Overview

DBSync Cloud Replication provides a new notification system named Webhooks which enables the user to be updated with all events or activities that are done in the profile which includes immediate notification on the company’s server or on any other communication system such as Slack etc which the organisation is using. The notifications alerts can be activated for various activities/logs such as when a process has started, is in progress or any error notification. The organization will be notified through GET or POST API’s

Problem Statement

Organisations using DBSync Cloud Replication might find it hard to keep track of the various processes in progress or errors that might have occurred during the progress. Email notifications for when a process is complete is currently provided as an in-built feature but might not be sufficient to keep track of errors, or start, and finish of a process. Also receiving notification within the server of the company or any communication channel such as Slack can be extremely beneficial to the users to keep track of all events. Will also enables the user to do any kind of processing when a command is running in DBSync Cloud Replication. It is also very essential for the user to be notified about the three most important stages of an activity:

1. When the Job is started 

2. When the Job is completed 

3. When there is an error

Webhooks notification system solves these issues to the users and makes the process of keeping track of the various events much easier. 

Setting up of Webhooks

To set up webhooks:

• Login to DBSync Cloud Replication instance

• Select the desired profile for which you want to activate Webhooks notification system

• From the Top Navigation toolbar Click on NOTIFICATIONS:

• Select Webhooks Configuration

• Check boxes to receive notifications for events

1. Started

2. Completed

3. Errored

• There are 2 methods you can use to configure Webhooks:

1. GET method:

• This method is used if you want to use your own API to get notified using webhooks

• From the URL drop-down menu choose the GET method option.

• URL (supporting variable injection) - notification.webhook.url

• This method allows parameters in URL

• Example of a URL for Get method:

• You can format your calls for multiple parameters. 

• The above example: The user required details such as:

Computer name, date, time, profile details, error count and number of records processed

• There is a specific list of supported expressions which has to be followed for writing the various required parameters in the URL while running the GET method.

• These can be found listed under “Supported Expressions”. Various conditions for these parameters can also be listed. 

• Once you enter all parameters Click SAVE

b. POST method:

• This method is used if the user wants to define the payload.

• From the URL drop-down menu choose the POST method option.

• The following screen will pop-up.

• Fill all the details : URL, HEADERS, CONTENT TYPE and PAYLOAD

For example:

Let us consider that a user wants to get notified in SLACK. 

Enter details as follows:

1. URL:

Slack

POST 

URL: https://hooks.slack.com/services/T00000000/B00000000/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

1. Content Type:

Content-type:

Content-type: application/json

1. Payload:

Payload: (Freeform)

{

“text” : ” event=$event$ date=$date; format =”yyyy-MM-dd’T’hh:mm:ss”$ ”

}

• The screen will appear as below:

• You can format your calls for multiple parameters. 

• The above example: The user required details such as:

date, time, profile and error.

• There is a specific list of supported expressions which has to be followed for writing the various required parameters in the URL while running the GET method.

• These can be found listed under “Supported Expressions”. Various conditions for these parameters can also be listed. 

• Once you enter all parameters Click SAVE

• Click Test Connection

• A pop-up confirming webhook connection will appear on the screen

• In below image:

• A notification stating the process has started has been received

• Error count if any

• Date and time

In this manner the user can define their own Payload and provide the parameters in the standard expressions format with/without conditions to receive the respective POST notifications in their communication channel such as in this case SLACK.

NOTE:

• In both the methods if the user has check-boxes to receive notification when STARTED, immediately when the connection is SAVED and TESTED a notification will be sent to the SERVER or to the communication channel such as SLACK that the process has STARTED.

• To get the URL for POST method for a communication channel such as SLACK please refer to the following link https://api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks .

• Parameterization (supporting variable injection)

Type: Started, Stopped, Errored

DateTime: Ability to convert into the timezone they want

This can leverage SimpleDateTimeFormat in Java

Records processed : If Error, the error message and Error code

Erroring on the post event should still continue the processing, we need to add it to logs as SEVERE error and email if there is a notification email attached.

• Also the below parameters can be run in PAY method:

1. Headers - textarea ( multiple lines, each line is a separate header) - notification.webhook.header

2. Content-Type - text - notification.webhook.content-type

3. Payload (supporting variable injection) -using Code Editor notification.webhook.post.body

• Test button - to test the operation of notification

• For Post, just post the post body as is

• Phase 1 - we will document the parameters available on Wiki

• Phase 2 - we will allow them to pick and choose the variables from the UI

• All the above values captured will be part of properties and will be saved in config.properites

Supported Expressions:

Using Conditions:

If else conditions are supported, however we need to specify boolean variable from the supported list for conditions:

Syntax:

$if(variable1)$value1$elseif(variable2)$value2$else$value3$endif$

Example

$if(isError)$$errorCount$$else$0$endif$