Configure Alert Notifications for PagerDuty
Objective
This document provides instructions on how to configure alert notifications in F5® Distributed Cloud Services to route the alert messages to your PagerDuty service. 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 PagerDuty account with administrative privileges to service configuration settings.
Configuration
Configuring to send alerts to the PagerDuty service requires you to first generate webhook for your PagerDuty service. After that, create alert receiver and policy in the F5® Distributed Cloud Console.
Pager Duty - Create Webhook Service
PagerDuty supports webhooks by providing service integration via API. This example shows instructions on generating the webhook configuration for a PagerDuty service.
Note: PagerDuty service integration generates an integration key which is used as webhook.
Step 1: Generate webhook configuration in PagerDuty.
Log into your enterprise PagerDuty portal, and follow the instructions in PagerDuty Webhooks page to generate the integration key for the service to which you want to post the alerts.
Step 2: Get the integration key from the webhook configuration in PagerDuty.
Navigate to your service configuration settings on PagerDuty, obtain integration key in Integrations section.

Figure: PagerDuty Service Configuration
The photo below is a sample service integration on PagerDuty.

Figure: PagerDuty Webhook Integration Key
Create Alert Receiver
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 PagerDuty setup in Shared Configuration.
Step 1: Create Alert Receiver in F5® Distributed Cloud Console.
- Open
F5® Distributed Cloud Consolehomepage, selectShared Configurationbox.
Note: Homepage is role based, and your homepage may look different due to your role customization. Select
All workspacesdrop-down menu to discover all options. Customize Settings:Administration>Personal Management>My Account>Edit work domain & skillsbutton >Advancedbox > checkWork Domainboxes >Save changesbutton.

Figure: Homepage
Note: Confirm
Namespacefeature is in correct namespace, drop-down selector located in upper-left corner. Not available in all services.
- Select
Managein left column menu > selectAlerts Management>Alert Receivers.
Note: If options are not showing available, select
Showlink inAdvanced nav options visiblein bottom left corner. If needed, selectHideto minimize options from Advanced nav options mode.
- Select
+ Add Alert Receiverbutton.

Figure: Alert Receiver
Step 2: Set PagerDuty as receiver.
-
Enter
Name, enterLabelsandDescriptionas needed. -
Select
PagerDutyinReceiverdrop-down menu.

Figure: Alert Receiver Configuration
Step 3: Configure integration key for PagerDuty.
-
Select
Configurelink inIntegration Keybox. -
Select
Blindfold Secretbubble forTypeinSecret infosection. -
Enter string you copied in text box obtained from applying Blindfold to webhook configuration.
-
Select
Applybutton.

Figure: Configure Secret
Note: See Blindfold your Application Secrets for information on how to encrypt your application secrets.
Step 4: Specify API for PagerDuty service, complete creating receiver.
-
Enter
URLinPagerDuty URLbox (to which you want to send the API request). -
Select
Save and Exitbutton to complete creating the alert receiver.
Create Alert Policy
Step 1: Create Alert Policy.
-
Select
ManageinShared Configurationworkspace. -
Select
Alerts Management. -
Select
Alert Policies. -
Select
+ Add Alert policy.

Figure: Create Alert Policy
Step 2: Add receiver to the policy.
- Enter
Name, enterLabelsandDescriptionas needed.
Note: Toggle
Show Advanced Fieldsto showConfigureReceiver Default Notification Parameters.
-
+ Select Itemdrop-down menu inAlert Receiver Configurationbox. -
Select
receiveryou created in Create Alert Receiver chapter. -
Select
+ Add itembutton inAlert Receiverspage. -
Select your receiver if available in list.
Note:
+ Add itembutton to add multiple Alert Receivers.

Figure: Alert Policy Receiver Configuration
Step 3: Optionally, configure the notification intervals.
Enable Show Advanced Fields option in the Alert Receiver Configuration section.
-
Select
Configurelink inReceiver Default Notification Parameterssection. This opens notification parameter configuration. -
Enter configuration for the
Notification Parameters.-
Toggle
Show Advanced Fieldsin both sections to open configuration options. -
Enter a value in the
[0-9][smhd]format inNotify Interval for a Alert. The[smhd]specifies seconds, minutes, hours, and days. An example value is60mand default is4h. -
Enter a value in the
[0-9][smhd]format inWait to Notify. The[smhd]specifies seconds, minutes, hours, and days. An example value is2mand default is30s. -
Enter a value in the
[0-9][smhd]format inNotify Interval for a Group. The[smhd]specifies seconds, minutes, hours, and days. An example value is5mand default is1m.
Note: All fields must be in 2-digit form (60m, 60s) in
Policy Rule Notification Parametersfor intervals and group notifications for your policy rules to apply correctly and not error. -
-
Select
Applyto apply the notification parameters, return to the policy configuration.

Figure: Alert Policy Route Configuration
Step 4: Optionally, configure policy rules.
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
Configurelink inPolicy Rulesbox -
Select
+ Add Itembutton. -
Select Alertsdrop-down menu option,Anyoption is default.
Note:
Matching Custom Criteria>AlertnameConfigurelink >Select Matcher Type> selectApplybutton > selectApplybutton.
-
Select
Actiondrop-down menu option,Sendis default. -
Select
Applybutton. -
Order rules by dragging in
Policy Rulespage. -
Select
Applybutton, order rules by dragging.
Note: You can also set the match conditions based on the severity, group name, and alert name.
Step 5: Complete creating policy.
-
Toggle
Show Advanced Fieldsto showConfigurePolicy Rule Notification Parameters, selectApplybutton to add. -
Select
Save and Exitto complete creating the alert policy.
Create Active Alert Policies
Step 1: Start creating active alert policies.
- In
Multi-Cloud Network Connect> SelectManage.
Note:
Active Alert Policiescan be created and edited inMulti-Cloud Network Connect,Multi-Cloud App Connect,Web App & API Protection, andDistributed Appsworkspaces by selectingManage>Alerts Management>+ Select Active Alert Policies.
-
Select
Alerts Management> selectActive Alert Policies. -
+ Select Active Alert Policies.

Figure: Active Alert Policy Configuration
Step 2: Add active alert policies to the policy.
-
Select itemdrop-down menu to select created alert policy needed. -
+ Add Itembutton inActive Alert Policiespop-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.
Verification and Example
You can verify the alert notifications by visiting your PagerDuty service page. The following image shows a sample of alerts sent to PagerDuty service:

Figure: Post of Alerts to PagerDuty Service