Note:  Blocking Response Rulesets trigger based on the blocking chain (not the head block). Each block will have a head blocker that is assigned a unique SPID, and each SPID attached to the head blocker will have a unique SPID(s). A Blocking Response Ruleset will trigger once the requirements for the blocking chain (whether count based, or time based) are met.

Consider the following example: 

You have a count based blocking ruleset that notifies you of a blocking event if four blocks occur within 25 minutes. 

In one scenario , this ruleset would trigger if there was one blocking event SPID 123, that caused four blocks SPID 77, SPID 98, SPID 99, and SPID 103 within 25 minutes. 

In a second scenario, this ruleset would not trigger if there were multiple blocking events: SPID 174 blocks SPID 99, then SPID 87 blocks SPID 65, SPID 275 blocks SPID 84, and SPID 88 blocks SPID 54. The blocking events in the second scenario were four separate events that occurred within 25 minutes, but they were not part of one single blocking chain, and would not trigger the blocking response ruleset.

Managing Rulesets

Response Rulesets are managed by selecting the Tools menu > Manage Response Ruleset command. Create, edit, and delete rulesets in this window. Assign rulesets to all Actions configured within your environment. Once a Response Ruleset has been defined, it can be associated with a Condition.

Response Rulesets can also be managed for individual Actions from the Response Ruleset tab found within the Conditions pane (View > Conditions).

Creating a New Response Ruleset

Create a new Response Ruleset by completing the following: 

1. Open the Response Rulesets window by selecting Tools > Manage Response Ruleset.
   
2. Select New Ruleset to open the Response Ruleset Editor.
   
3. Enter a name for the Response Ruleset, and then select Count based or Time based from the Ruleset Type box.
   

Depending on the Ruleset type you're creating, the configuration options are as follows:

Ruleset Configuration Options

 

Count Based

Configuration Options

Process Actions After: Occurrences – number of times the event must occur prior to processing actions. within (checked) – the window of time in which the events needs to occur. within (not checked) – ignores time limit, enables subsequent actions. Process Subsequent Actions Every: Occurrences – number of times the event must occur prior to processing subsequent actions. for up to – how long to follow the subsequent actions setting before starting ruleset over.

Time Based	Configuration Options
	Process Actions After: The amount of time a condition must exist prior to processing actions. Process Subsequent Actions Every: The amount of time a condition must continue to exist between processing actions. For up to – how long to follow the subsequent actions setting before starting ruleset over.

Assigning a Response Ruleset to an Action

Assign a Response Ruleset to an Action from within the Manage Response Ruleset dialogue by completing the following:

1. Open the Manage Response Ruleset dialogue (Tools > Manage Response Ruleset ).
   
2. Select any Action found within the Configured Actions section, and then select the drop-down arrow in the Ruleset column to see Response Rulesets applicable for the Action.
   
3. Select the Response Ruleset that you'd like to apply, and then select Close to save your selection.
   

You can also assign a Response Ruleset to an Action from the Response Ruleset tab found within the Conditions pane (View > Conditions). 

1. In the Navigator pane (View > Navigator) select the node where you'd like to configure the Action.
   
2. Select the Action that you'd like to apply a ruleset for in the Conditions pane (View > General/Failsafe/Audit ), and then select Rulesets tab found directly beneath the Action.
   
3. Select the Response Ruleset that you'd like to apply.
   

Response Ruleset Examples

Response Rulesets control how often Actions are taken in response to Conditions. The default ruleset is Notify Every Time, meaning that the Action is taken every time the Condition is met. Response Rulesets allow for an extra level of configurability for certain notifications by allowing you to define additional criteria that must be met in order for the Action to be taken. For a general overview, see the Response Ruleset topic.

Count Based Example

As a reminder Count Based rulesets control:

• How many times a Condition occurs within a specified time frame before Actions are taken.
• How many times a Condition reoccurs before subsequent Actions are taken.
• How long to continue taking Action when a Condition is occurring.

This Count Based ruleset example deals with a SQL Server Agent job that often fails.

For this example assume the following:

You have a Send Email action configured at the instance level for the SQL Server Agent Job: Failure Condition. There's a SQL Server Agent Job FrequentJob, that runs every minute. The occasional failure is expected and can be disregarded, but if this job begins failing repeatedly it usually indicates a problem.

To prevent getting an alert on every failure, set a Response Ruleset to limit the processing of the Send Email action for the SQL Server Agent Job: Failure Condition so that an email is only sent after the job failed multiple times within a specified time frame. For the example we configure a Count Based Response Ruleset that requires the job to fail three times within five minutes. 

To accomplish this you need to apply a Count Based Response Ruleset at the job level (FrequentJob). Apply this Response Ruleset at the individual job level as opposed to the instance level to avoid suppressing email notifications for the rest of your Agent Jobs belonging to that instance.

Configure a Send Email action for the SQL Server Agent Job: Failure Condition for the Agent Job FrequentJob.

1. Select the FrequentJob node in the Navigator Pane.
2. Open the General Actions section in the Conditions pane (View > Conditions).
3. Select Add found in the Explicit section of the General Actions section. This opens the Select Action window.
4. Expand the SQL Server Agent Job: Failure Condition. Select the Send Email action from the checkbox. Select OK to add the configured action. Be sure to specify a Selected Target in the Action Settings tab. 

Next, apply a Response Ruleset to the configured Action.

1. Select the configured email action in the Explicit section of the Conditions pane, and then change the behavior to Override Inherited Action.
2. Select the Response Rulesets tab found directly beneath the Explicit section of the Conditions pane. The default Response Ruleset, Notify Every Time is applied. Select New to open the Response Ruleset Editor.
3. Give the Response Ruleset a name.

   

4. Fill in the information as specified above and select Save to apply the newly created Response Ruleset to the configured Action.

Now that the Send Email action configured for the SQL Server Agent Job: Failure Condition has the above Response Ruleset applied, an email only sends alerting you that the FrequentJob failed, if it does so three times within five minutes.

Only the SQL Agent Job FrequentJob is impacted by this change. Other Agent Jobs are still subject to the Send Email action configured at the instance level that has the default Response Ruleset of Notify Every Time.

Time Based Example

Time Based rulesets control:

• How long a Condition exists before Actions are taken.
• How much time elapses before subsequent Actions are taken.
• How long to continue taking Action when a Condition is occurring.

This Time Based ruleset example deals with Instance Offline/Online Alerts.

For this example assume the following:

You have a Send Email action configured at the Global level for the SQL Server: Offline Condition.

You have a site, TransientSite in your environment that contains several instances. You're being alerted by email that these instances are going offline and online, but when you check these instances they seem to be false notifications. This can happen if there's transient network issues and the monitoring service is unable to connect to the monitored servers. If these problems are truly transient, you may not necessarily want to be notified every time this happens.

To prevent getting an alert for every occurrence of these transient network issues set a Response Ruleset to limit the processing of the Send Email action for the SQL Server Instance: Offline Condition. This Response Ruleset adds additional criteria to the processing of the Send Email action so that an email is only sent after the instance is detected to be in an offline state for a specific period of time.

For this example we do this by:

1. Configuring a Time Based Response Ruleset that requires the SQL Server: Offline Condition to be true for five minutes.
2. Disabling the SQL Server Instance: Online Condition. 

To accomplish this apply a Time Based Ruleset at the site level for the TransientSite. Apply this Response Ruleset at the site level as opposed to the global level to avoid suppressing email notifications about the rest of your instances going offline and online.

Configure a Send Email action for the SQL Server Instance: Offline Condition at the TransientSite level.

1. Select the TransientSite node in the Navigator pane (View > Navigator).
2. Open the Failsafe Actions section in the Conditions pane (View > Conditions).
3. Select Add found in the Explicit section of the Failsafe Actions section. This opens the Select Action window.
4. Expand the SQL Server Instance: Offline Condition. Select the Send Email action from the checkbox. Select OK to add the configured action. Be sure to specify a Selected Target in the Actions Settings tab.

Next apply a Response Ruleset to the configured Action.

1. Select the configured email action in the Explicit section of the Conditions pane, and then change the behavior to Override Inherited Action.
2. Select the Response Ruleset tab found directly beneath the Explicit section of the Conditions pane. The default Response Ruleset, Notify Every Time is applied. Select New to open the Response Ruleset Editor.
3. Give the Response Ruleset a name.

   

4. Fill in the information as specified above and select Save to apply the newly created Response Ruleset to the configured Action.

Now that the Send Email action configured for the SQL Server Instance: Offline Condition has the above Response Ruleset applied, an email only be sends alerting you that one of the instances belonging to the TransientSite is offline, if it's detected to be in that state for longer than five minutes. You receive an additional email every 10 minutes for up to one day as long as the instance remains offline.

Next, disable the Send Email action for the SQL Server Instance: Online Condition at the TransientSite level. This stops any SQL Server online email notifications. With the above Response Ruleset applied, once you stop receiving emails for the SQL Server Instance: Offline Condition the server is online again.

To disable the Send Email action for the SQL Server Instance: Online Condition at the TransientSite level.

1. Select the TransientSite node in the Navigator pane (View > Navigator).
2. Open the Failsafe Actions section in the Conditions pane (View > Conditions).
3. Expand the SQL Server Instance: Online Condition. Select the Send Email action from the checkbox. Select OK to add the action.
4. Select the configured email action in the Explicit section of the Conditions pane. In the Behavior column select the drop down box and choose the Disabled behavior. For more about action behaviors, see the Actions topic.