Setting Alarm by using Autosys job and tool handling for alarm
Alarms are automated notifications triggered when a system detects an abnormal condition that requires human attention to resolve. Unlike automated recovery processes, alarms highlight scenarios where:
Manual intervention is necessary (e.g., decision-making, troubleshooting).
Automated fixes are not possible (e.g., missing dependencies, corrupted data).
Key Characteristics of Such Alarm
Event-Driven
Triggered by specific conditions (e.g., a file not arriving on time, a job failing repeatedly).
Example: A scheduled ETL job fails because an expected input file is missing.
Requires Human Judgment
The system cannot auto-resolve (e.g., deciding whether to proceed with incomplete data or wait).
Critical (Red): Immediate action needed (e.g., production outage).
Warning (Yellow): Needs investigation but not urgent (e.g., delayed file arrival).
Informational (Blue): Logged for awareness (e.g., job completed with warnings).
Example Scenario: Missing File Alarm
Situation
A scheduled batch job depends on an input file expected by 2:00 AM.
By 2:30 AM, the file hasn’t arrived, and the job fails to start.Alarm Behavior
Detection: Monitoring tool identifies the file is overdue.Notification: Sends an alert (email/SMS) to the support team.
Investigate: Check if the file was delayed or lost.
Decide: Proceed with a backup file, rerun the job later, or abort.
Resolve: Manually trigger the job or fix the upstream issue.
Why Automation Isn’t Enough
The system doesn’t know whether to:
Wait longer (network delay?).
Use an older file (is it acceptable?).
Skip the job (will downstream processes break?).
A human must assess and decide.
Best Practices for Such Alarms
Clear Alert Messaging
Include:
What failed, Why it matters, Possible actions.
Avoid Alarm Fatigue
Only alert for true exceptions (not every minor delay).
Runbook Integration
Link alarms to troubleshooting guides (e.g., "Steps if a file is missing").
Post-Incident Review
Analyze if the alarm could be automated or prevented in the future.
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