Escalations

Escalations in BMC Remedy are a type of server-side workflow used to perform automated actions at predefined intervals. They are primarily designed to monitor data in the system and trigger actions when certain conditions are met, such as sending notifications, updating records, or escalating issues based on predefined criteria.

Key Characteristics of Escalations:

1. Server-Side Execution:

   • Escalations are executed on the Remedy AR System server, unlike Active Links (client-side) or Filters (which can be server-side but often triggered by client activity).

2. Time-Based Triggers:

   • Escalations run at scheduled intervals as defined by their polling period.
   • They are ideal for time-based actions, such as checking overdue tasks or sending reminders.

3. Condition-Based Execution:

   • Escalations evaluate specific conditions (qualification criteria) on Remedy forms.
   • If the conditions are met, the escalation performs predefined actions.

4. Actions:

   • Similar to Filters, Escalations can perform actions like:
     • Updating field values.
     • Sending notifications.
     • Creating or modifying records.
     • Pushing data to other forms.

5. Asynchronous Processing:

   • Escalations run independently of user interaction, making them suitable for background processes and system automation.

Components of an Escalation:

1. Polling Interval:

   • Determines how often the Escalation runs (e.g., every 5 minutes, hourly, or daily).
   • Configured in the Escalation's properties.

2. Qualification:

   • A condition that the Escalation checks against records in a specified form.
   • Example: ('Status' = "Open") AND ('Due Date' < $TIMESTAMP$)
     This checks for open tickets that are overdue.

3. Actions:

   • Defines what happens when the qualification criteria are met.
   • Actions could include:
     • Updating fields (e.g., changing the status to "Escalated").
     • Sending email notifications to assigned users or managers.
     • Triggering a workflow to create a new record or log an event.

Use Cases for Escalations:

1. SLA Management:

   • Automatically update or escalate tickets approaching SLA deadlines.
   • Notify stakeholders when SLA breaches occur.

2. Reminders and Notifications:

   • Send reminders for pending approvals or tasks.
   • Notify managers about high-priority incidents.

3. Data Cleanup or Updates:

   • Archive or delete old records based on age or status.
   • Update records periodically based on changing conditions.

4. Proactive Monitoring:

   • Check for critical issues or flagged conditions in the database and trigger actions accordingly.

Example Scenario:

Scenario: You need to send a notification when high-priority incidents remain unresolved for more than 2 hours.

1. Polling Interval: Every 15 minutes.

2. Qualification:

   rubyCopy code('Priority' = "High") AND ('Status' != "Resolved") AND (($TIMESTAMP$ - 'Submit Date') > 7200)

   This checks for high-priority incidents not resolved within 2 hours.

3. Action:

   • Send an email notification to the assigned group.
   • Update the "Escalation Level" field to "Level 1 Escalated."

Best Practices for Escalations:

1. Optimize Polling Frequency:

   • Avoid very frequent polling unless necessary, as it can increase server load.

2. Efficient Qualification Criteria:

   • Use indexed fields in qualifications to improve performance.
   • Avoid overly complex queries that require scanning large amounts of data.

3. Test in Non-Production:

   • Always test escalations in a staging environment to ensure correct behavior and prevent unintended updates.

4. Limit Actions:

   • Keep actions simple and ensure they are necessary to avoid unnecessary processing overhead.

5. Monitoring:

   • Regularly review escalation logs for errors or performance issues.

Escalations are powerful tools for automating time-based workflows in Remedy. Let me know if you'd like a specific example or guidance on implementing one!