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Configuring Alerts

Set custom thresholds to receive alerts when environmental conditions exceed safe limits.

Overview

Alert thresholds determine when GreenCop triggers notifications. Configure these based on your equipment specifications and environmental requirements.

Accessing Settings

  1. Log into GreenCop dashboard
  2. Click Settings in the sidebar
  3. Navigate to "Alert Configuration" section

Threshold Configuration

Maximum Temperature

Purpose: Alert when any sensor reports temperature above this value

Default: 50°C

Recommended Ranges: - Standard server rooms: 25-27°C - High-density computing: 27-30°C - Storage facilities: 20-25°C - Safety maximum: 35-40°C

Setting the Threshold: 1. Find "Maximum Temperature" input/slider 2. Enter desired value (in Celsius) 3. Value applies to ALL sensors in your account 4. Click "Save Settings"

Maximum Humidity

Purpose: Alert when relative humidity exceeds this percentage

Default: 50%

Recommended Ranges: - Standard server rooms: 40-50% - Precision equipment: 45-55% - General storage: 30-60% - Safety maximum: 60-70%

Setting the Threshold: 1. Find "Maximum Humidity" input/slider 2. Enter desired percentage (0-100) 3. Applies globally across account 4. Click "Save Settings"

How Thresholds Work

Detection Logic

IF temperature > max_temperature THEN create_alert("temperature")
IF humidity > max_humidity THEN create_alert("humidity")

Alert Flow

  1. Sensor publishes reading to gateway
  2. Gateway sends to Pub/Sub data topic
  3. Alert Detection Cloud Function receives message
  4. Function compares values to your thresholds
  5. If exceeded, publishes to alerts Pub/Sub topic
  6. Alert Subscriber stores alert in database
  7. Dashboard displays alert immediately

Checking Frequency

  • Every sensor reading is checked
  • Typical frequency: Every 30 seconds per sensor
  • No delay between threshold breach and alert

Customization

Per-Customer Thresholds

  • Each customer account has own threshold settings
  • All sensors under that account use same thresholds
  • No per-sensor or per-room thresholds (yet)

Future Enhancements

Planned features: - Per-sensor threshold overrides - Per-room threshold groups - Time-based thresholds (different limits for day/night) - Rate-of-change alerts (rapid temperature increase) - Low threshold alerts (temperature too cold)

Best Practices

Setting Appropriate Thresholds

Too Low: - Results in excessive false alarms - Alert fatigue (ignoring real issues) - Wasted investigation time

Too High: - Miss early warning signs - Equipment damage before alert - SLA violations

Just Right: - Start conservative (lower than absolute max) - Monitor for false positives - Gradually tune based on actual conditions - Set 2-5°C below equipment max spec

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Standard Office Server Room - Max Temp: 27°C (equipment rated to 35°C) - Max Humidity: 55% (equipment rated to 80%) - Reasoning: 8°C safety margin

Scenario 2: High-Performance Computing - Max Temp: 30°C (equipment generates more heat) - Max Humidity: 45% (tighter control needed) - Reasoning: Balanced for performance vs safety

Scenario 3: Archive Storage - Max Temp: 22°C (preserve media longevity) - Max Humidity: 40% (prevent moisture damage) - Reasoning: Preservation-focused

Testing Thresholds

Verification Steps

  1. Set test thresholds (e.g., 20°C)
  2. Wait for sensor reading above threshold
  3. Verify alert appears in dashboard
  4. Check alert timing (should be near-instant)
  5. Acknowledge alert
  6. Reset to production thresholds

Simulating Alerts

Warning

Physically heating sensor may damage it

Safe Methods: - Temporarily lower threshold - Wait for natural temperature variation - Use test sensor in controlled environment

Updating Thresholds

When to Adjust

  • Seasonal changes (summer/winter different norms)
  • Equipment upgrades (new specs)
  • After false positive patterns
  • Regulatory requirement changes
  • SLA updates

How to Update

  1. Navigate to Settings page
  2. Modify temperature and/or humidity values
  3. Click Save Settings
  4. Confirmation message appears
  5. New thresholds active immediately

Effect: Next sensor reading uses new thresholds

Troubleshooting

Thresholds Not Saving

Symptoms: Click save but values revert

Solutions: - Check browser console for errors - Verify you're logged in - Ensure values are valid numbers - Check network connection

Alerts Still Using Old Thresholds

Symptoms: Alert triggers at old threshold value

Causes: - Alert Detection Function has cached environment variables - Function not redeployed after threshold change

Solutions: - Wait 1-2 minutes for function cold start - Trigger new sensor reading - Redeploy Cloud Function with new env vars

No Alerts Triggering

Symptoms: Values exceed threshold but no alerts

Checks: 1. Verify Alert Detection Function is deployed 2. Check function environment variables 3. Confirm Pub/Sub topics exist 4. Review Cloud Function logs 5. Ensure Alert Subscriber is running

Advanced Configuration

Via Environment Variables

For Cloud Function deployment:

# Alert Detection Function
MAX_ALLOWED_TEMP=50.0
MAX_ALLOWED_HUMIDITY=50.0
ALERT_TOPIC=alerts
PROJECT_ID=your-project

Via API

Get Thresholds: 

GET /api/v1/alerts/thresholds/{customer_id}

Update Thresholds: 

POST /api/v1/alerts/thresholds/{customer_id}
{
  "max_temperature": 28.0,
  "max_humidity": 55.0
}

Next Steps