Using the Universal Connector

Applies To: Operations Manager 2007 R2, Operations Manager 2007 SP1

The Universal Connector is designed to deliver an Operations Manager 2007 R2 alert through the Connector service to any remote system that is deployable on Windows operating systems or supported UNIX and Linux platforms. This section provides the necessary communication information and sample alert formats to enable a remote system administrator or developer to enable Operations Manager 2007 R2 alert forwarding with the Universal Connector.

Alert Communication Life Cycle and Requirements

When the Universal Connector has been installed and configured, the service is running and can forward Operations Manager 2007 R2 alerts to the remote system by using the configuration that is described in Configuring Connectors. Operations Manager 2007 R2 alerts are forwarded manually or with a Product Connector Subscription that is described in Controlling Connector Forwarding.

A remote system administrator or developer must implement integration logic to transfer the data to the remote system from the Operations Manager 2007 R2 alert and alert update files that the Interop Provider saves on the remote system server. This process can also include providing files to the Interop Provider from the remote system as acknowledgements to the alerts and alert updates from Operations Manager 2007 R2. The process should also provide files to the Interop Provider from the remote system for updates that the remote system posts against the events that came from Operations Manager 2007 R2 alerts. This transfer process also includes translating or mapping the field or property names and values that are known on the remote system to those that are used by Operations Manager 2007 R2. The EventType field is required in all messages and determines whether the message is a new alert, new alert acknowledgement, alert update, alert update acknowledgement, or remote system update.

For information about the required integration logic, see Appendix D - The Universal Connector for Windows PowerShell samples.

The following illustration shows the necessary and optional communication sequences that occur for forwarding Operations Manager 2007 alerts to a remote system by using the Universal Connector.

Interop Connector Alert Lifecycle

Alerts and alert updates which are forwarded from Operations Manager 2007 R2 to the remote system contain fields that are designated on the Alert Fields tab of the Universal Connector Configuration dialog box. The following table shows the required fields contained in alerts and updates that are forwarded from Operations Manager 2007 R2. If all the selectable fields in the Alert Fields tab are cleared, this table shows the fields that are still reported in the alerts and alert updates. Additionally, the table shows the fields that must be returned to Operations Manager 2007 R2 in the acknowledgements and updates from the remote system.

Minimum or Required Alert, Update, and Acknowledgement Fields

Message Type Minimal or Required Fields

New Operations Manager alert

AlertId
EventType=0
ManagementGroupName
Priority
ResolutionState
Status

Update from Operations Manager alert

AlertId
EventType=1
ManagementGroupName
Priority
ResolutionState
Status

Remote System acknowledgement of new alert

AlertId
EventId
EventType=2
ManagementGroupName

Remote System acknowledgement of alert update

AlertId
EventId
EventType=3
ManagementGroupName

Remote System update of Operations Manager alert

AlertId
EventType=1
ManagementGroupName

The only field in acknowledgement messages from the remote system that writes to the Operations Manager 2007 R2 database is the EventId field. The value from that field writes to the TicketId field for that alert.

The following message fields of updates from remote systems can write to the Operations Manager 2007 R2 database.

  • CustomField1-10
    
  • EventId
    
  • OwnerName
    
  • ResolutionState
    

The following are the folders, relative to the Interop Provider installation folder, that the Universal Connector uses to forward data to and receive data from the remote system. If the provider is on a Windows operating system, the format is <filename>.xml. If the provider is on a UNIX/Linux system, the format is*<filename>*.evt . Return messages must be in the same format as the forwarded messages.

Path for messages the Interop Provider receives from Operations Manager 2007 Universal Connector:

%ProviderInstallDirectory%\UnvEvents\FromOpsMgr

Path for messages the Interop Provider receives from the remote system:

%ProviderInstallDirectory%\UnvEvents\%ManagementGroup%

Alert Message Formats

The following examples illustrate alert messages that can be forwarded from the Universal Connector to the Interop provider on a remote system. If the provider is on a Windows operating system, the format is <filename>.xml. If the provider is on a UNIX/Linux system, the format is <filename>.evt. Return messages will be in the same format as the sent messages.

Note

In the Universal Connector Configuration dialog box, the alert message format is configurable as XML or EVT. XML is the default for Windows operating systems, and EVT is the default for UNIX systems.

XML Format

The following is a sample Operations Manager 2007 R2 alert that is forwarded to a remote system on a Windows operating system in XML format.

<?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>

<UNVEvent>
<AlertId>4be9ec63-c23b-4aa0-806a-0e91d84cd33f</AlertId>
<Category>Custom</Category>
<ComputerDomain>YourCorpDomain</ComputerDomain>
<ConnectorId>fae610c9-9403-4b5e-b5d6-a81575b35f1f</ConnectorId>
<ConnectorStatus>Pending</ConnectorStatus>
<Description>evt created by Microsoft</Description>
<EventId>102</EventId>
<EventType>1</EventType>
<LastModifiedByNonConnector>11/7/2008 10:00:01 PM</LastModifiedByNonConnector>
<MaintenanceModeLastModified>1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM</MaintenanceModeLastModified>
<ManagementGroupName>YourCorpMgGrp</ManagementGroupName>
<ModifiedBy>YourCorpDomain\admin</ModifiedBy>
<MonitoringObjectId>39e8d0dc-45d2-3dc3-ace0-1731b3078218</MonitoringObjectId>
<MonitoringObjectPath>YourCorpMgGrp.YourCorpDomain.com</MonitoringObjectPath>
<MonitoringRuleId>894b1b8d-2162-62f3-a286-abd7cdcb2582</MonitoringRuleId>
<Priority>Normal</Priority>
<ProblemId>2811d1fd-1299-4f37-9c47-9b23ffa9fb1f</ProblemId>
<ResolutionState>New</ResolutionState>
<Severity>Error</Severity>
<StateLastModified>10/30/2008 5:00:01 PM</StateLastModified>
<TimeAdded>11/6/2008 7:55:23 PM</TimeAdded>
<TimeOfLastEvent>11/7/2008 10:00:01 PM</TimeOfLastEvent>
<TimeResolutionStateLastModified>11/6/2008 7:59:59 AM</TimeResolutionStateLastModified>
</UNVEvent>

Properties Text File Format

The following is a sample Operations Manager 2007 R2 alert that is forwarded as properties in text file format to a remote system on a UNIX or Linux system.

AlertId=1b11d523-1b91-40e3-a318-43d810d7951f
Category=Custom
ComputerDomain=YourCorpDomain
ConnectorId=fae610c9-9403-4b5e-b5d6-a81575b35f1f
ConnectorStatus=Pending
Description=evt created by Microsoft
EventId=102
EventType=1
LastModifiedByNonConnector=11/7/2008 10:00:01 PM
MaintenanceModeLastModified=1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM
ManagementGroupName=YourCorpMgGrp
ModifiedBy=YourCorpDomain \admin
MonitoringObjectId=39e8d0dc-45d2-3dc3-ace0-1731b3078218
MonitoringObjectPath=OpsMgr01.YourCorpDomain.com
MonitoringRuleId=894b1b8d-2162-62f3-a286-abd7cdcb2582
Priority=Normal
ProblemId=d2ff0b6b-c27e-477f-bb05-a3d2988387af
ResolutionState=New
Severity=Error
StateLastModified=10/30/2008 5:00:01 PM
TimeAdded=11/6/2008 7:55:23 AM
TimeOfLastEvent=11/7/2008 10:00:01 PM
TimeResolutionStateLastModified=11/6/2008 7:59:59 AM