Article Number: 000156456
NetWorker: How To Configure Policy Email Notifications
Summary: This KB provides an overview of NetWorker logging and how to configure SMTP email notifications for policy-based actions.
Article Content
Instructions
NetWorker notifications can be configured to send backup information to the default NetWorker logs location or to email addresses using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail command used by the operating system of the NetWorker server:
Log Locations:
Email Commands:
Different variables can be used for the Subject of the mail commands to automatically pull information (e.g: policy name, workflow name, completion status). These variables can vary depending on NetWorker version, refer to the POLICY VARIABLES section of the NetWorker Command Reference Guide available through: https://www.dell.com/support/home/product-support/product/networker/docs
Email notifications send the contents of the policy logs and cannot be modified. Notifications can be configured to send when a backup is successful or when it has failed with On Completion.
On Failure only sends a notification when a job has failed.
The notifications are configured at the POLICY, WORKFLOW, or ACTION level.
With this configuration the following would be received:
For example, with this configuration the "Server Protection" policy sends three email messages:
The above was formatted around configuring notifications for the "Server Protection" policy; however, the same logic can be applied to all policies, workflows, actions within NetWorker.
Log Locations:
Linux: /nsr/logs
Windows: ..\Program Files\EMC NetWorker\nsr\logs
Windows: ..\Program Files\EMC NetWorker\nsr\logs
Note: Logs are sent to the above locations if the notification command is set to: nsrlog -f filename
Email Commands:
Linux: mail -s mail-server-name_or_ip -s "Subject" recipient_email_addr ...
Windows: smtpmail -h mail-server-name_or_ip -s "Subject" recipient_email_addr ...
Windows: smtpmail -h mail-server-name_or_ip -s "Subject" recipient_email_addr ...
Note: The Linux mail command can vary on different Linux operating system. These are operating system (non-NetWorker) mail commands. For both the Linux and Windows mail commands additional options can be specified. To see all the available options run the commands with no options or review their man pages.
Different variables can be used for the Subject of the mail commands to automatically pull information (e.g: policy name, workflow name, completion status). These variables can vary depending on NetWorker version, refer to the POLICY VARIABLES section of the NetWorker Command Reference Guide available through: https://www.dell.com/support/home/product-support/product/networker/docs
Email notifications send the contents of the policy logs and cannot be modified. Notifications can be configured to send when a backup is successful or when it has failed with On Completion.
On Failure only sends a notification when a job has failed.
The notifications are configured at the POLICY, WORKFLOW, or ACTION level.
For example the POLICY notification is set under Protection-->Policies:
By default the WORKFLOW and ACTION notification setting is set to "Set at Policy Level":
With this configuration the following would be received:
1 "Summary Notification Report" for each WORKFLOW in the policy upon completion.
1 "Action Report" for each ACTION under this policy.
1 "Action Report" for each ACTION under this policy.
For example, with this configuration the "Server Protection" policy sends three email messages:
1 "Summary Notification Report" notifications showing the completion time and status of each WORKFLOW.
2 "Action Report" notifications show the completion time/status and information for each ACTION, e.g: the "Expiration" and "Server db backup" ACTIONS.
2 "Action Report" notifications show the completion time/status and information for each ACTION, e.g: the "Expiration" and "Server db backup" ACTIONS.
This many email messages may be undesired for one policy. There is no option to set "Do not notify" in the WORKFLOW or ACTION fields; however, you can redirect this output to the ..\nsr\logs location by configuring the following:
POLICY: On completion/failure - operating system specific mail command and options.
WORKFLOW: On completion or failure - "nsrlog -f filename"
ACTION (expiration only): On completion/failure - "nsrlog -f filename"
With this configuration one email is received showing the backup details, the WORKFLOW notifications and "Expiration" ACTION details are sent to the default log location:
ls -l /nsr/logs | grep "action\|workflow"
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 615 MM DD HH:MM expiration_action.log
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 449 MM DD HH:MM serverbackup_workflow.log
Note: When using nsrlog -f filename, the filename you specify is what will appear under ..\nsr\logs.
Additional Information
The POLICY notification command is the parent command which dictates the actions of the WORKFLOW and ACTION. Setting a different command under the WORKFLOW does not control the ACTIONS notification setting. The ACTION follows what is set in the POLICY or its own command field, it will not follow the WORKFLOW's setting. If the mail command is set at the WORKFLOW level and no mail command is set at the POLICY level, only the WORKFLOW email is received; This is because the ACTION is set to "Set at Policy Level" if no email command is set at the POLICY level then no ACTION email will be received.
NetWorker: Backup Email Notifications Not Being Received "connect to SMTP host failed: No such file or directory"
NetWorker: Backup Email Notifications Not Being Received "connect to SMTP host failed: No such file or directory"
Article Properties
Affected Product
NetWorker
Product
NetWorker Family, NetWorker Series
Last Published Date
06 Oct 2023
Version
5
Article Type
How To