Alarm threshold policies in IT Expert

[JLehr]

Threshold policies replace individual sensor threshold configurations on June 1, 2025 Migrate your threshold configurations to threshold policies soon. Avoid getting duplicate alarms Once you configure threshold policies, delete the individual sensor thresholds previously created on the Alarms > Thresholds page.

 

On this page

• Overview
• 1. Name the threshold policy; select a location
• 2. Select sensor types
• 3. Define the target sensors
• 4. Configure thresholds
• 5. Configure hysteresis
• 6. Summary
• New state sensor: Gateway Comm Status
• Overriding alarm threshold policy settings

Overview

You will only receive notifications on alarms when you connect a Gateway and subscribe to IT Expert or you subscribe devices to Asset Advisor.

Most devices come with a set of pre-defined default alarms. While thresholds can be defined directly on devices, like those that use APC Network Management Cards (NMC), it's easier to use threshold policies in IT Expert if you're defining alarm thresholds for sensors on multiple devices.

In IT Expert, Administrators and Operators with the appropriate permissions can create alarm threshold policies on numeric and state sensors on the Alarms > Threshold policies page.

   Watch the video

Multiple threshold policies of the same sensor type are grouped in the list by priority.

Use the icon    to drag and drop the policy in the list to determine which policy takes precedence when device sensors are in multiple policies.

To create a threshold policy:

Log in to IT Expert and go to Alarms > Threshold policies. Click Create policy.

1. Name the threshold policy; select a location

When a device is in multiple threshold policies, the policy in the location closest to the device takes priority.

2. Select sensor types

Select the numeric or state sensor type. Click Show all… to see all available numeric or state sensor types.
Note: To create a threshold for Battery Capacity Remaining, select Percent. 

This example is a Temperature threshold policy.

3. Define the target sensors

Select the target sensors and then narrow your selection. 

The list reflects the number of devices, sensors and locations that meet your criteria.

Click Configure in each section to specify what you want to include in the policy and then click Next.

Target sensors by:

- Device type

- Manufacturer

- Model

- Sensor type

- Sensor name

Configure device types

Configure device models

Configure sensor types

Otherwise, you can toggle Target specific device sensors only to manually select one or more sensors. Use the Search field narrow your selection.

4. Configure thresholds

Configure the high and low threshold values that cause warning and critical alarms for numeric sensors.

You can change the values in the fields to visualize the thresholds in the graph. 

Note: The data shown in the graph are an example, not actual data.

Numeric sensor threshold

5. Configure hysteresis

Hysteresis settings reduce chattering from frequently occurring alarms.

Note: The device always triggers its pre-defined default alarms.

Number of violations

Specify the number of times a threshold must be violated before an alarm occurs.

To trigger an alarm without delay, set the number of violations to 1.

Configuring a large number of violations reduces the sensitivity of the threshold alarm.

Number of samples

Specify the sample size to be evaluated before an alarm clears. Samples are polling cycles, five minutes by default. 

The sample looks back at that number of polling cycles regardless of whether an alarm has occurred.

Configuring a large sample size compared to violations can delay the alarm from clearing.

You can change the values in the fields to visualize the hysteresis in the graph. 

Note: The data shown in the graph are an example, not actual data.

6. Summary

View the summary and save the threshold policy.

New state sensor: Gateway Comm Status

The Gateway Comm Status - protocol  sensor is available for every discovered device: SNMP, Modbus, NetBotz, Redfish.

Devices monitored by Gateway 1.23 and newer support configuring hysteresis for communication alarms reported by the Gateway Comm Status sensor.

Communication alarms are generated after one violation when devices are not included in a policy for the Gateway Comm Status sensor.

To quiet communication alarms for your monitored devices, create a policy, choose the Gateway Comm Status sensor, and configure hysteresis as appropriate.

Note: To create a policy to trigger an alarm on the Gateway Comm Status - protocol  sensor without delay, set the number of violations to 1.

State sensor threshold

 

Overriding alarm threshold policy settings

You can override the settings on a specific sensor that is included in a threshold policy.

Once you alter the settings, threshold policies will no longer apply to the sensor.

If you delete the threshold configuration on that sensor, any threshold policy settings for the sensor will once again apply.

To override a threshold policy on a specific sensor:

1. Go to the details page on the device and select Sensors.
2. Toggles allow you to see policy-based thresholds and the individual thresholds you have previously configured. Make sure Show policy-based thresholds is selected.
3. Click the arrow to view the threshold policy settings for the sensor.
4. Adjust the settings and click Set sensor threshold.

To remove the override and reapply threshold policy settings for the sensor, click Delete sensor configuration.