Simplifying Event Remediation with Intelligent Event Modules (IEMs)

By Pam Johnson

Intelligent Event Modules (IEMs) are vendor event reference libraries that contain the proper priority designation as designed by the vendor or manufacturer and descriptive event definitions for detected events. IEMs transform cryptic event codes into human-understandable error definitions, simplifying the diagnosis activity and cutting down mean-time-to-repair (MTTR).

Events captured by ConsoleWorks that are in the vendor IEM “library” are automatically matched, assigned the appropriate priority, and presented with their human-readable definition. This enables administrators, engineers, and technicians to use their time for value-add issue or problem resolution rather than priority assessment or event code researching.

In other words, ConsoleWorks uses IEMs to dramatically simplify and optimize IT operations by eliminating time-consuming event prioritization and research activities, freeing up resources for value-add activities, and completing event remediation in the most efficient manner possible.

Read more about The ConsoleWorks® Difference – Intelligent Event Modules (IEMs)

Event Lifecycle Management – Remediating an Event

By Pam Johnson

ConsoleWorks not only provides a secure and direct connection that allows authorized users to fix an affected asset, but it can also detect and fix problems automatically, escalate alerts and alarms to higher-level personnel, and offer vendor-recommended procedures, actions, and best practices to facilitate issue remediation.

ConsoleWorks supports a robust and very granular privilege model based on user-defined Access Control rules. When an event is detected, only those users who have the appropriate privileges are given access to perform the remediation on an event. These access control rules enable administrator’s control over what a particular user can do with ConsoleWorks – right down to enforcing specific command selection and syntax.

Because ConsoleWorks maintains a persistent connection to the Baseboard Management Controller (iLO, DRAC, AMT, Serial Port) or VM, appropriate users still have secure access to the system, even if the system is down, in order to perform an effective root-cause analysis and remediation of the incident.

ConsoleWorks captures remediation information, character-by-character, response for response, as the remediation occurs. This allows for the institutionalization and consistency of best practices for a particular event. Not only does this capability allow knowledge to be available for future reference or to be leveraged by a less experienced user, but it also ensures knowledge remains as employees leave, dramatically reducing the training and re-training costs associated with new employee orientation.

In this way, ConsoleWorks builds the business’s data warehouse of intellectual property relating to problem resolution and business operation “Best Practices,” resulting in consistency of problem resolution – and yielding better reliability and availability for the business. Starting with vendor knowledge of an event and how to remediate it, then building remediation history as well as the business best practice for an event, time to remediate is significantly reduced, cutting costly downtime.

For additional information on event remediation and the ConsoleWorks® Complete Event Lifecycle Management Solution, download the Solution Brief: A Complete Solution for Event Lifecycle Management

Additional Event Lifecycle Management blog articles are available at the links below:

• Event Lifecycle Management and its Value in the Compliance Process
• Event Lifecycle Management – Event Detection
• Event Lifecycle Management – Logging Events
• Event Lifecycle Management – Analyzing Events
• Event Lifecycle Management – Notifying When an Event Occurs

Event Lifecycle Management – Notifying When an Event Occurs

By Pam Johnson

When an event is detected, ConsoleWorks may be configured to execute action routines using the information collected from the event. These action routines may be used to notify personnel, interact with the affected device, application, or operating system, even triggering other events as a result.

The best part? These notifications work the way that you want them to.

ConsoleWorks tracks how many times a particular event has occurred and may trigger other events based on a certain number of occurrences within a particular timeframe. Notifications can be sent for each individual occurrence or for the first occurrence of an event but not subsequent occurrences.

Critical events may be configured to require human intervention or even to require an acknowledgement comment. This ensures that the appropriate personnel are aware of the event and are taking action. It also allows these users to document what action is being taken on the event, what action has already occurred, and how long it took for someone to respond to the event once it was detected.

ConsoleWorks may also be configured to respond to critical events in a more complex manner. For example, ConsoleWorks may be configured to terminate a user’s session after a predefined number of unsuccessful login attempts. It may also be configured to create a trouble ticket or change record in an external software package.

For additional information on event notification and the ConsoleWorks® Complete Event Lifecycle Management Solution, download the Solution Brief: A Complete Solution for Event Lifecycle Management

Additional Event Lifecycle Management blog articles are available at the links below:

• Event Lifecycle Management and its Value in the Compliance Process
• Event Lifecycle Management – Event Detection
• Event Lifecycle Management – Logging Events
• Event Lifecycle Management – Analyzing Events