How to trigger single instant email notification with Agent

2783793

Hello,

What is the best way to trigger a single instant email notification using Agent in OBIEE? My trigger will be a column called "step" that goes from 1 to 7 and as soon as it goes from 4 to 5, I want one email with specific data to be sent to a static recipient list.

I'm able to create the agent but the problem is that multiple emails will be sent (as long as the step is equal to 5). So my challenge is how to send only one email even though the step will remain at 5 for a long time.

Is there a in-depth guide on agent I could use?

Regards,

Yann

Gianni Ceresa

Hi,

Your answer depends on your data...

You must not send the email when your "step" is = 5, you must send the email when "step" = 5 AND previous "step" = 4. So your data and model must link step with time and you must be able to query the current and previous step (based on time and not on step values).

That's how you can send only one email when "step" goes from 4 to 5 and from 1 to 7 instead of sending emails when "step" = 5 or 7.

[Deleted User]

"Is there a in-depth guide on agent I could use?"

^-- No, just logic.

"as soon as it goes from 4 to 5, I want one email with specific data to be sent to a static recipient list."

^-- So how does it "go from 4 to 5"? An app update? An ETL? It would be better to have the event updateing that from 4 to 5 trigger the Agent rather than polling.

How about the most basic thing there is? A DB trigger?

2783793

Thanks for the answer. Unfortunately I don't have a column that tells me the previous value. Also, the step can go from 1 to 5 directly...

The value of the step is updated by the user and I would like to notify other people in the company when this happens.

Unfortunately i cannot create a DB trigger (I'm not IT) but I do have super-user access in OBIEE which is why I would like to go for the Agent option...

Gianni Ceresa

And something called "versioning" ?

You are supposed to keep a track of that value.

If you don't, seems to be your case, just stop looking right now as it's logically impossible to do what you ask and OBIEE can't do anything about it.

If you don't have that "step" value versioned how do you want to have a logic knowing if it was already 5 or it went from 4 to 5?

It smells a lot like a good bad quick win that has never been fixed and now you pay the price (no versioning).

[Deleted User]

Ok with those parameter....not sure what you're expecting. We're working with empirical system based on logic*.

Sure you can poll your table constantly and check for all records containing "5" in your column. But how would you then make sure the same row doesn't trigger the agent again next time the check runs?

This is why cooperation is important in all projects. It's impossible and unreasonable to assume you can do anything and everything from the front-end.

Edit: * And not read-my-mind-magic

2783793

Thank you both. At least now it's clear :-)

[Deleted User]

Talk to your apps guys. Ask them how easy it would be for their application to call the Agent from their side - again: event driven and not polling.

Talk to your DBAs. Ask them if a DB trigger would be possible - again again: event driven.

Believe me I've built enough ridiculously overcomplicated and convoluted solutions because it wasn't possible to do it event-based to know....that is the way to do things if you don't want ridiculously overcomplicated and convoluted solutions

Plus: close the thread please. It won't be going anywhere and if you have follow-up questions for the event driven implementation then that's anyways a new question.