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General structure of a timer rule

The following example shows the general structure of a timer rule:

timer_rule: rule_name: (
  description: 'description_text',
  
  directive: directives,

  event: event_filter,
    where [
      attribute_conditions
    ],

  timer_duration: timer_duration_filter,

  timer_info: timer_info_filter,

  action: action_name: (
    action_body
  )
).

Usage notes

• When a timer that is set in a rule on an event expires, all timer rules are evaluated.
• Event filters are described in Event filters.
• Timer rule filters are described in Timer rule filters.
• Timers are set with the set_timer predicate, which is described on page set_timer. A plain rule example that sets a timer is shown in example 2. A timer rule example that sets a timer is shown in example 2.
• An event of class TEC_Tick always exists in the event cache; that is, it is never aged out of the cache. You can search for this event in the cache and use it to start a timer, knowing that it is always there.
• When setting a timer, you can use the optional timer_info parameter to specify the purpose of a particular timer; the timer rule should then act only if the timer_info of the timer is set to the appropriate value. Using timer_info, you can handle each timer separately, which can help to avoid performance problems.

Examples

1. The following timer rule example sends a mail message to tec_print for assistance with a printing problem, if the problem has persisted past the expiration of a timer set on one of the events shown in the list of the event filter. The expiration of the timer set in example 2 in General structure of a plain rule causes this rule to be evaluated.

   timer_rule: timer_print_assist : (
   
     event: _event of_class 
       within ['Printer_Paper_Out',
               'Printer_Toner_Low',
               'Printer_Offline',
               'Printer_Output_Full',
               'Printer_Paper_Jam',
               'Printer_Door_Open'
       ]
   
     where [
       status: _status equals 'OPEN' ,
       hostname: _hostname,
       msg: _msg
     ] ,
   
     action:(
       exec_program(_event,
         'scripts/TEC_Send_Mail.sh',
         '"T/EC - %s: %s" tec_print "The printer %s has the \
   following condition:\n\t%s"',
         [_status, _msg, _hostname, _msg],
         'YES')
     )
   ).

2. The following timer rule example raises the severity of an event to FATAL that has had a Level 1 timer expire and has not yet been acknowledged or closed. A Level 2 timer is set as part of this rule.

   timer_rule: 'upgrade_level1': (
     
     event: _event of_class 'universal_host'
   
       where [
         status: outside ['CLOSED','ACK']
       ] ,
   
     timer_info: equals 'Level 1',
   
     action: raise_sev: (
       set_event_severity(_event, 'FATAL'),
       set_timer(_event, 90, 'Level 2')
     )
   ).

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