Usability alarms are not working as expected for SQL Server and Oracle when instances are down (4281683)

Usability alarms were previously working but are no longer triggering when monitored SQL Server and Oracle instances go offline. The indicator boxes on the database tiles do not update with alarm states, and filtering the Alarms dashboard using instance names does not return any Usability alarms.

Cause 1: Usability alarms are disabled in the Administration > Alarms panel.

Cause 2: Usability collection "Offline Frequency" is set to 300 seconds, delaying alarm generation.

Cause 3: Operating System (OS) user credentials are not configured correctly.

Cause 4: EmailAction is applied directly to the rule Usability Availability, overriding expected behavior.

Cause 5: Cloned Usability rule is in use, which does not support alarm management from Global Administration.

Cause 6: Blackout is enabled for the instance or agent.

Cause 7: Alarm diagnostics show no recent alarm activity, indicating a configuration or system-level issue.

Resolution 1 – Enable Usability Alarms:

1. Navigate to Databases > Databases.

2. Select the affected database instance.

3. Click Settings > Administration.

4. On the Administration page, select Alarms.

5. Search for "Usability" and verify that it is enabled.

6. Click Set, then Save changes.

Resolution 2 – Adjust Offline Frequency for Usability Collection:

1. From the Global View dashboard, select the affected database instance.

2. Go to Settings > Administration.

3. Open Collections, and search for Usability.

4. Edit the Usability collection and set the Offline Frequency to 60 seconds (default is 300).

5. Save the configuration.

Resolution 3 – Validate OS User Account:

1. Go to Databases > Databases, and select the instance.

2. Click Settings > Connection Details.

3. Click Set Credentials and choose Operating System.

4. Confirm that the OS user is part of the local administrators group.

5. Click Set, then run Test Connection to verify access.

Resolution 4 – Remove Direct EmailAction from Rule (not applicable for Foglight Cloud)

1. Review the FMS logs to confirm if EmailAction is assigned to the Usability Availability rule.

2. In Foglight, go to Administration > Rules & Notifications > Manage Rules (Old).

3. Search for DBO - Usability Availability.

4. For each severity (Fatal, Critical), open the Actions tab.

5. If an EmailAction is set, delete it.

6. Click Save All to apply changes.

Resolution 5 – Remove or Correct Cloned Usability Rules: (not applicable for Foglight Cloud)

1. In Rules & Notifications, locate DBO - Usability Availability.

2. If a cloned rule exists, it will not list a cartridge version.

3. Do not assign actions to cloned rules—use only the default rule.

4. Custom rules bypass Global Administration settings and can conflict with alert behavior.

Resolution 6 – Remove Blackouts:

1. Navigate to Databases > Settings > Manage Alarm Blackouts or Manage Agent Blackouts.

2. Remove any blackouts set for the affected instance.

3. To verify, drill down into the instance via the Databases dashboard.

4. Open Activity > Real Time, and check Availability for blackout messages.

Resolution 7 – Confirm Alarm Activity or Escalate to Support: (not applicable for Foglight Cloud)

1. Replicate the condition where the instance goes offline.

2. Navigate to Administration > Rules & Notifications > Rules.

3. Select the DB_Oracle_UI or appropriate cartridge.

4. Search for DBO - Usability Availability.

5. Click the blue icon under the Enable column, then choose Diagnostics.

6. Set the upper-right date/time to when the instance was down.

7. Review whether alarms were attempted for Fatal or Critical severities.

8. If no alarms were triggered:

   • Collect an FMS support bundle and an FGLAM support bundle.

   • Open a Support case with the collected data for further investigation.