FAQ

What is AlertGrid?

AlertGrid is a web-based service that automates event handling. Users can create workflows that analyze received event data, check custom conditions and if these conditions are met (or not) - execute specified actions, such as sending an SMS or making a phone call. The conditions editor works very similar to “e-mail rules” editors found in Outlook or other e-mail clients. AlertGrid also can check if an expected event did not occur at all, and execute an action as a response.

How do I send Signals to AlertGrid?

AlertGrid offers a simple API. Signals are nothing but a HTTP request sent to http://hq.alert-grid.com/save-signal/. All major programming languages, including C#, C++, VB, java, PHP, python, ruby, perl support the creation and sending of http requests in just a few lines of code. See sending HTTP request samples page for examples in different programming languages. Feel free to contact our technical support if you need assistance.

Why should I write a code that sends a Signal to AlertGrid, instead of writing my own code in the very same place that would handle the situation immediately?

There are numerous reasons:

• If the condition changes – you don’t have to recompile and/or redeploy your code. You only edit the rule in AlertGrid and hit the save button.
• If a required action changes (an SMS is needed instead of an email, or the recipient has changed), again there is no need to recompile/redeploy/re-configure anything in your production environment. You change the rule in AlertGrid and it works immediately!
• Once you integrate your event source with AlertGrid, the rules can be easily created and maintained by anybody, even a non-technical employee, someone who does not know how to write code, compile programs, etc. Rules can be added by the people in your organization who are interested in being notified about different events. Such self-service reduces costs and simplifies the real “workflow” in an organization.
• If you deal with many rules and conditions – it’s far better to manage them all from a single place, via the web browser, rather than write logic in many places in the code.
• AlertGrid not only lets you handle events that occur but also can react when an expected event does not occur (Signal was not received). You can’t hardcode such logic anywhere, and if you think it through, you’ll realize that to do it the right way you’d have to create your own reliable, scalable, user-friendly heartbeat monitoring service outside of your application environment. We’ve done it for you!

Is there a SOAP endpoint which I could use to send Signals?

We’re working on and it and it will be available soon.

Can AlertGrid receive signals only over the internet?

No. AlertGrid is also available as a product and can be deployed in any network, even those not connected to the internet (or behind a corporate firewall). If you are interested in buying AlertGrid as a product, please contact us for more details.

How does AlertGrid know who is sending a Signal? Is there some kind of authentication when sending a Signal?

Yes. There are two mandatory values that you must always pass in a signal: api_id and receiver_name. An API id is generated for you when you create an account in AlertGrid and it serves for authentication. You should keep this id private and safe. Receivers are logical objects (which you create using the AlertGrid portal) that facilitate the organization and management of your rules.

What are workflows?

A Workflow is a sequence of zero or more conditions and/or actions. In other words they are “if-then” rules. AlertGrid offers a nice and user-friendly editor for managing Workflows.

What kind of conditions can I create?

You can build a condition with any logical complexity. Your condition can check variable values passed in a Signal. So, for example, if the Signal carries a variable named disk_space, you can build a condition “if disk_space >50 and disk_space<=70”…

What kinds of actions are available?

Currently the following actions are available:

• Send Email
• Send SMS
• Make a phone call
• Call external services (via URL)

Can I build a Workflow that will trigger an action if the expected signal did not come?

Yes. Handling missing ‘heartbeat’ signals is one of the key features of AlertGrid.

How much is AlertGrid? Is there a free plan?

Please check the Pricing page. Yes, we do offer a free plan without a time limit.