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OpenNMS SMS notifications through a destination path

An OpenNMS SMS notification puts the node, the lost service and the time on the duty phone when a node drops at 3 AM. The notice no longer waits in an inbox until morning. In OpenNMS you put your Welco address in one user's Pager Email field and add that user to a destination path.

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  • One user, one destination path
  • No plug-in or SMS modem
  • No per-user fees

Works by email with

  • OpenNMS

Published:

A network map watched by OpenNMS: five hosts answer pings until lib-srv-02 goes down (All services lost) and the monitor raises the alert. The email reaches Welco and the phone shows: “Welco: [lib-srv-02] Node down, all services lost at 3:05 AM. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Animation: a long OpenNMS alert email is trimmed into one short text: "Welco: [lib-srv-02] Node down, all services lost at 3:05 AM. Reply STOP to opt out."

What OpenNMS notices look like once they text

  • Duty staff hear about nodeDown

    A dead node after hours reaches the phone on duty, not a shared mailbox nobody checks at night.

  • One outage, one text

    OpenNMS opens one notice per outage. Welco sends that email to each phone once.

  • Node, service and reason

    The text keeps what failed and why, such as HTTPS refused, and drops the availability boilerplate.

  • Full notices still reach email

    The user's normal email keeps the long notice. Only the Pager Email field points at Welco.

What you need before you start

Allow 20 minutes and an OpenNMS admin login, since a few steps touch config files on the server. Other tools follow the same route to monitoring alerts on your phone.

  • OpenNMS Horizon or Meridian with notifications switched on. The notification configuration page shows the status.
  • Mail settings in javamail-configuration.properties that reach your mail server.
  • A verified Welco account and your Welco address. Start free if you don't have one.
  • Duty staff joined from a Welco invite on their own mobiles. Each one replies YES to the confirmation text. Nobody needs an app.

How to set up OpenNMS SMS notification in 5 steps

Three parts matter here. An event notification picks the events, a destination path picks who and when, and a user holds the address.

  1. Approve the OpenNMS From address

    Find org.opennms.core.utils.fromAddress in javamail-configuration.properties. Welco accepts alerts only from known senders, so add that address there.

  2. Create a user for the on-call phone

    In the admin area, open the users and groups settings and add a user named oncall-text. Put your Welco address in the Pager Email field.

  3. Build a destination path

    Add a destination path named Night-Text. Target the oncall-text user and choose the javaPagerEmail command, which mails the pager email address.

    • Leave the initial delay at zero for down events, or add a minute or two to ride out short blips.

  4. Point event notifications at the path

    Open the event notifications list. Edit nodeDown and nodeLostService and set their destination path to Night-Text. Keep their message short, because it becomes the text.

  5. Check notifications are on, then test

    Confirm the global notification status is On. Stop a test service on a lab server and wait for the poller. Welco can preview texts in the feed first, without sending to a phone.

One Pager Email field between OpenNMS and your phone

Verify your business, invite the duty team and put your Welco address on one user.

7-day free trial, 15 message creditsCard required for verificationNo charge for 7 daysEmail reminder before billing

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An OpenNMS lost service notice as a text

When one service fails but the node still answers, OpenNMS sends a nodeLostService notice. The text names the service, the node and the time. Town and county IT teams run this setup, see municipal IT alerts.

Alert email from opennms@noc.example.org, subject “Notice #40227: HTTPS down on web-reg-01”. Welco trims it to one text of 95 characters: “Welco: [web-reg-01] HTTPS service lost, connection refused at 7:31 PM. Reply STOP to opt out.”

Text received: Welco: [web-reg-01] HTTPS service lost, connection refused at 7:31 PM. Reply STOP to opt out.

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Animation: the alert email "Notice #40227: HTTPS down on web-reg-01" is trimmed into one text: "Welco: [web-reg-01] HTTPS service lost, connection refused at 7:31 PM. Reply STOP to opt out."

Each event notification also has its own short message field. Edit it there, or let Welco cut alerts to one lock screen.

Shape OpenNMS notices before they reach a phone

OpenNMS already has delays, schedules and outage rules. Use them first, then let Welco pick the phone.

  • Start with three events

    Text nodeDown, nodeLostService and interfaceDown on critical gear. Leave threshold events and SNMP traps in email until texts earn trust.

  • Up events close the notice quietly

    OpenNMS can auto-acknowledge a nodeDown notice when nodeUp arrives. Give nodeUp no text path if the team only acts on problems.

  • An initial delay absorbs flaps

    A one or two minute initial delay on Night-Text lets a node that bounces come back before anyone is texted.

  • Scheduled outages cover planned work

    Add a scheduled outage for notifications on the nodes you're patching. Notices stay off for that window and resume afterward.

  • Path outages stop the pile-up

    A path outage on a critical interface silences everything behind it. Welco flood limits cap the bursts you didn't plan for.

  • One user, a whole duty team

    The Welco address can reach several phones per alert, and after-hours routing picks the night phone.

If no OpenNMS text arrives

Check from OpenNMS outward. Each row tells you where the notice stopped.

No notice in the notices list

Where to look
The event notification is off, or it isn't linked to Night-Text.

A notice exists, but no mail left

Where to look
Read notifd.log and recheck the javamail settings.

Welco's feed shows a refused message

Where to look
The OpenNMS From address isn't approved yet.

The feed shows the alert, but a phone is silent

Where to look
That phone hasn't replied YES, or it's a landline. Welco's delivery log names the reason.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an OpenNMS plug-in or an SMS modem?

No. OpenNMS already mails notices through its javamail settings. Pointing one user's Pager Email at your Welco address is the whole connection, and nothing is installed on the server.

Should OpenNMS use javaEmail or javaPagerEmail for texts?

Use javaPagerEmail with the Welco address in the Pager Email field. That keeps the user's normal email free for full notices. A javaEmail command to a user whose email is the Welco address also works.

Can OpenNMS text a different person each week, or only at night?

Yes, two ways. OpenNMS duty schedules can switch users by day and time. Or keep one user with the Welco address and change who is on call in Welco's after-hours routing, with no OpenNMS edits each week.

Will repeats, recoveries or planned outages send extra texts?

Not by default. OpenNMS opens one notice per outage and won't resend it unless your path repeats. Give nodeUp no text path, and set a scheduled outage before planned work.

Can someone acknowledge an OpenNMS notice by replying to the text?

No. A reply is emailed back to the alert's last sender, so the team sees who answered. Acknowledge the notice in the OpenNMS web UI. Here is how replies by email work.

What does texting OpenNMS notices cost?

No per-user fees and no hardware. A short notice uses one message credit, and long ones use more unless trimmed. You get 7 free days and 15 credits to test OpenNMS notices first. Your verification card is billed only after you approve a plan on the pricing page, never for overage, with an email reminder first.

Let OpenNMS text the next node down

One user with your Welco address as pager email. OpenNMS does the rest.

Text me my OpenNMS alertsBook a demo

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