SAP ALM - Alert Management System

SAP Alert Management
Dr. Erhard Weidenauer, SAP AG Dr. Christoph Nake, SAP AG Johannes Jonas, SAP AG
Motivation What Is Alert Management? Example Demonstration Alert Category Definition Recipient Assignment Triggering Alerts Delivery Channels System Configuration Summary
Alert Management Motivation

SAP applications recognize critical situations for a company
Insufficient system resources, system administration (mySAP Technology, CCMS) Delivery problems for an important order (mySAP SCM) Drastic decline in revenue (mySAP BI) Key customer cancels contract (mySAP CRM)...
Value of time-critical information
Elapsed Time
Third-party applications recognize critical situations, too

Control desk of a production plant: Overloading Stock value goes below limit ...
SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 3
General Alert Management Scenario

Non-Alert Unit
Application Decision Tool
Application Context Alert Push
SAPconnect
ALM
Alert Delivery
UWL
Alert Management: What Is an Alert?
In many processes and applications, critical situations arise. The information about a situation is distributed to an appropriate recipient list in form of an alert. An alert is characterized by the following:
Someone must react immediately!

Keep in mind:
If no one has to react, its just a notification. If the immediate reaction is not necessary, its a work item.
Alert Management: A Scenario...
Example: The single processing of an alert takes about 30

minutes and you receive 10 alerts within 1 hour. Hence, you need 5 hours to process these alerts.
Keep in mind:
Not all alerts can be handled immediately. For some alerts, the processing is delayed for several hours. The alert loses its exceptional character, since almost the entire working day is filled with alert processing. Getting used to the ongoing escalation status of the alerts, you treat them as work items.
Sending too many alerts inhibits immediate processing.

Alert Management: Another Scenario...
Example: For an alert category, you have defined 10

recipients. Some alerts belonging to that category are triggered.
Keep in mind:
The fact that you are aware of the 9 other alert processors can lead to the situation that no one takes care of the alert.
Think twice about possible group dynamics, before defining large recipient lists.
Benefits of Alert Management
Active delivery of mission critical information:

Support for e-mail, SMS/pager, fax, Web interface, and so on
Personalized alert delivery

Get messages via your preferred channel
Define which content is relevant for you

Publishing and subscription mechanism for alert topics
Easy-to-use definition environment for customer projects
Alert Management System

The Alert Management system is available since SAP Web AS 6.20. Alert Delivery Logic implemented by:
CRM ( Customer Relationship Management) SCEM (Supply Chain Event Management) APO (Advanced Planner and Optimizer) CCMS (Computer Centric Monitoring System) PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) BW (Business Information Warehouse)
Possible System Landscapes

1 2
SAP System
Application
ALM
Application System
RF C
Application System
FC R
ALM
3
SAP System
Application
Requirements:
ALM
Application RFC System
ALM Server Web AS 6.20 Local application systems 4.6C Local application systems 6.10 need a workplace plugin
General Alert Management Scenario

Non-Alert Unit
Application Decision Tool
Application Context Alert Push
SAPconnect
ALM
Alert Delivery
UWL
Example of a Technical Scenario

Non-Alert Unit
Update Manager CCMS Alert Monitor Update inactive Alert Push
SAPconnect
ALM
Informs SysAdmin
UWL
Example of a Business Scenario

Non-Alert Unit
CRM PPF Purchase order cancelled Alert
SAPconnect
ALM
Informs manager
UWL
Definition of an Alert Category (1)

Alerts within an alert category are defined by various properties:
Title, short text and long text Variables that can be used in title, short or long text (application data) Priority Recipients Escalation procedure Subsequent activities (in form of URLs) ...
Alert categories can be defined by applications or customers using the alert category definition environment in transaction ALRTCATDEF.

Overview of alert categories on this server Transaction code ALRTCATDEF
Alert category definition
General Properties
Container Definition with text variables replaced at runtime
SMS short text displayed in the alert inbox; Long text in the detail view of the inbox.
URL-based subsequent activities
Recipient Assignment
Subscription Administrator
Fixed recipients (users and roles)
Application
Runtime determination of recipients
Holders of a subscription role can subscribe to a category in the alert inbox
Alert recipients
Triggering an Alert (1) Alerts can be triggered either by using one of the following frameworks
Event in the Business Object Repository
Define event linkage with transaction SWE2 Receiver function module: SALRT_CREATE_VIA_EVENT
Action of the Post Processing Framework (PPF) Auto-Reaction Method in CCMS (since 6.40) Triggering as a step in a SAP Workflow
or by direct call of the function module SALRT_CREATE_API.
Triggering an Alert (2) - Event Linkage

Transaction code SWE2 Business Object Type, Event of Business Object Type, Alert Category (Receiver Type) Pre-Defined Function Module Additional Checks before triggering the alert (e.g. check for important customers)
Triggering an Alert (3) - Post Processing Framework

Transaction code SPPFCADM
Context Action and Processing Type
Triggering an Alert (4) - CCMS

Auto-Reaction Method in CCMS (since 6.40)
RZ20
SALO_SEND_ALERT_TO_ALM
SALRT_CREATE_API
Triggering an Alert (5) - API

CALL FUNCTION 'SALRT_CREATE_API' EXPORTING ip_category * * * * IP_EXPIRATION_TIME IP_EXPIRATION_DATE IP_WAIT_ON_COMMIT IP_APPLICATION_GUID = name of alert category = time of expiration = date of expiration = wait for commit work or send alert immediately = GUID of raising application(since 6.40)
* TABLES * * * * * IT_RECIPIENTS IT_EXT_RECIPIENTS IT_EXT_ADDR IT_ACTIVITIES IT_CONTAINER

= dynamic alert recipients (SAP User) = dynamic alert recipients (address strings) = dynamic alert recipients (address references) = dynamic subsequent activities (URLs) = name/value pairs (used variables in texts)
Alert Inbox in the EP Universal Worklist
Alert Inbox As BSP (1) Alert List
Confirm alert
Forward alert
Forward
Refresh
Confirm
Subscription
Personalization
Short text
Long text
Show recipients of this alert
Subsequent activities (URLs)
Alert Inbox As BSP (2) Personalization

Alerts are always delivered into the Alert Inbox Additionally, they can be sent time-dependently or timeindependently via mail, SMS/pager, or fax
Frm To Subject
Sent M .
Alert Inbox As BSP (3) - Subscription

Administrator must allow Subscribe/Unsubscribe Role can be assigned to Category. Each User within the role can subscribe or unsubscribe to this category
Subscribe/ unsubscribe as BSP
Features at a Glance ...

Alert confirmation by e-mail, SMS, and in the alert inbox
I have received and read the message! Do not escalate this message any further! Do not show this alert in my inbox again
Escalation To superior or system administrator in case of a missing confirmation Subsequent activities URL-based navigation into an application, such as error handling or initiating necessary actions Substitute determination ...
Landscape Configuration Central Alert Server
Alerts are handled internally (handling of e-mail, SMS, alert inbox) or alerts are routed to a partner product (via SMTP or HTTP) Offering users to send XML files to an external system
Definition of the XML document structure Inbound processing for alert confirmation via e-mail (and SMS)
RFC-Destination to the Central ALM Server
Application System
ALM
RFC Destination: ALRT_DEST
Transaction SALRT1:
Transaction SALRT1:
Ways to Confirm Alerts

Alerts can be confirmed: Via API In the Alert Inbox (transaction ALRTINBOX, UWL in EP, or an application into which the Alert Inbox is integrated) By simply replying to received e-mail/SMS => Inbound Processing:
Transaction code SO50
E-mail address of Alert User in configuration
Handler for incoming e-mail provided by Alert Management
Sending SMS Messages Using Web Services
As of SAP Web AS 6.20, it is possible to send short messages/pager messages via a public Web service:
Communication with a service provider via Internet protocol HTTP No additional hardware needed for an SMS/pager gateway Customer pays only for the amount of usage The picture shows the example of a new HTTP node in SAPconnect (administration of external communication)
Summary
Speed Up Your Business with Alert Management!

Active delivery of critical information Support for different media including e-mail, Fax, WAP, SMS, Web Personalized alert delivery and content Alert inbox for an enterprise portal Tracking whether the information has been received and escalation procedure Connection and integration with thirdparty communication systems ...
Further Information
Public Web:
www.sap.com Solutions Technology
Service Marketplace:
http://service.sap.com Use aliases: /alert, /communication Intranet / Twiky (internal only) Implementation Guide I-Tutor Sessions

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SAP Alert Management

Alert Management Motivation

Value of time-critical information

Third-party applications recognize critical situations, too

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 3

General Alert Management Scenario

Application Context Alert Push

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 5

Alert Management: What Is an Alert?

Someone must react immediately!

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 6

Alert Management: A Scenario...

Example: The single processing of an alert takes about 30

Sending too many alerts inhibits immediate processing.

Alert Management: Another Scenario...

Example: For an alert category, you have defined 10

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 8

Benefits of Alert Management

Active delivery of mission critical information:

Personalized alert delivery

Define which content is relevant for you

Easy-to-use definition environment for customer projects

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 9

Alert Management System

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 10

Possible System Landscapes

Application RFC System

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 11

General Alert Management Scenario

Application Context Alert Push

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 13

Example of a Technical Scenario

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 14

Example of a Business Scenario

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 15

Definition of an Alert Category (1)

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 17

Definition of an Alert Category (2)

Alert category definition

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 18

Definition of an Alert Category (3)

Container Definition with text variables replaced at runtime

URL-based subsequent activities

Holders of a subscription role can subscribe to a category in the alert inbox

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 21

or by direct call of the function module SALRT_CREATE_API.

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 23

Triggering an Alert (2) - Event Linkage

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 24

Triggering an Alert (3) - Post Processing Framework

Context Action and Processing Type

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 25

Triggering an Alert (4) - CCMS

Triggering an Alert (5) - API

* TABLES * * * * * IT_RECIPIENTS IT_EXT_RECIPIENTS IT_EXT_ADDR IT_ACTIVITIES IT_CONTAINER

Alert Inbox in the EP Universal Worklist

SAP AG 2004, Title of Presentation / Speaker Name / 29

Alert Inbox As BSP (1) Alert List

Show recipients of this alert

Subsequent activities (URLs)