Where are the Default Notification Templates in XI?

[justin]

I'm pulling my hair out here... I'm pretty good with Nagios Core, but I cannot find where the default notifications are defined for NagiosXI.

The closest I can figure is the core config commands list. However, the XI email and page commands do not appear to match the contents of the messages we receive or what is referenced in the individual alert configuration options.

Also, there are %xisomething% variables referenced in those individual alert setups. Where do I find a list of the variables that are available for this purpose? They are not the same as the $MACROVARIABLES$ I'm used to.

Thanks,
Justin

[mmestnik]

These are in the XI interface, not the Core Config Manager.
Click on your name just left of "Logged in as:" -> "Notification Messages" on left nav bar.

[justin]

I'm not seeing that... Left of "Login as:" is blank all the way until the logo.

I found the custom/individual alert settings for the user, but not the default for new users.

[mmestnik]

Ohh, I.C.

Those are hard coded constants, there is no interface to change them.

[justin]

Wait... So, I have to login as each user and modify their Notification settings manually? Somethings seems amiss there.

What about those %xivariables%? Where are those documented?

[mmestnik]

These are a reflection of Nagios Macros, documented in the Nagios 3.x documentation under "Standard Macros in Nagios."
http://support.nagios.com/knowledgebase/officialdocs

[justin]

Either I'm not explaining my inquiries correctly, or possibly you're reading my questions too clearly. In either case, I appreciate your attempts to assist.

Unfortunately, I was already aware of the Nagios Core macro variables, "$MACROVARIABLE$". I am in need of the alternate list of "%xivariables%" that are not documented in that Nagios Core documentation.

For example here is the standard default Host email notification within XI:

Host Alert Subject: %type% Host Alert - %hostalias% is %hoststate%
Host Alert Message: ***** Nagios XI Alert *****

Notification Type: %type%
Host: %host%
State: %hoststate%
Address: %hostaddress%
Info: %hostoutput%
Date/Time: %datetime%

Nagios URL: %xiserverurl%

Service Alert and Mobile Text Nofications also use these same "%xivariables%.

I simply need to customize these default notifications to include acknowledgement links at a minimum and hopefully expand the verbiage used to the rest of our users.

Thanks again!

[mmestnik]

These should be 1:1 and it looks like the default illustrates how these verbs are spelled. The documentation would look something like this, I'd imagine.

$hostname$ -> %host%
$hoststate$ -> %hoststate%
$hoststatetype$ -> %type%
$hostaddress$ -> %hostaddress%
$hostactionurl$ -> %xiserverurl%

One thing I'll ask when Ethan get's back is how Custom Variable Macros work in XI, if at all.

[justin]

I don't expect that the %xivariables% to be limited to just those referenced in the default notification templates. Where are these xi variables actually documented? Moreover, where is the XI centric official documentation? There are library documents referencing specific tasks (like patching/upgrading), but nothing that actually documents XI specifically, like the Nagios Core documentation.

I'm still not convinced it is not possible to modify the default notifications. Is there any official developers that can affirm if it is possible to customize the default notification template? They have to be configured somewhere. Even if I have modify something from command-line, we have to be able to modify these initial templates.

[mmestnik]

I don't expect that the %xivariables% to be limited to just those referenced in the default notification templates. Where are these xi variables actually documented? Moreover, where is the XI centric official documentation? There are library documents referencing specific tasks (like patching/upgrading), but nothing that actually documents XI specifically, like the Nagios Core documentation.

That's it, that is the sum of what we have documented thus far. When there is enough content to fill a manual then, time permitting, we will compile it all into a single document. We will likely put out some documentation describing the XI specific macros, however this will not be completed for a while as we are short staffed during these conferences.

I'm still not convinced it is not possible to modify the default notifications. Is there any official developers that can affirm if it is possible to customize the default notification template? They have to be configured somewhere. Even if I have modify something from command-line, we have to be able to modify these initial templates.

As indicated currently the default templates are [1]hard coded.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_coding