Alerts - Setup and Configuration

AX 2009
Alerts Setup and Configuration
Sumit Loya
3/17/2009
Table of Contents
1. Setups required for receiving alerts...................................................................................................... 3 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2. 3. Enable receiving of alerts on the user account options................................................................ 3 Setup E-mail templates ................................................................................................................. 4 Setup E-mail parameters............................................................................................................... 7 Setup Alert parameters................................................................................................................. 8 Setup batch groups ....................................................................................................................... 8 Start the alerts and email jobs in the batch mode ....................................................................... 9
Configuring an Alert Rule .................................................................................................................... 12 Managing alerts .................................................................................................................................. 16 3.1 3.2 Manage alert rules ...................................................................................................................... 16 Notifications ................................................................................................................................ 18
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009
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1. Setups required for receiving alerts

Before a user can start defining rules for receiving alerts, he/she need to be sure that proper setup is in place. Following setups need to be done before receiving any alerts 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Enable receiving of alerts on the user account options Setup E-mail templates (Mandatory if emails also need to be sent) Setup E-mail parameters (Mandatory if emails also need to be sent) Setup Alert parameters Setup Batch groups Start the alerts and email jobs in the batch mode
1.1 Enable receiving of alerts on the user account options

The user should first be enabled to receive alerts. To do this traverse to Tools Options Notifications tab and specify following data Field Receive notifications every (minutes) Pop-up link destination Description The time interval by which Microsoft Dynamics AX polls for new alerts. The time interval must be set in minutes. The minimum value is 1 and the maximum value is 1440 minutes (1 day). Specify whether alerts open to the current alert or to the original alert in the Notification list form. Select to open to the original alert to see the context in which the alert was triggered.
To alert: Link opens the alert that was raised. To alert origin: Link opens the origin from where alert was raised.
Send alert as email message
Specify whether alerts should be delivered as e-mail messages. The option to deliver alerts as e-mail messages can also be set up on individual alert rules. The selection in this field overrides rule-level setup.
Define on each alert rule: Email settings to be specified on each rule that you will create. For all alert rules: Email should be sent for all the alert rules. For no alert rules: Email should not be sent for any of the alert rules.
Show pop-ups
Specify whether alerts should be delivered as pop-up messages. The option to deliver alerts as pop-up messages can also be set up on individual alert rules. The selection in this field overrides rule-level setup.
Define on each alert rule: Pop-up settings to be specified on each rule that you will create. For all alert rules: Pop-up should be shown for all the alert rules. For no alert rules: Pop-up should not be shown for any of the alert rules.
See the screen shot below for more information
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1.2 Setup E-mail templates

E-mail templates are required to identify following information 1. The sender address 2. The subject of email 3. The body of email The setup of E-mail templates is mandatory if a user wants to receive Alerts via emails. Following steps describe how to create an E-mail template Traverse to Basic Setup E-mail templates Specify following information by creating a new record Field E-mail ID E-mail description Default language code Sender name Sender Priority Batch group Description Unique identification for the pre-defined e-mail message. Short description of the e-mail content.
Use this language as the default if no messages exist in the language specified under Messages. Profile name on e-mail system. Internet e-mail address. Select the priority of the e-mail. Select a batch group if the e-mail should be sent using batch.
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Specify following information for email message Field E-mail ID Language Subject Layout Description E-mail message identification. Language of current label. Subject of the e-mail message Specify the type of layout
HTML: Mail body is defined in HTML format XSLT: Mail body is defined in XSLT format and needs to be converted before embedding
Alternatively you can also click on Template button to specify the body format. A sample body format for HTML is shown below
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Corresponding HTML code is %message% <a href="dynamics://%LinkToBusinessData%/">Go to %for%</a> <a href="dynamics://%LinkToBusinessData%/">Go to %for%</a> <a href="dynamics://%LinkToBusinessData%/">Go to %for%</a> __________________________________________________ Alert details <table cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 background=""> <tbody> <tr> <td>Occurred: </td> <td>%occurred% </td> </tr> <tr> <td>For: </td> <td>%for% </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Company: </td> <td>%company% </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Event:</td> <td>%event% </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Additional info: </td> <td>%data% </td> </tr> </tbody>
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</table> <a href="dynamics://%LinkToAlert%/">View Alert</a> <a href="dynamics://%LinkToAlertRule%/">Change Alert Rule</a> __________________________________________________ Dynamics AX Alerts You may receive an error when clicking on the links if Microsoft Dynamics AX cannot be launched from this computer. 
1.3 Setup E-mail parameters

E-mail parameters setup is required to send emails. Below is the procedure for this setup Traverse to Administration Setup E-mail parameters and specify following information. Field Outgoing mail server Local computer name SMTP port number Description Specify the name of the outgoing SMTP mail server. This information is provided by the system administrator or your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Type the local computer's name or Internet Protocol (IP) address.
Specify the port number to be used with the SMTP server (the default is 25). This port number should not be changed unless the system is specifically set up to use an alternate port. Type a valid user name (if the SMTP server requires authentication). Type a valid password (if the SMTP server requires authentication). If you access the SMTP server through more than one client, the password must be entered from each client. Select this check box to enable Windows NTLM authentication. You must select this option to send an e-mail message by means of an SMTP server that is configured to use Windows authentication. Specify a system-wide size limit for e-mail attachments. The maximum buffer size, defined by the maxbuffersize registry key, also limits the acceptable attachment size. If the size that you define here exceeds the maximum buffer size, the
User name Password
Use NTLM
Attachment size
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maximum buffer size limit will apply.

Tip: When setting the acceptable size of e-mail attachments, consider the fact that any large file passed to the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) may slow the application and may cause denial of service to other users.
Directory
Specify a system location for e-mail attachments and embedded e-mail data. Attachments from other locations than the one that is specified are restricted. The location should be on the server or, alternately, on a share.
1.4 Setup Alert parameters

Traverse to Basic Setup Alerts Alert parameters and specify following information Field Batch Processing Window (days) Description Specify an interval, in days that the batch is allowed not to run without due-day alerts becoming obsolete. With this interval of days, an alert is sent when the alert rule is processed. Even though the alert exceeds the time limit defined in the due-date criteria, it remains valid as long as it does not exceed the due-date criteria plus the additional interval of days. E-mail ID Select a unique identification for alert e-mail messages. The drop-down will be from E-mail templates table. You can specify the specific email template created for alerts here. Enter a value to identify the database to which the drill-down link in alert e-mail messages refers.
Note: The value is included in the drill-down link, and thus it is visible to anyone who uses the drill-down link. Therefore, do not use the database name as part of the value.
Drill-down target
1.5 Setup batch groups

You need to create batch groups to continuously keep processing the alerts submitted by the system event. For this you need to create specific batch groups that are being handled by batch server and invoked periodically by batch server for processing. You can create two batch groups, one for handling the alerts processing and other one for handling the sending of email alerts. Following is the process for creating a batch group Traverse to form Administration Setup Batch groups and specify following information Field Group Description Enter up to 10 characters for the group.
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Description Selected servers
Enter up to a 30-character extended description of the batch group. Displays the list of servers that the selected group can run on. Use the arrow buttons to add or remove servers from the list.
Note: You need to add the batch server in this list for batch group to be handled by automatically by AOS
Remaining servers
Displays the list of available batch servers. Use the arrow buttons to add or remove servers from the list.
1.6 Start the alerts and email jobs in the batch mode
This step is required to ensure that the alerts and emails that are generated due to an event are processed periodically and delivered to intended users. The E-mail distributor batch job is required only if you have to configure the alerts through email as well. To start the Changed based alerts, Due date based alerts and E-mail distributor batch jobs follow the procedure as stated below: Traverse to Basic Periodic Alerts Change based alerts, Basic Periodic Alerts Duedate based alerts and Administration Periodic E-mail processing Batch and specify following information Field Batch processing Description Mark this check box if you intend to run this process as a batch job, otherwise it will be run immediately. Specify a caption for the job.
Note: If a process is having description method the caption will be defaulted.
Caption
Batch group Private
Specify the batch group under which the task will run, if it has to run in batch mode. If this check box is marked only the user who created that task can run it.
To set the recurrence, click on Recurrence: button and specify following information Field TimezoneId Starting time Starting date Description Select the time zone that recurrence times are based on. Type the time that the batch job recurrence should start. Enter the date that the batch job recurrence should start. Click the calendar icon to the right of the field to select a date using a Microsoft Outlook-style calendar.
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No end date End after: Count End by: End date
Specify that the batch job recurrence never ends. Specify that the batch job recurrence ends after a specific number of recurrences. If you selected End after, type the specific number of recurrences. Specify that the batch job recurrence ends on a specific date. If you selected End by, enter the date of the last recurrence. Click the calendar icon to the right of the field to select a date using a Microsoft Outlook-style calendar. Specify the recurrence time between batch jobs in minutes. Enter the number of minutes in the Count field.
Minutes
Hours
Specify the recurrence time between batch jobs in hours. Enter the number of hours in the Count field.
Days
Specify the recurrence time between batch jobs in days. Enter the number of days in the Per field. To run the batch job daily from Monday to Friday, click Every weekday.
Weeks
Specify the recurrence time between batch jobs in fixed weekly intervals. Enter the number of weeks in the Fixed weekly interval field, and then select the days on which you want the job to run. For example, if you type 2 in the Fixed weekly interval field, and then select Monday and Wednesday, the batch job runs every second week on Monday and Wednesday.
Months
Specify a monthly pattern for the batch job recurrence. To set the day of the month and the frequency of the batch job, select Repeat a specific day by a fixed interval. For example, if you enter 1 in the Day field and 3 in the Per field, the batch job runs on the first of the month, every third month. To set a particular day of the week and the frequency of the batch job, select Repeat a specific day by a fixed interval. For example, if you select Last in the Week field and Friday in the Weekdays field, and then enter 6 in the Month field, the batch job runs every six months on the last Friday of the month.
Years
Specify a yearly pattern for batch job recurrence. Select Repeat once a year or Repeat a specific weekday a year, and then set the starting date.
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For example, if you select First in the Week field, Monday in the Weekdays field, and June in the Month field, the batch job runs annually on the first Monday in June.
Remember following points for change based events 1. The higher you set the frequency of batch job execution; the sooner after a change has happened users receive their alerts. However, a high-frequency number might have a negative impact on the performance of the system. 2. If, on the other hand, the frequency is low and is scheduled for times when the system load is low, it would benefit the performance, but a low batch-processing frequency might not fulfill users' demands for timelines of their alerts. 3. So when setting the frequency of change-based event batches, consider the balance between timeliness of alerts and the performance of the whole system. Remember following points for due date based events 1. Set up batch jobs that execute during the night or at specific times of the day to balance the system load. 2. You should at least set up the batch to execute once a day. 3. Set flexible due dates: Alert-rule processing could be halted in a company for reasons like vacation, system break down, or other issues that could cause batches not to be run for a designated period of time. 4. To avoid situations where due-date alerts become obsolete because the batch has not been running for a few days, you can use the batch-processing window interval to allow the batch to not run for a specified number of days. Remember following points for E-mail distributor batch 1. You can monitor the status of emails from Administration Periodic E-mail processing Email sending status. This form shows all the emails that were sent successfully or failed. You can restart the sending of email from this form 2. You can limit the number of attempts to resend an e-mail message when the first attempt fails by defining it in the Administration > Periodic > E-mail processing > Retry Schedule form
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2. Configuring an Alert Rule

In order to receive an alert, a user needs to configure an alert rule that can be processed by system in the event of changes to the system. The section below describes the step-by-step procedure to configure an alert rule. We will take Employee name as an example for alert rules 1. Traverse to Basic Employee Details form and open it. 2. Now select the Name field and right click on the control. 3. Select the option Create alert rule
4. This opens the Create alert rule form where you can specify following details Field group Field Field Alert me when Event All records in %1 Current record in %1%2 Only records in %1 that match the selected filter Description Specify the information in a form that you want to monitor. The initial contents of this field change according to the location from where you started the Create alert rule command. You can select one of the fields in the active form. Determine during which event an alert should be triggered. Select whether to be alerted for all records of the selected business data type. Select whether to be alerted for the active record of the selected business data type. You are alerted for a subset of the records of the selected business data type. Here click on Select button. This opens a query form where you can specify the business data records for which to apply the rule.
Note: If you select the Only records in %1 that match the selected filter option without inserting any filter criteria, the rule is applied on all business data records
Alert me for
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created in the current form.
End date Alert me until
Trigger alerts up to and including the selected day. Then, the rule becomes inactive. Trigger alerts indefinitely. The title of the alert message is generated from your entries in this form. You can change the suggested title. Enter optional message text. This text will be sent when an alert is triggered. Enter the user who is designated to receive the alerts that are generated by the current alert rule. Send the alerts that are generated by the current alert rule as pop-up windows. Send the alerts that are generated by the current alert rule as e-mail messages.
No end date Subject
Alert me with
Message
User ID Alert who Show popups Also alert me by Send e-mail
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5. An event can have following options Due-date type events Option is due in An alert is triggered This many days before* the date that is stated in your business data. A purchase order with a delivery date of October 16, and the is due in option set to two weeks, would trigger an alert on October 2. On the date that is specified in your business data. This many days after the date that is stated in your business data.
is due was due this amount of time ago *
You are also alerted if your business data changes so that the due date interval is less than the number of days that you entered as your due date interval. For example, suppose that you have created a rule to be alerted two weeks before the delivery date of any purchase order. If a purchase order is created with a delivery date that is only one week ahead, you receive an alert when it is created because the purchase order is within the two-week period that you defined
Update type events Option has changed is set to: An alert is triggered when The current value of the selected field changes. The current value of the selected field is set to a specific value. The value can be set either when the record is created or when you change the value from another value. has been postponed The current value of the selected field changes to a date further into the future*. For example, a postponement from August 10 to August 25 would trigger an alert. The current value of the selected field changes to a date further in the future*. The date is an absolute date, specified in the rule. For example, a postponement from August 10 to August 25 at the earliest and beyond that date would trigger an alert, but a postponement from August 10 to August 24 would not. is set to an earlier date The current value of the selected field changes to an earlier date than the date originally stated in the field. A change from August 25 to August 10 would trigger an alert. The current value of the selected field is set to an earlier date than the date
has been postponed until at the earliest:
is set to a date earlier
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than:
originally stated in the field, and the new date is earlier than the date stated in the alert rule. For example, if the date stated in the alert rule is August 15, then a change from August 25 to August 10 would trigger an alert, but a change from August 25 to August 20 would not.
has decreased below:
The current value of the selected field decreases below a limit which you specify. The current value of the selected field increases beyond an absolute limit which you specify. The future is a relative concept in this context. If you want to, you can set up an alert rule that triggers an alert if a date in the past is changed to a later date. A postponement from August 10 to August 25 could trigger an alert even though the present day is September 20. A change from August 25 to August 10 could trigger an alert even though the present day is August 15.
has increased above:
Create type / delete type events Option Record has been created Record has been deleted An alert is triggered when A new record has been created in the application. A record has been deleted in the application.
6. After specifying the required details, click on Ok to create the alert rule and start receiving alerts.
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3. Managing alerts
3.1 Manage alert rules
After the alerts are created you can view and modify the alerts from Basic Setup Alerts Manage alert rules form
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Here you can delete/modify existing alert rules or create a new alert rule. Creation of new alert rules can be done only if a company record template is defined for alerts. In order to create a Company account template or a User template follow the below procedure 1. Select a record in the form and right click on it. 2. Select option Record info.
3. In the Record information form select option Company account template or User template
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4. In the subsequent dialog enter required information and click on Ok.
5. A record template for alerts is configured and can be viewed from Basic Setup Record templates Once a record template is available users a can then go ahead and create new alerts from Manage alert rules form by click on Create alert rule From template button.
3.2 Notifications
Notifications are alerts that have been raised due to system meeting a criterion of an alert rule. Use this form to maintain alerts that you have received. In this form, you can: View alerts that you have received and when they have occurred. See what alerts you have already read. If you have drilled down to the form where the alert was initiated or if you have opened the General tab in this form, the alert has the status Read. Delete alerts. Open the Manage alert rules form where you can view, edit, or delete the alert rules that triggered an alert. Drill down to the form where the event happened that triggered the alert. Toggle the status of alerts between read and unread. This form can be opened from following places Basic Setup Alerts Manage alert rules Notification list By clicking on the Notifications icon ( ) on the tool bar of the AX client or form.
A notification pop-up appears when a new alert is received and can been seen on the status bar of the AX client. Look at the screen shots below Alert on the status bar (AX client)
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Notification pop-up (Alert grabber)
Notifications form
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AX 2009

Alerts Setup and Configuration

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

1. Setups required for receiving alerts

1.1 Enable receiving of alerts on the user account options

Send alert as email message

See the screen shot below for more information

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

1.2 Setup E-mail templates

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

1.3 Setup E-mail parameters

User name Password

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

maximum buffer size limit will apply.

1.4 Setup Alert parameters

1.5 Setup batch groups

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Description Selected servers

Batch group Private

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

No end date End after: Count End by: End date

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

2. Configuring an Alert Rule

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

created in the current form.

End date Alert me until

No end date Subject

User ID Alert who Show popups Also alert me by Send e-mail

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

is due was due this amount of time ago *

has been postponed until at the earliest:

is set to a date earlier

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

has decreased below:

has increased above:

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

4. In the subsequent dialog enter required information and click on Ok.

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

Notification pop-up (Alert grabber)

Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009

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