Often we receive a series of alerts that get auto-resolved within a short period of time. Such alerts are called flapping or transient alerts. In this blog, we'll explore Auto Pause transient alert (APTA) feature that detects flapping alerts and temporarily pause incident notifications hence reducing alert fatigue.
Transient alerts
For Auto Pause Transient Alerts (APTA), a transient alert is an alert that typically auto-resolves via the configured alert source integration within a short time period of time from its trigger. Examples include sudden spikes in CPU utilization during high traffic periods.
Challenge: Alert Fatigue from Transient Alerts
Transient alerts, which frequently auto-resolve within a short timeframe, can add to the overall noise in the monitoring landscape. Constant alerts for incidents that are expected to self-resolve can disrupt your workflow, creating unnecessary interruptions. In simpler terms, these transient alerts can cause:
Alert noise overload
On-Call engineer distraction
Resource wastage on non-actionable incidents
Reduced focus on critical tasks
Increased Incident Response time
Solution: APTA To Silence The Noise And Amplify Efficiency
APTA allows you to set a timeout window, during which the service will refrain from sending out incident notifications. If the incident resolves within this timeframe, you're spared the unnecessary alert bombardment.
Common Use Cases
APTA finds its use case in multiple scenarios. Let’s take a look at a few:
2. Seasonal Traffic Spikes: Particularly valuable during peak seasons or events, such as holiday sales, where sudden surges in system metrics may trigger transient alerts that can safely be ignored.
There are two ways to enable Auto Pause Transient Alerts in Squadcast:
While creating a new Service:
While creating a new service in Squadcast, in the Settingssection, enable the Auto Pause Transient Alerts (APTA) toggle.
Choose a Timeout Window (time for a transient alert to remain suppressed). You can use the recommended window or set a custom one.
Click Save and Continue to complete service creation and activate APTA.
For an existing Service:
Go to the Services tab, find the desired service, and click More > Edit Service.
In the Settings section, enable the Auto Pause Transient Alerts (APTA) toggle.
Choose a Timeout Window (as above).
Click Save to activate APTA for this service.
Understanding the APTA Feedback Loop
APTA lets you fine-tune its accuracy through two types of feedback:
1. Flagging Alerts as Transient:
If a triggered alert should have been marked as transient but wasn't, you can inform the system explicitly by selecting the "Mark Transient" action button on the Details page.
2. Mark as Not Transient: If an alert is wrongly flagged as transient, you can click the "Not Transient" action button. This instantly triggers the incident and trains APTA not to consider similar alerts transient in the future.
However, it might take multiple instances of feedback for APTA to fully adapt. Remember, your feedback helps APTA become smarter and reduce alert noise even further! The better you refine it, the better result it delivers.
Benefits of Auto Pause Transient Alerts for On-Call Teams
1. Noise Reduction for Enhanced Focus: By intelligently pausing notifications for incidents that auto-resolve, APTA provides On-Call engineers with a quieter workspace, allowing them to concentrate on critical tasks without constant interruption.
2. Data-Driven Optimization: APTA's data science techniques analyze historical transient alerts, offering users informed recommendations for setting timeout windows. This ensures optimal customization based on past incident patterns.
3. Efficient Resource Allocation: With APTA in place, teams gain valuable time that would otherwise be spent addressing non-actionable incidents. This enables a more efficient allocation of resources toward tasks that demand genuine attention.
4. Proactive Incident Management: APTA fosters a proactive approach by allowing users to mark incidents as transient or non-transient. This feedback loop refines the system's understanding over time, reducing misclassifications and improving overall incident management precision.
Conclusion
Auto Pause Transient Alert emerges as a practical solution to a specific yet pervasive problem in Incident Management. It isn't about reinventing the wheel; it's about refining the existing processes to ensure that alerts align with actionable incidents. APTA, with its data-driven approach and user feedback loop, stands as a reliable ally for those seeking to cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters in the world of Incident Response. Experience the modern approach to Incident Management by signing up for Squadcast free today!
Squadcast is an Incident Management tool that’s purpose-built for SRE. Get rid of unwanted alerts, receive relevant notifications and integrate with popular ChatOps tools. Work in collaboration using virtual incident war rooms and use automation to eliminate toil.
What you should do now
Schedule a demo with Squadcast to learn about the platform, answer your questions, and evaluate if Squadcast is the right fit for you.
Curious about how Squadcast can assist you in implementing SRE best practices? Discover the platform's capabilities through our Interactive Demo.
Often we receive a series of alerts that get auto-resolved within a short period of time. Such alerts are called flapping or transient alerts. In this blog, we'll explore Auto Pause transient alert (APTA) feature that detects flapping alerts and temporarily pause incident notifications hence reducing alert fatigue.
Transient alerts
For Auto Pause Transient Alerts (APTA), a transient alert is an alert that typically auto-resolves via the configured alert source integration within a short time period of time from its trigger. Examples include sudden spikes in CPU utilization during high traffic periods.
Challenge: Alert Fatigue from Transient Alerts
Transient alerts, which frequently auto-resolve within a short timeframe, can add to the overall noise in the monitoring landscape. Constant alerts for incidents that are expected to self-resolve can disrupt your workflow, creating unnecessary interruptions. In simpler terms, these transient alerts can cause:
Alert noise overload
On-Call engineer distraction
Resource wastage on non-actionable incidents
Reduced focus on critical tasks
Increased Incident Response time
Solution: APTA To Silence The Noise And Amplify Efficiency
APTA allows you to set a timeout window, during which the service will refrain from sending out incident notifications. If the incident resolves within this timeframe, you're spared the unnecessary alert bombardment.
Common Use Cases
APTA finds its use case in multiple scenarios. Let’s take a look at a few:
2. Seasonal Traffic Spikes: Particularly valuable during peak seasons or events, such as holiday sales, where sudden surges in system metrics may trigger transient alerts that can safely be ignored.
There are two ways to enable Auto Pause Transient Alerts in Squadcast:
While creating a new Service:
While creating a new service in Squadcast, in the Settingssection, enable the Auto Pause Transient Alerts (APTA) toggle.
Choose a Timeout Window (time for a transient alert to remain suppressed). You can use the recommended window or set a custom one.
Click Save and Continue to complete service creation and activate APTA.
For an existing Service:
Go to the Services tab, find the desired service, and click More > Edit Service.
In the Settings section, enable the Auto Pause Transient Alerts (APTA) toggle.
Choose a Timeout Window (as above).
Click Save to activate APTA for this service.
Understanding the APTA Feedback Loop
APTA lets you fine-tune its accuracy through two types of feedback:
1. Flagging Alerts as Transient:
If a triggered alert should have been marked as transient but wasn't, you can inform the system explicitly by selecting the "Mark Transient" action button on the Details page.
2. Mark as Not Transient: If an alert is wrongly flagged as transient, you can click the "Not Transient" action button. This instantly triggers the incident and trains APTA not to consider similar alerts transient in the future.
However, it might take multiple instances of feedback for APTA to fully adapt. Remember, your feedback helps APTA become smarter and reduce alert noise even further! The better you refine it, the better result it delivers.
Benefits of Auto Pause Transient Alerts for On-Call Teams
1. Noise Reduction for Enhanced Focus: By intelligently pausing notifications for incidents that auto-resolve, APTA provides On-Call engineers with a quieter workspace, allowing them to concentrate on critical tasks without constant interruption.
2. Data-Driven Optimization: APTA's data science techniques analyze historical transient alerts, offering users informed recommendations for setting timeout windows. This ensures optimal customization based on past incident patterns.
3. Efficient Resource Allocation: With APTA in place, teams gain valuable time that would otherwise be spent addressing non-actionable incidents. This enables a more efficient allocation of resources toward tasks that demand genuine attention.
4. Proactive Incident Management: APTA fosters a proactive approach by allowing users to mark incidents as transient or non-transient. This feedback loop refines the system's understanding over time, reducing misclassifications and improving overall incident management precision.
Conclusion
Auto Pause Transient Alert emerges as a practical solution to a specific yet pervasive problem in Incident Management. It isn't about reinventing the wheel; it's about refining the existing processes to ensure that alerts align with actionable incidents. APTA, with its data-driven approach and user feedback loop, stands as a reliable ally for those seeking to cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters in the world of Incident Response. Experience the modern approach to Incident Management by signing up for Squadcast free today!
Squadcast is an Incident Management tool that’s purpose-built for SRE. Get rid of unwanted alerts, receive relevant notifications and integrate with popular ChatOps tools. Work in collaboration using virtual incident war rooms and use automation to eliminate toil.
What you should do now
Schedule a demo with Squadcast to learn about the platform, answer your questions, and evaluate if Squadcast is the right fit for you.
Curious about how Squadcast can assist you in implementing SRE best practices? Discover the platform's capabilities through our Interactive Demo.
