Alerts are critical occurrences and they require proactive management to ensure smooth operations and to minimize disruptions. Managing alerts effectively throughout their lifecycle is essential for event-driven workflows, alert and incident response, and business continuity.
In this article, we will explore best practices for managing alerts through their lifecycle, enabling teams to optimize their event management processes and enhance operational efficiency.
Alert creation and responders
Alerts can be created from several different sources; Incoming/Bi-Directional Integrations, E-mails, Alert API, or manually.
When an alert is generated, it already holds a lot of information about its occurrence, the source, the deduplication count, and responders. You can already see who has been notified, and who has seen the alert from the Activity section.
Alert acknowledgment and ownership
Once the alert is created the Responders field shows who are notified of that alert. Once a responder acknowledges an alert, it signifies their awareness and ownership of the issue. Once the alert is created and a team is selected as a responder, the routing rules of the team are checked to determine which escalation/schedule should be used to notify. A team can become a responder to an alert through web UI, rest API, or integrations. An alert can be assigned to an individual, but multiple individuals, teams, escalation policies, and schedules can be a responder of an alert. Until the alert is acknowledged or closed, users are notified according to their notification preferences. Learn more about alert actions.
Escalation
If an alert requires additional attention or expertise beyond the initial responders' capabilities, escalate it to the appropriate teams or individuals. Clearly define escalation paths and criteria to ensure a smooth handover of alerts. Regularly follow up on escalated alerts to ensure timely resolution and prevent delays in response. Learn how to create incidents from alerts.
Alert resolution and closure
As responders work towards resolving the underlying issue, ensure that proper steps are taken to mitigate the impact and restore normal operations. Document the actions taken, including any troubleshooting steps, fixes applied, or workarounds implemented. Communicate the resolution to stakeholders and affected parties and obtain confirmation that the issue has been resolved before closing the alert.
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