Test monitoring contacts before relying on them during an outage. A correctly configured monitor is useful only when its alert reaches someone who can recognise the service and take the next action.
01 Build and test the contact route
- Identify the primary responder, backup responder and normal coverage hours for the service. Use approved team channels where continuity is needed.
- Open the 360 Monitoring Contacts page and add or edit the contact. Enable only the available methods the person or team has agreed to receive.
- Use the contact method's test button. Have the recipient confirm actual delivery, including whether spam filtering or notification settings hid it.
- Open the relevant website or server alert and select the intended contacts. Check whether notifications are enabled for the opening, recovery or both.
- Review available repeat settings and severity. Agree how the team escalates an unacknowledged incident, whether inside the tool or through an established duty process.
- Run a harmless controlled alert test and confirm that the message identifies the service and directs the responder to useful evidence.
Common questions
Does a successful test message prove every alert works?
It proves that contact method can deliver. The individual monitor can still have different recipients, a pause, a maintenance window or conditions that never trigger.
Can the only contact mailbox be hosted on the server being monitored?
That creates a dependency during the outage. Provide an approved independent notification route where the business needs reliable incident contact.
Why did a former employee receive an alert?
Review both the contact record and every alert assignment. Removing application login access does not necessarily remove a person from monitoring distribution lists.