Alerts - Email & SMS

Published April 5, 2023 | Last modified March 11, 2025

Objective

This document provides instructions on how to configure alert notifications in F5® Distributed Cloud Services to route alert messages to your email address or to your mobile phone using SMS. For information on alerts, see Alerts.

Prerequisites

A valid Account is required. If you do not have an account, see Getting Started with Console.
A valid email address or phone number.

Configuration

Configuring to send alerts requires you to create alert receiver, and policy in the F5® Distributed Cloud Console.

Alerts can be created in different services and namespaces. Alert functionality is available in Multi-Cloud Network Connect, Multi-Cloud App Connect, Web App & API Protection, Distributed Apps, Audit Logs and Alerts and Shared Configuration.

This example shows alert notifications for Email and SMS setup in Shared Configuration.

Step 1: Create Alert policy.

Open F5® Distributed Cloud Console homepage, select Shared Configuration box.

Note: Homepage is role based, and your homepage may look different due to your role customization. Select All Services drop-down menu to discover all options. Customize Settings: Administration > Personal Management > My Account > Edit work domain & skills button > Advanced box > check Work Domain boxes > Save changes button.

Figure: Homepage

Note: Confirm Namespace feature is in correct namespace, drop-down selector located in upper-left corner. Not available in all services.

Select Manage in left column menu > select Alerts Management > Alert Policies.

Note: If options are not showing available, select Show link in Advanced nav options visible in bottom left corner. If needed, select Hide to minimize options from Advanced nav options mode.

Select Add Alert Policy button.

Figure: Alert Receiver

Step 2: Setup Alert Policy.

Enter Name.
Enter Labels and Description as needed.

Note: Toggle Show Advanced Fields to show Configure Receiver Default Notification Parameters.

+ Select Item drop-down menu in Alert Receiver Configuration box.
Select receiver you created in Create Alert Receiver chapter.
Select + Add item button in Alert Receivers page.
Select your receiver if available in list.

Note: + Add item button to add multiple Alert Receivers.

Figure: Alert Policy Configuration

Step 3: Start configuring Alert Receiver.

Enter Name.
Enter Labels and Description as needed.
Select Email or SMS in Receiver drop-down menu.
- Enter Email address in Email box below.
- Enter SMS number in Contact Number box below.
Select Continue button.

Figure: Alert Receiver Name and Receiver Type

Note: In case of phone number, enter number in ITU E.164 format 000-000-0000 (+[country-code][subscriber-number-including-area-code]).

Step 4: Complete configuring Alert Policy.

Toggle Show Advanced Fields in Alert Receiver Configuration box to Configure Receiver Default Notification Parameters.
- Select Configure link.
- Toggle Show Advanced Fields in Notifications Parameters and Notifications Grouping and select notification intervals in boxes provided.
- Confirm Notification Parameters and Notification Grouping is in two number format. Example: 60m not 1h.
Toggle Show Advanced Fields in Notification Grouping to show Group Notifications By drop-down menu.

Note: Update from default Individual if you want to receive alerts.

Individual: This option disables grouping of alerts.
F5XC Defined Group: Group the alerts by severity, group name and alert name.
Custom: Specify set of labels for grouping the alerts.
Default: Group the alerts by severity, group name and alert name.

Select Apply button.

A minimum of one policy rule is populated by default with Any as match condition, and Send as Action. You can select different match conditions, and actions from the drop-down list for the Select Alerts and Action fields respectively. You can use combination of more than one policy rule. Select Add item to add more policy rules.

Select Configure link in Policy Rules box.
Select + Add Item button.
Select Alerts drop-down menu option.

Note: Matching Custom Criteria > Alertname Configure link > Select Matcher Type > select Apply button > select Apply button.

Select Action drop-down menu option.
Toggle Show Advanced Fields to show Policy Rule Notification Parameters to Configure.
Confirm Notification Parameters and Notification Grouping is in two number format. Example: 60m not 1h.

Note: All fields must be in 2-digit form (60m, 60s) for intervals and group notifications for your policy rules to apply correctly and not error.

Toggle Show Advanced Fields to show Group Notifications By drop-down menu.
- Update from default Individual if you want to receive alerts.
Select Apply button.
Order rules by dragging in Policy Rules page.

Note: Select + Add Item button to add additional rules.

Select Apply button, order rules by dragging.

Figure: Alert Policy Created

Note: This applies the policy object to the policy set configuration and returns to the policy page.

Step 5: Complete creating Alert Policy.

Select Save and Exit to create policy.

Step 6: Verify alerts are sent.

Select Manage > Alerts Management > select Alert Receivers.

Step 6.1: Verify receiver.

Depending on your receiver type, do one of the following:
- Select ... > Verify Email for receiver of email type.
  - Select Send email button in confirmation box.
Obtain verification code from verification email or SMS sent to your email address or phone number.
Select ... > Enter Verification Code for your receiver object.
Enter code in Verify receiver window.
Select Verify receiver button.

Note: Wait for the notification that the verification is successful.

Step 6.2: Send test alert.

Select ... > Send Test Alert for your receiver object or SMS.
Select Send test alert button in confirmation window.
Check your inbox, verify alert is received.

The following is an example of verification option for receiver type email.

Figure: Alert Receiver Verification

Create Active Alert Policies

Step 1: Start creating active alert policies.

In Multi-Cloud Network Connect > Select Manage.

Note: Active Alert Policies can be created and edited in Multi-Cloud Network Connect, Multi-Cloud App Connect, Web App & API Protection, and Distributed Apps services by selecting Manage > Alerts Management > + Select Active Alert Policies.

Select Alerts Management > select Active Alert Policies.
+ Select Active Alert Policies.

Figure: Active Alert Policy Configuration

Step 2: Add active alert policies to the policy.

Select item drop-down menu to select created alert policy needed.
+ Add Item button in Active Alert Policies pop-up window to add policy selection drop-down menus.

Figure: Active Alert Policy Configuration

Step 3: Complete creating the active alert policies.

Select Save and Exit button to complete creating the alert policy.

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