selected by default.

   4. Click Next.

8. Add email notification(s):

   1. Click Add.

   2. Select Email from the Services drop-down.

   3. Select an existing email configuration, or click Add a New Configuration.

   4. Set the resend frequency in minutes or seconds.

   5. Repeat these steps for any additional emails you want to alert.

   6. Optional: Click the Send an attentional notification toggle to be alerted once the alert is cleared.

   7. Click Next.

9. Review the Create Alert Summary. Click Create to complete your Pingdom-style alert.

Add SMS notifications

For information on SMS pricing, see the Subscription topic.

1. Create a metric condition alert definition for the state.nativeState attribute for one of the following entities.

   1. Website

   2. URI

   3. Synththetic transaction.

2. Continue to the Actions step on the Create Alert or Edit Alert wizard.

3. Under the Services drop-down click SMS.

4. Select an existing SMS configuration, or click + Add a new configuration.

5. Complete the Create SMS Configuration:

   1. Enter a name for your SMS recipient.

   2. Enter a description for your SMS recipient.

   3. Select a notification timezone from the drop-down menu.

   4. Enter the phone number. Click Add to add the phone number.

   5. Click Notification Test to send a test notification to your phone number.

      The notification test counts toward your SMS quota. In case of a test failure, the Test notification result box appears, providing details.

   6. Click Create to save your changes.

Notify external recipients through email

You can add external recipients to alert notifications on the Actions step of the Create Alert or Edit Alert wizards. You can also add external recipients through notification services.

Add an external recipient through the alert wizard

1. Navigate to the Actions step on the Create Alert or Edit Alert wizard.

2. Under the Services drop-down click Email.

3. Under the Configurations drop-down, click + Add a new configuration.

4. Complete the Create Email Configuration:

   1. Enter a name for your external recipient.

   2. Enter a description for your external recipient.

   3. Select a notification timezone from the drop-down menu.

   4. Enter the external email. Click Add (email name) to add the email.

   5. Click Notification Test to send a test notification to your external email.

   6. Click Create to save your changes.

Add an external recipient through notification services

1. Click Settings > Notification Services.

2. Click Email.

3. Click Create Configuration.

4. Complete the Create Email Configuration:

   1. Enter a name for your external recipient.

   2. Enter a description for your external recipient.

   3. Select a notification timezone from the drop-down menu.

   4. Enter the external email. Click Add (email name) to add the email.

   5. Click Notification Test to send a test notification to your external email.

   6. Click Create to save your changes.

Connect SolarWinds Observability Digital Experience with Statuspage through email notifications

Statuspage uses incoming emails to update component status. The email subject line must clearly indicate the status, such as UP or DOWN.

Step 1: Get the Statuspage Component Email

1. In Statuspage, go to your component.

2. Enable email automation or email updates.

3. Copy the unique email address generated for your component. SolarWinds Observability will send alerts to this address.

Step 2: Create an Alert and add Statuspage's email address as a recipient

1. Open SolarWinds Observability. Go to Alerts > Alert Settings > Templates.

2. Select a Digital Experience alert template, (Website Down, URI Down, or Synthetic Transaction Down).

   Alerts must use default templates or state.nativeState to receive required alert format accepted by Statuspage.
   
   Custom templates alerts will not generate subject lines that Statuspage requires to send an alert

3. Navigate to the Actions step on the Create Alert wizard.

4. Under the Services drop-down click Email.

5. Under the Configurations drop-down, click + Add a new configuration.

6. Complete the Create Email Configuration:

   1. Enter a name for your Statuspage.

   2. Enter a description for your Statuspage.

   3. Select a notification timezone from the drop-down menu.

   4. Enter the Statuspage email that you copied in Step 1. Click Add (email name) to add the email.

   5. Click Notification Test to send a test notification to your Statuspage.

   6. Click Create to save your changes.