Operator Messages Monitor
Operator messages are generated when errors occur, for example when processes reach the status Error. For processes, this behavior can be customized in chains with status handlers and with the System_OperatorMessage process definition. Operator messages are used to provide more information about errors that occur and/or ask the operator which steps to take when in a given situation.
tip
You can reply to process-related operator messages from the context-menu of the related process.
The operator messages monitor gives an overview of all operator messages and their statuses. The operator messages monitor consists of two panes:
- The operator message monitor pane displays a list of all operator messages and their status that match a chosen filter. You can delete and reply to operator messages from the context-menu.
- The operator message detail pane displays data of the currently selected operator message and the ability to delete and reply to operator messages.
The operator messages monitor is part of the Monitoring section in the navigation bar.
The possible reply states are:
- NotRequired - The operator message does not require intervention.
- Required - The operator message does require intervention and must be replied to.
- Replied - An operator has replied to the operator message.
note
Empty replies are not accepted.
Reply expressions can be defined as regular expressions, which force the reply to match the regular expression.
Context-Menu
Operator Messages support the following context-menu actions:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Reply | Reply to the Operator message (only available when the reply status is required) |
| Delete | Delete the Operator message |
| Show permalinks | Show links that can be used from third party applications to link to the object |
| Filter > New Filter | Create a new operator message filter |
| Filter > Edit Filter | Edit current operator message filter |
| Filter > Delete | Delete current operator message filter |
| Filter > Duplicate Filter | Create a copy of the filter |
| Filter > Export Filter | Export the filter into a CAR file |
| Filter > Add to navigation bar | Add the filter to a navigation bar |
| Filter > Create filter from search | Create a filter from the current IntelliSearch query |
Finding Operator Messages
You can search for operator messages using filters and the Search Operator Messages box on the Operator Messages tab. This box is known as the IntelliSearch box and located under your username on the top right-hand side of the user interface. Filters allow you to specify a list of objects with static criteria. IntelliSearch allows you to specify complex queries in a simple way using prefixes. Prefixes are used to specify which property you are searching in and have short as well as long syntaxes. For example, if you want to display all operator messages created between 2:05 PM and 2:06 PM, you would use the search criteria as follows:
note
Unlike other overviews, the operator message overview does not have a default search field; prefixes are mandatory.
ct:14:05-14:06
You can search more than one property, as follows:
ct:14:05-14:06 rb:jdoe
note
No spaces should be entered before or after the colon (: ).
See the Advanced Object Search for more information.
The following table illustrates the available prefixes for operator messages:
| Prefixes | Description |
|---|---|
| r, reply | reply text |
| rt, replytime | reply time |
| rb, repliedby | replied by user |
| ct, creationtime | creation time |
| lma, lastmodifiedate | last modification time, wilcard search |
| lmae | last modification time, exact match |
| lmb, lastmodifiedby | last modified by user, wildcard search |
| lmbe | last modified by user, exact match |
| cb, changedbefore | (internal) search for operator messages that changed before a certain ISO-8601 period |
The time-based prefixes allow you to use the time-specific syntax, see Advanced Object Search section for more information.
Procedure
Replying to an Operator Message
- Choose "Monitoring > Operator Messages".
- Choose the Refresh button to update the monitor.
- Choose an operator message that has a
Reply StatusofRequired. - Notice that information regarding this operator message is displayed in the detail pane.
- From the context-menu, choose Reply.
- Depending on the operator message, a word or phrase must be entered or a value must be chosen.
- Choose or enter a reply.
- Choose the Save and Close button to reply to the message and close the window.
- Notice that the
Reply Statushas changed to Replied.
Values
- Full Text - The text of the operator message.
- Reply status - The reply status of the operator message, if it has been replied to or not.
- Reply - The reply the operator chose.
- Sender Object - The object that raised the operator message.
- Creation Time - The time the operator message was generated.
- Last Modification Time - The last modification time.
Example
Example 1
In the first example, an operator message is generated by a chain named EMEA_SALES_RUN after it reached status Error, as defined in its Default status handler. The operator navigates to the operator messages monitor and sees an operator message with the following information:
- Creation Time - 3:17:34 PM
- Title Text - Choose restart option
- Reply Status - Required
- Reply - [none, yet]
The operator selects the message and the operator message detail pane displays the following data:
- Full Text - Choose restart option
- Reply Status - Required
- Sender Object - EMEA_SALES_RUN_STEP_3
- Creation Time - 3:17:34 PM
- Last Modification Time - 3:17:34 PM
The operator now knows that a chain process in step 3 reached status Error at 3:17:34 PM today, the step contains the name of the chain so the operator knows it is the EMEA_SALES_RUN chain that failed. The operator would like to know what happened and chooses the Sender Object EMEA_SALES_RUN_STEP_3. After investigating the log file, the operator finds that the SAP System is down for emergency maintenance. The operator returns to the operator messages monitor once the SAP System is live again and chooses Reply from the context-menu of the operator message.
The operator chooses the following:
- Action - Restart.
- Restart - Entire Step.
- When - Hold Restarted Step.
The operator then sees the following in the operator message detail pane:
- Full Text - Choose restart option
- Reply Status - Replied
- Sender Object - EMEA_SALES_RUN_STEP_3
- Creation Time - 3:17:34 PM
- Last Modification Time - 3:27:55 PM
The operator waits for the SAP Basis team to perform the maintenance and once the SAP system is up again, releases the step in the Process Monitor.
Example 2
In this second, more advanced example, a chain uses operator messages to ask the operator questions. This is done via the processes System_OperatorMessage.
An operator message with the following text is found in the operator messages monitor:
- Full Text - 'Has the error been corrected?'
- Reply Status - Required
The operator selects the operator message and chooses Reply from the context-menu, a new window with the following information is displayed:
- Full Text - 'Has the error been corrected?'
- Reply Expression -
^The error has been corrected|The error has not been corrected$ - Reply -
note
To get a combo box in the reply window this syntax ^a|b|c|d$ must be used, it is a regular expression. The '^' means starting with, the '|' means or and the '$' means ending with.
The Reply Expression displays the accepted replies in the form of a regular expression, in this example the operator has the choice between the following two replies from a combo box:
- 'The error has been corrected.'
- 'The error has not been corrected.'
The operator is certain the error has been corrected and chooses the following reply: 'The error has been corrected.'
The operator now sees the following in the operator message detail pane:
- Full Text 'Has the error been corrected?'
- Reply Status Replied
- Reply 'The error has been corrected.'
- Sender Object Raise an operator message
- Creation Time 3:14:13 PM
- Last Modification Time 3:17:53 PM
Regular expressions are very powerful and can get complex. Avoid using special characters in the replyExpression unless their meaning in regular expression syntax is clear. Special characters include:
'.', '?', '*', '+', '\', '^', '$', '{', '}', '|', '[[', ']', '(', ')'
Special characters can be escaped, which removes their special meaning, with the backslash \ character. For example, you want to specify a path on Windows in a replyExpression, use double backlashes \\ as path-separators, like c:\\Windows\\temp. Note that in this particular case you could also use forward slashes / instead, like c:/Windows/temp.