Interpreting and Managing Alerts

1. Rule-Based Condition monitoring: A process in SAP APM where rules are defined to monitor the condition of technical objects and generate alerts.
2. Alert Type: The category of alert, which can include Information, Error, or Warning, and helps determine the severity of the situation.
3. Severity: A classification within an alert that indicates the level of urgency or seriousness of the condition reported.
4. Status: The current state of an alert, such as New, In Progress, Closed, or Auto-Archived.
5. Alert Types Application: The part of SAP APM where users can create and manage different types of alerts.
6. Rule Creation: The process of defining the criteria and conditions that, when met, will trigger an alert.
7. Scheduled Rule: A type of rule that triggers an alert based on a predefined time schedule.
8. Streaming Rule: A type of rule that triggers an alert in real-time when data is updated.
9. Deduplication Flag: A setting that prevents the creation of duplicate alerts for the same condition within a certain time period.
10. Health Monitor: The section in SAP APM that displays the 'Alerts' tile and provides an overview of the current alerts.

Jessica will become skilled in the use of alert systems within SAP Asset Performance Management, from establishing and overseeing alert parameters to creating maintenance requests, thus fostering a dynamic approach to the maintenance of CRT Manufacturing's assets.

In this lesson, users will learn about the purpose of Alerts within SAP Asset Performance Management and how to utilize them as a reliability user to generate notifications that are subsequently integrated into S/4HANA.

Video Summary

Learn how to manage and monitor alerts in SAP Asset Performance Management. Discover the Manage Alert Types app and the Monitor Alerts application. Create and close alerts, and even generate maintenance notifications.

The Alerts application presents the list of alerts that originate from rule-based condition monitoring of Technical Objects, which is typically conducted on time series indicator data. These alerts, stemming from sensor data, furnish users with insights into the state of the underlying technical object. This information equips users to anticipate potential failures or detect those that have already transpired, facilitating the identification of appropriate actions to address incoming alerts.

Steps to verify alerts on Home page of APM application:

1. Login to the application with correct Username and password.
2. Under Health Monitor, User should see 'Alerts' Tiles with Total count of alerts

3. Alerts is divided into 2 Section - Header view & Table view.

Default columns in Table View:

Alerts - This contains the following information about the Alert that was generated for a Rule: 

1. Alert Type Description

2. Unique Alert ID

Technical Objects - This contains the contextual details of the Technical Object where the Alert has occurred

Technical Object Name

Technical Object Description

Technical Object Type - Equipment or Functional Location

Origin - Trigger for the Alert (As of now, it is Rule only)

Occurred On -  The actual timestamp "when" the Alert was created for the Technical Object in real world

Severity - This information comes from the Alert Types and currently Information, Error and Warning are supported

Status - This is the latest status of the Alerts. Currently an Alert can have four statues as below:

New - This is the default status of a freshly generated Alert

In Progress - User can manually change the status of New Alerts to "In Process" by single/multi- selecting the Alerts using the "Set to In Process" button

Closed - User can manually do it by single/multi-selecting the Alerts using the "Set to Completed" Button

Auto-Archived - Configurable. By default, all Alerts older than 30 days will be Auto Archived. There is no seperate Auto-Archive button in the UI.

For an user to create an Alert from Rules, a pre-requisite is to have an Alert type created.

Under the Master data data tab, the user can find the Alert type application

Choose the Alert Types tile. Navigate to the Alert Types tab and choose the Create button.

Fill the mandatory fields and choose Save. Verify the new Alert Type is created and Alert Type detail page is loaded. By default, Deduplication Flag is OFF. If an User want to enable Deduplication flag, it can be done and Maximum Duplication Period is set to 30 Days

Once the alert type is created, next step is the creation of Rule.

Choose the Rules tile on home page

Choose the Create button. Fill in all the mandatory details and choose Save. The Rule type can be one of the following: Scheduled or streaming

For this example, User selects the Rule type as Scheduled.

While creating the Rule, User needs to choose either an existing dataset or create a new one that corresponds to the Technical object intend to apply the rule to. Once User input the dataset details, the following screen will appear.

In the role of an User, it is possible to establish an alert when this rule is breached, taking into account the alert category. Additionally, if Notification functionality is enabled, notifications can also be generated within the SAP S/4HANA back-end system.

In the Rule Editor tab, fill in the required details:  

If - add the criteria for the Alert to be generated (Example: TechnicalObject.M_PUMP_TEMPRATURE_LATEST > 80 ).The Alert Type that should be generated when the rule is violated.

Choose Save and then the Release button .

Note 1: User needs to wait until the Rule is executed to see the Alert generated out of the rule.   

Note 2: The mandatory fields are: If Condition, Alert Type, Type, and Description. Planning Plant is only mandatory if Task List Group Counter, Task List Group, and Task List Type all have values.

Once the Rule is executed, check the Alerts tab for the alerts that are created for the particular rule

Under the Health monitor tab, Alerts application is displayed.

Also mention about execution status of rule as the alert will not be generated until the rule is executed 

 Added as note

Open the Alerts application to check the list of alerts created.

When an user opens an alert, information related to particular alert such as indicator that has been violated along with particular values is displayed.

If a User wants to create a notification from this alert, the Create notification button can be used to create notification in S/4 HANA back-end. Notification number will be displayed on the Alerts application too

Create a notification by choosing the notification type and priority from the dropdown

Select Breakdown notification as necessary.

Once the notification is created, user can view notification number associated with the Alerts and corresponding notification is created in SAP S/4HANA.

Manage Alerts

Manage Alert Types

Think about how you could apply the structured approach of utilizing alerts in SAP Asset Performance Management to improve your responsiveness and decision making in future projects or situations.

Expert Response to Personal Reflection Question:

In my experience, continuous monitoring and timely decision-making are critical in project management. Setting up alerts to notify me of important changes or milestones is akin to configuring rules in SAP APM for condition monitoring. I had to establish clear criteria that would trigger these alerts, ensuring that they were significant enough to warrant attention-much like setting the 'If' conditions for alerts in APM.

Just as SAP APM allows for the categorization of alerts by severity and type, I found it crucial to prioritize the influx of information based on the urgency and impact of each alert. This enabled me to respond proactively, addressing the most critical issues first. The parallel here is the use of the severity status in APM, which helps users identify and act on the most pressing alerts promptly.

In reflecting on my methods and comparing them to SAP APM's structured approach, I recognize the value of such a systematized process. It not only enhances efficiency but also ensures that responses are aligned with strategic objectives. In future projects, by emulating the SAP APM approach, I can further refine my monitoring and response systems, using technology to streamline alert management and focus my attention where it's needed most.

Overview

This lesson focuses on understanding the purpose of Alerts in the SAP Asset Performance Management system and how to effectively use them for generating notifications integrated into SAP S/4HANA.

Alerts Application

• Displays alerts originating from rule-based condition monitoring of Technical Objects.
• Alerts provide insights into the state of Technical Objects, helping anticipate potential failures or detect occurred ones.

Verifying Alerts on the Home Page

1. Log in with correct credentials.
2. Navigate to Health Monitor and locate the 'Alerts' Tiles.
3. Alerts are divided into Header view and Table view, with default columns providing information about the Alert and Technical Object details.

Table View Columns

• Alert Type Description, Unique Alert ID.
• Technical Object Name, Description, Type (Equipment or Functional Location), Origin, Occurred On, Severity, Status (New, In Progress, Closed, Auto-Archived).

Creating Alerts from Rules

• Prerequisite: Create an Alert type.
• Alert Types application under Master Data tab.
• Fill mandatory fields, save, and verify the new Alert Type.
• Deduplication flag can be enabled with a maximum duplication period of 30 days.

Rule Creation

1. Choose the Rules tile on the home page.
2. Choose the Create button, fill mandatory details, and save.
3. Rule types: Scheduled or streaming. For this example, User selects the Rule type as "Scheduled."
4. Choose an existing dataset or create a new one for the intended Technical object.
5. In the Rule Editor tab, set criteria for Alert generation (for example, Technical Object.M_PUMP_TEMPRATURE_LATEST > 80).
6. Save and Release the Rule.

Viewing Alerts

• Check the "Alerts" tab under the Health monitor for alerts created by the rule.
• Open the "Alerts" application to view the list of alerts.

Alert Details

• Information related to the violated indicator and specific values.
• Create notifications in SAP S/4 HANA back-end using the Create notification button.
• Notification number associated with the Alerts is displayed on the Alerts application.

Conclusion

• Alerts in SAP Asset Performance Management play a crucial role in identifying potential failures or detecting occurred ones.
• Proper verification and utilization of alerts can lead to effective notifications integrated into the SAP S/4HANA back-end system.