Methods

You can assign methods to monitoring attributes, and access the method definitions using the Customizing transaction for the Alert Monitor, RZ21. A method can be a report, a function module, an SAP transaction, or a URL that is to be executed as a reaction to an alert. You can execute these methods within the Alert Monitor. If you double click, for example, the monitoring tree element (MTE) for prematurely terminated jobs, the monitoring infrastructure automatically starts the job management transaction, in which the job reported in the MTE is already selected.

All methods required for standard monitoring functions are predefined. You only need to change the method assignments if you add a new method or if you want to replace one of the SAP standard methods with a method of your own. You can transport method definitions to other SAP systems. However, this is only necessary for your own method definitions; the methods delivered by SAP already exist in all systems with the same SAP release.

Monitoring tree elements are assigned to MTE classes. An MTE class describes the general properties and method assignments that are common to a particular group of monitoring tree elements. The MTE class is also used in rule-based monitor definitions.

You can also group methods assigned to MTE classes in properties variants. This has the advantage that you can run different methods in different properties variants, making the monitoring of SAP systems more flexible. Another advantage is that long-running methods can be run in the background.

The following methods exist:

• Data Collection Method

  These methods allow the collection of information about the SAP system and its environment that is then reported to the monitoring infrastructure. The method starts automatically or is automatically started by the Alert Monitor at specified time intervals. A data collection method is, for example, an ABAP program that is responsible for the collection of information about an MTE.

  For the monitoring infrastructure to be able to start a passive data collection method, the corresponding node to which this method is assigned must exist. However, this is not always the case when the system is started, since the monitoring contexts with the nodes must first be created. It is therefore possible to call the methods when the system is started so that the corresponding nodes can be created with the first run of the method. To ensure this, in the properties of the method, on the Control tab page, activate the Execute method immediately after monitoring segment start indicator. Methods for which this indicator is activated are known as Start-Up Methods.

  Note

  You cannot change the assignment of data collection methods in the alert monitor, since this would affect the correct execution of the data supplier. Even if you are creating your own data supplier, the assignment of the data collection methods must be performed using the data supplier and not by making changes in the Alert Monitor.

• Auto-Reaction Method

  These methods start automatically when an alert is triggered. Almost no assignments are made in the standard SAP system; however, there are several predefined auto-reaction methods in the monitoring infrastructure that you can assign to any MTE classes:

  · Sending an e-mail

  · Executing an operating system command

  · Executing an auto-reaction in the central monitoring system

• Analysis Method

  This method allows a detailed analysis of error situations without leaving the Alert Monitor. You start an analysis method manually when you want to display information or investigate an alert.

  An analysis method is, for example, an ABAP program for displaying information about a node in the monitoring tree and for collecting information about the problem that triggered an alert in this node.

  Note

  You can display the current method assignments of the MTEs of a monitor and the status of the assigned data collection and auto-reaction methods in an overview screen. To do this, display the technical views of the Alert Monitor.

Changing Properties and Method Assignments