Custom Alert for PDUs that exceed our Max Normal Load value

We have PDUs that are running on 20 Amp circuits and also have a number that are running on 30 Amp circuits.  As we outlined before, we calculate a value we call Max Normal Load.  Part of the calculation is based on the rating of the circuit.  Our team needs to know when the PDU load exceeds the Max Normal Load so they can remove excess equipment from the rack.

Since we have two different thresholds to alert on.   We took the easy way out and we created two separate alerts.

These alerts are very similar to other alerts in SolarWinds NPM so I won't go into too much detail about how they are created, but there is three subtle points to address with this solution.

First, when creating the alert trigger, you need to select the Poller Name that you want to alert on.  Second select the value (the Rate) when you want the alert to fire.  In our case, even though our Max Normal value (threshold) on a 30 amp circuit is 12, we don't email until it exceeds 12.8.  We did this because most of our PDUs are running right at the Max Normal and will routinely move a few 10ths above the calculated threshold.  Third, we have comment / note section on all of the nodes that we monitor.  The PDUs have a standardized notation that indicates the amperage of the circuit it is connected to.  We use this information as part of our filter in the two alerts.

Finally, if the threshold is violated, we send an email to the appropriate team.