Using Webhooks as Follow-Up Action
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    Using Webhooks as Follow-Up Action

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    Article Summary

    In this article, we will introduce you webhooks, which is a new Follow-up Action introduced in ControlUp version 8.6.5. Webhooks, as part of ControlUp's Trigger feature, provide a way to send real-time notifications to an external system once an incident trigger is triggered.

    What is a Webhook?

    A webhook is a user-defined HTTP(S) callback that you can use to push information or notifications to a configured URL via an HTTP(S) POST call. For example, you might want to notify users in a Slack channel if one of your production machines reaches a critical Stress Level. Webhooks can be used in a number of situations where they prove useful. In this example, we will create a Machine Stress Level trigger that, when activated, will send a message to a Slack channel with machine information:
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    Technical requirements

    To follow the instructions in this article, you need to meet the following prerequisites:

    • ControlUp version 8.6.5 or later
    • At least one ControlUp Monitor installed. This is a general prerequisite for using triggers. Additionally, monitors need internet connectivity to reach the API endpoint.
    • A ControlUp license with activated Automated Actions. You can check if your license includes the Automated Actions feature in the Real-Time Console by clicking Help > About > Licensing.

    Step 1 - Get your Webhook Provider Ready

    Before you begin configuring a trigger in your ControlUp environment, make sure that you completed the setup of the webhook for the API provider. We will use the Slack API, click here and follow the instructions to set up and configure a webhook in Slack.

    You can use the webhook Follow-up Action with other webhook receivers, such as GitHub, Dropbox or Zendesk.

    Step 2 - Optional: Send Test Message

    After setting up your service endpoint, you can send test messages from the monitor machine by using an API testing tool of your choice. By testing messages, you can verify outbound and inbound traffic to/from the service endpoint. Add the URI, create a test message in JSON format and send the HTTP(S) PUT request, as shown in the screenshot below.
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    Later, you will see how to test messages within the Real-Time Console. For now, if you received a 200 OK status code, then your service URI is ready to be used.

    Step 3 - Use a Webhook as a Trigger Follow-up Action

    To create a trigger that uses a webhook as a follow-up action, perform the following steps:

    1. Follow the procedure under Create a Trigger until step 9. Once you have configured all of the conditions and requirements for the trigger to activate, and are ready to define a follow-up action, return to this page.

    2. Click Add and select Send a RESTful API request from the Type drop-down menu to open the webhook configuration page.
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    3. Select the HTTP(S) method for the webhook. In this example, we want to POST an HTTP(S) request to the API endpoint of our Slack application (URI).
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    4. By default, no template is selected so we need to add a new template. From the Template drop-down list, select Add new template to create a new template with Trigger variables that you can use in the HTTP(S) header, body or in the URI of the API endpoint. To learn more about templates and the use of Trigger variables, click here.

    5. Add a header and body to the template. In this example, we define a message displaying a single line of text that informs the Slack channel about the machine that reached the critical Stress Level. Click OK to save the template configuration.
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    6. The new template is automatically selected. Click the Test button to send the template. The HTTP(S) code indicates whether the message was sent successfully. Click OK to close the window and click Finish to save the trigger settings.
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    7. Click OK > Finish to save your trigger.

    8. In the Trigger Settings window, make sure that the trigger is enabled.

    The trigger is now enabled, and will send the webhook follow-up action when the trigger activates.


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