Define actions for an alert

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To define actions for an alert

Open Performance.
Double-click Performance Logs and Alerts, and then click Alerts.
In the details pane, double-click the alert.
Click the Action tab.
To have Performance Logs and Alerts create an entry visible in Event Viewer, select Log an entry in the application event log. This option is selected by default.
To have Performance Logs and Alerts trigger the Messenger service to send a message, select Send a network message to and type the IP address or name of the computer on which the alert message should be displayed.
To run a counter log when an alert occurs, select Start performance data log and specify the counter log you want to run.
To have a program run when an alert occurs, select Run this program and type the file path and name, or click Browse to locate the file. Click Command Line Arguments and select the appropriate check boxes for arguments to include when the program is run.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group or the Performance Log Users group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

Important
- Note the security implications running an interactive program: When an alert stops, it will run the program on the desktop. If you schedule a collection to run on a system that other users have access to under an account with administrative credentials, then the program will appear on the desktop under the authentication of the administrator account, possibly when other users are logged onto the system.
To open Performance, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Performance.
When you select Run this program, by default, the program runs in the background.
When an alert occurs, the service creates a process and runs the specified executable or command file. The service also copies any command line arguments that you define to run the file to the command line.
To open Services, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.