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What is a Nodinite Time Interval?

Master time-based controls in Nodinite with Time Intervals—the foundation for intelligent alert recurrence, data access restrictions, and proactive monitoring strategies. This powerful feature eliminates alert fatigue while ensuring persistent issues receive the attention they deserve.

On this page, you will learn how to:

✅ Define reusable Time Intervals for multiple configurations and monitoring scenarios
✅ Configure intelligent alert recurrence per monitoring state (Error, Warning, OK, etc.)
✅ Restrict Log View data access for compliance, security, and performance
✅ Prevent alert fatigue with state-specific escalation strategies
✅ Build proactive monitoring workflows with flexible time-based automation

Info

A Time Interval is defined by two components: a Quantity (number) and a Unit (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years). For example: "15 minutes", "1 hour", "7 days". You can reuse the same Time Interval across multiple Time Interval Configurations and Monitor Views for consistent policy enforcement.

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Critical escalation") T1h(" 1 Hour
Standard reminder") T1d(" 1 Day
Long-term tracking") T1w(" 1 Week
Compliance window") T30d(" 30 Days
Historical access") T90d(" 90 Days
Audit retention") end subgraph TIC[" Time Interval Configurations"] style TIC fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#f57c00,stroke-width:2px TC1[" Config: Support Team
30 days access"] TC2[" Config: Auditors
90 days access"] TC3[" Config: Business Users
7 days access"] end subgraph LV[" Log Views - Data Access Control"] style LV fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#388e3c,stroke-width:2px LV1[" Production Logs
Support Team access"] LV2[" Compliance Logs
Auditor access"] LV3[" Business Metrics
Business User access"] end subgraph MV[" Monitor Views - Alert Recurrence"] style MV fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#7b1fa2,stroke-width:2px MV1[" Critical Systems
Error: 15 min
Warning: 1 hour
"] MV2[" Standard Services
Error: 1 hour
OK: 1 day
"] MV3[" Background Jobs
Error: 1 day
Warning: 1 week
"] end %% Time Interval Configuration connections T30d --> TC1 T90d --> TC2 T1w --> TC3 %% Log View connections TC1 -.->|Restrict to| LV1 TC2 -.->|Restrict to| LV2 TC3 -.->|Restrict to| LV3 %% Monitor View alert recurrence connections T15m ==>|Error alerts| MV1 T1h ==>|Warning alerts| MV1 T1h ==>|Error alerts| MV2 T1d ==>|OK confirmation| MV2 T1d ==>|Error alerts| MV3 T1w ==>|Warning alerts| MV3 style T15m fill:#ffebee,stroke:#c62828,stroke-width:2px style T1h fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#ef6c00,stroke-width:2px style T1d fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#1565c0,stroke-width:2px style T1w fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#2e7d32,stroke-width:2px style T30d fill:#f5f5f5,stroke:#616161,stroke-width:2px style T90d fill:#f5f5f5,stroke:#424242,stroke-width:2px

Diagram: Time Intervals power two critical use cases—data access control (Log Views with Time Interval Configurations) and intelligent alert recurrence (Monitor Views with state-specific escalation). The same Time Interval can be reused across multiple configurations for consistency.


Alert Recurrence with Time Intervals

Time Intervals are the foundation of Nodinite's intelligent alert recurrence system. When you enable recurrence for an Alarm Plugin in a Monitor View, you configure how often alerts should be resent for each monitoring state—ensuring persistent problems receive attention without overwhelming your team.

Why Alert Recurrence Matters

Traditional monitoring tools flood teams with thousands of alerts for the same issue. Nodinite takes a smarter approach:

Challenge Traditional Approach Nodinite Solution
Alert Fatigue 100+ emails for same queue error 1 initial alert + periodic reminders using Time Intervals
Missed Escalations Critical issues buried in noise State-specific intervals: Error = 15 min, Warning = 1 hour
Resolution Confirmation No feedback when fixed OK state alerts confirm resolution at configured intervals
Business Alignment One-size-fits-all Different intervals per Monitor View priority

How Alert Recurrence Works

When you configure alert recurrence in a Monitor View:

  1. Select Monitoring States - Choose which states trigger recurring alerts (Error, Warning, OK, Unavailable, Connection Error)
  2. Assign Time Intervals - For each state, select a Time Interval defining how often alerts should be resent
  3. Automatic Escalation - Nodinite Monitoring Service automatically resends alerts at the configured intervals while the state persists
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'themeVariables': {'primaryColor':'#ffebee','primaryBorderColor':'#c62828'}}}%% sequenceDiagram participant MS as Monitoring Service participant MV as Monitor View participant AP as Alarm Plugin participant Team as Operations Team Note over MV: Resource enters ERROR state MV->>MS: State change detected MS->>AP: Trigger initial alert AP->>Team: ERROR: Payment Gateway Down Note over MS: 15 minutes pass
(Time Interval) MS->>AP: Resend alert (recurrence) AP->>Team: REMINDER: Payment Gateway Still Down Note over MS: Another 15 minutes
(Time Interval) MS->>AP: Resend alert (recurrence) AP->>Team: REMINDER: Payment Gateway Still Down Note over MV: Resource returns to OK MV->>MS: State change to OK MS->>AP: Trigger resolution alert AP->>Team: RESOLVED: Payment Gateway Online

Sequence diagram: Time Intervals control automatic alert recurrence for persistent issues, ensuring teams stay informed without alert fatigue.

Configuring Alert Recurrence Per State

Each monitoring state can have its own Time Interval, allowing you to prioritize urgent issues:

State Icon Recommended Interval Use Case
Error 15 minutes Critical issues requiring immediate escalation
Warning 1 hour Important issues that can wait for resolution
OK 4 hours or 1 day Confirmation that issues are resolved
Unavailable 30 minutes Monitoring agent connectivity issues
Connection Error 15 minutes Critical connectivity failures

Tip

Escalation Strategy Best Practices:

  • Critical systems: Error = 15 min, Warning = 1 hour
  • Standard services: Error = 1 hour, Warning = 4 hours
  • Background jobs: Error = 1 day, Warning = 1 week
  • Always confirm resolution: Configure OK state alerts to verify fixes

Real-World Alert Recurrence Example

Scenario: Production payment gateway monitoring

Configuration:

  • Monitor View: "Payment Gateway - Production"
  • Alarm Plugin: E-mail with options
  • Recurrence enabled with Time Intervals:
State Time Interval Business Rationale
Error 15 minutes Revenue impact—immediate escalation required
Warning 1 hour Performance degradation—monitor before escalation
OK 4 hours Confirm stability after resolution

What Happens:

  1. 10:00 AM - Payment gateway enters Error state (API timeout)
    • Initial alert sent: "CRITICAL: Payment Gateway Down"
  2. 10:15 AM - Still in Error state
    • Recurring alert sent: "REMINDER (15 min): Payment Gateway Still Down"
  3. 10:30 AM - Still in Error state
    • Recurring alert sent: "REMINDER (30 min): Payment Gateway Still Down"
  4. 10:35 AM - Resource returns to OK state
    • Resolution alert sent: "RESOLVED: Payment Gateway Online"
  5. 2:35 PM - Still in OK state (4 hours later)
    • Confirmation alert sent: "CONFIRMED OK: Payment Gateway Stable for 4 Hours"

Result: Team receives 5 targeted alerts instead of 35+ alerts from traditional monitoring. No alert fatigue, clear escalation path, confirmation of resolution.

Per-Monitor View Configuration

Time Intervals for alert recurrence are configured per Monitor View, not globally. This allows different escalation strategies based on business criticality:

  • Production systems: Aggressive recurrence (15 min Error, 1 hour Warning)
  • Test environments: Relaxed recurrence (1 hour Error, 1 day Warning)
  • Background batch jobs: Minimal recurrence (1 day Error, 1 week Warning)

Learn how to configure alert recurrence in Monitor Views →

The IsRecurring Flag in Alert Payloads

When Nodinite sends a recurring alert, it includes an IsRecurring flag in the alert payload (XML for email, JSON for webhooks). This allows you to customize alert content based on whether it's the first alert or a reminder:

Email Alarm Plugins (XML):

<AlarmObject>
  <IsRecurring>true</IsRecurring>
  <!-- Other alarm data -->
</AlarmObject>

Webhook Alarm Plugin (JSON):

{
  "IsRecurring": true,
  // Other alarm data
}

Use Case: In your Stylesheet or webhook handler, you can display different content:

  • First alert (IsRecurring = false): "NEW ISSUE: Payment Gateway Down - Investigate immediately"
  • Recurring alert (IsRecurring = true): "RECURRING ISSUE (15 min): Payment Gateway Still Down - Escalate to senior engineer"

Learn how to use the IsRecurring flag in stylesheets →


Data Access Control with Time Intervals

Beyond alert recurrence, Time Intervals control how far back Users can search historical data in Log Views. This enforces compliance, security, and performance policies:

Why Restrict Data Access?

Reason Business Impact Solution
Compliance GDPR/HIPAA requires data retention limits Restrict access to "Last 90 days" using Time Interval Configurations
Security Sensitive data should not be accessible indefinitely Limit user access to "Last 30 days"
Performance Searching years of data degrades query performance Enforce "Last 7 days" for business users
Role-based Access Auditors need more history than operators Support Team: 30 days, Auditors: 90 days, Business: 7 days

How Data Access Control Works

  1. Create Time Intervals - Define access windows (7 days, 30 days, 90 days)
  2. Build Time Interval Configurations - Combine multiple Time Intervals for flexible policies
  3. Assign to Log Views - Restrict Log View data access using Time Interval Configurations
  4. Enforce Access - Users can only search within their assigned time windows

Learn more about Time Interval Configurations →


Reusability and Consistency

Time Intervals are designed for reuse across your entire Nodinite environment:

Single Definition, Multiple Uses

A Time Interval like "15 minutes" can be used in:

  • Monitor View A: Error state recurrence for critical payment systems
  • Monitor View B: Warning state recurrence for standard APIs
  • Monitor View C: Connection Error recurrence for database monitoring

Centralized Management

Change a Time Interval's value in one place, and it updates everywhere it's used:

  • Before: "15 minutes" used in 10 Monitor Views
  • Change: Adjust to "10 minutes" for faster escalation
  • After: All 10 Monitor Views automatically use "10 minutes"

Consistency Across Teams

Enforce organizational standards:

  • Policy: "Critical systems must resend Error alerts every 15 minutes"
  • Implementation: All critical Monitor Views use the same "15 minutes" Time Interval
  • Compliance: Single source of truth ensures policy adherence

Time Interval Use Cases

1. Alert Recurrence for Critical Systems

Business Need: Payment gateway failures cost $10,000 per hour. Ensure immediate escalation.

Solution:

  • Create Time Interval: "15 minutes"
  • Monitor View: "Payment Gateway - Production"
  • Recurrence: Error state = "15 minutes"
  • Result: Team receives reminders every 15 minutes until resolved

2. Compliance-Driven Data Retention

Business Need: GDPR requires log data older than 90 days to be inaccessible.

Solution:

  • Create Time Interval: "90 days"
  • Time Interval Configuration: "GDPR Compliance" with 90-day limit
  • Assign to all Log Views containing personal data
  • Result: Users cannot search beyond 90 days, ensuring compliance

3. Role-Based Log Access

Business Need: Support team needs 30 days of history, auditors need 90 days, business users need 7 days.

Solution:

  • Create Time Intervals: "7 days", "30 days", "90 days"
  • Time Interval Configuration 1: "Support Team Access" (30 days)
  • Time Interval Configuration 2: "Auditor Access" (90 days)
  • Time Interval Configuration 3: "Business User Access" (7 days)
  • Assign configurations based on user roles
  • Result: Each team sees only the data they need

4. Escalation by System Priority

Business Need: Different systems have different SLAs and escalation requirements.

Solution:

System Priority Error Interval Warning Interval OK Interval
Payment Gateway Critical 15 minutes 1 hour 4 hours
Customer Portal High 30 minutes 2 hours 1 day
Reporting Service Medium 1 hour 4 hours 1 day
Batch Jobs Low 1 day 1 week N/A

Result: Alert frequency matches business impact, eliminating alert fatigue while ensuring critical issues get immediate attention.


Next Step

How to add or manage a Time Interval
What is a Time Interval Configuration
Configure alert recurrence in Monitor Views

Time Interval Management

Time Intervals Overview
Time Interval Configurations

Alert Configuration

Alarm Plugins - Configure email, webhook, and event log alerts
Monitor Views - Create monitoring dashboards with alert recurrence
E-mail with options - Advanced email alerts with recurrence
HTTP Webhook - Webhook alerts with recurrence

Data Access

Log Views - Historical log data search with time restrictions
Users - Role-based access control

Monitoring Strategy

Monitoring Service - Automatic alert distribution engine
Stylesheets - Customize alert content with IsRecurring flag
Alarm Plugin Object XML - Understanding alert payload structure