Network Management

Handle custom properties with NULL and 'empty' values in alert conditions

For Network Performance Monitor (NPM), conditioned alerts on custom property values must explicitly handle NULL and empty value cases.

First published date

10/30/2018 2:40 AM

Last published date

2/3/2023 10:27 AM

Overview

Due to the distinction in how SQL Server handles NULL and 'empty' values as table entries, alerts that are conditioned on custom property values must explicitly handle both the NULL and 'empty' value cases.

Product section

Orion Platform

Cause

This is due to how SQL handles empty & NULL values.

Resolution

When building an alert condition that uses the value of a custom property, as follows:

  Trigger when any of the following apply:

  Custom_property is not equal to 'foo'

explicitly specify alert conditions to handle the distinction SQL Server makes between NULL and 'empty' entries, as follows:

  Trigger when any of the following apply:

  Custom_property is not equal to 'foo'   Custom_property is empty

This article applies to all SolarWinds Orion products using alerts and custom properties.