We’re excited to announce a powerful new capability in SAP Cloud ALM Health Monitoring that puts you in control: Custom Events. This feature empowers you to create, manage, and monitor business-critical conditions specific to your organization’s unique operational needs—without waiting for SAP to deliver them.
What Are Custom Events?
Custom Events allow you to define your own monitoring alerts and health indicators for your SAP landscapes. Think of them as your personal health monitoring rules that complement SAP’s standard event catalog.
While SAP provides pre-built monitoring events covering common scenarios, every organization has unique requirements. Maybe you need to monitor a specific metric, track a custom metric combination, or set up alerts for organization-specific thresholds. Custom Events makes this possible—and it’s remarkably simple.
Key Capabilities
Create From Scratch or Customize SAP Events
You have two powerful options:
Build Custom Events: Define entirely new monitoring events with your own metrics, thresholds, and alert conditionsModify SAP Events: Take any SAP-provided event and customize it to match your specific needs – adjust names, descriptions, criticality or separate it by labelsFlexible Metric Selection
Choose from all available metrics for your service type: – Select single or multiple metrics to monitor – Combine metrics with labels for precise monitoring (e.g., track specific disk partitions, memory pools, or application instances) – View threshold information for each metric to make informed decisions
Seamless Integration with Event Actions
Custom Events integrate directly with SAP Cloud ALM’s Integration Event Processing (IEP): – Configure automated actions (emails, alerts, tickets, chat notifications) – Set up downstream workflows – Define variants with specific conditions and recipients – Everything you can do with SAP events, you can do with your custom ones
Full Lifecycle ManagementEdit: Modify event properties, add/remove metrics, update descriptionsDelete: Remove custom events when they’re no longer neededRestore: Modified SAP events can be restored to their original configurationAudit Trail: Track who created and modified events with timestamps
How It Works
Let’s walk through a practical example:
Example: Custom Application Memory
Suppose you have a critical Java application where you need to monitor a specific memory pool that’s not covered by standard SAP events.
Step 1: Open the Custom Event Dialog Navigate to your service in Health Monitoring and select “Create Custom Event” from the Events section.
Step 2: Define Your Event – Event Name: “Critical App Memory Pool Monitor” – Display Name: What users will see in the monitoring dashboard – Description: Detailed explanation of what this event monitors and why it matters – Rating: Set the business criticality (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
Step 3: Select Your Metrics Browse the list of available metrics for your service and select the specific memory metrics you want to monitor. The UI shows you: – Metric name and description – Associated labels (if any) – Current threshold configuration – Whether the metric is already used by another event
Step 4: Configure Event Actions Set up what should happen when this condition triggers: – Send email notifications to specific teams – Create tickets in your service management system – Post messages to chat channels – Trigger automated remediation workflows
Step 5: Save and Activate Your custom event is now live! It will: – Appear in your service’s Events list alongside SAP events – Process incoming metrics automatically – Trigger configured actions when conditions are met – Show up in all monitoring dashboards and reports
Important Considerations
Uniqueness: Each custom event must have a unique name, ID, and alert definition ID within a service. The system validates this automatically.
Metric Availability: A metric can only be used by one event at a time within a service. If a metric is already assigned to another event, you’ll need to choose a different one or modify the existing event.
Permissions: Creating and managing custom events requires appropriate permissions in SAP Cloud ALM.
Source Tracking: The system clearly distinguishes between: – SAP Events: Standard content delivered by SAP (marked with SAP logo) – Custom Events: Your organization’s custom content (marked with customer icon) – Modified SAP Events: SAP events you’ve customized (can be restored to original)
Best Practices
Use Descriptive Names: Choose clear, business-friendly names that make sense to all stakeholdersDocument Your Intent: Use the description field to explain why this event exists and what actions should be taken when it triggersStart Small: Begin with a few critical custom events, validate they work as expected, then expandRegular Review: Periodically review your custom events to ensure they’re still relevant and properly configuredCoordinate with Teams: Work with application teams to understand which metrics matter most and how they should be monitored
Getting Started
Custom Events is available now in SAP Cloud ALM Health Monitoring. To start creating your first custom event:
Navigate to any monitored service in Health MonitoringGo to the “Events” sectionClick “Create Custom Event” or select an existing SAP event to modifyFollow the guided wizard to define your monitoring requirements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Questions
Q: Can I create custom events for any type of service? A: Yes! Custom Events work with any service monitored in SAP Cloud ALM Health Monitoring—whether it’s SAP BTP services, SAP S/4HANA systems, SAP HANA databases, or integrated cloud services. The available metrics depend on what’s being collected for that specific service type.
Q: What’s the difference between modifying a SAP event and creating a custom event? A: When you modify a SAP event, you’re customizing SAP’s standard content (e.g., changing the name, description, or rating). The original event remains accessible and you can restore it anytime. Creating a custom event builds something entirely new from scratch with your choice of metrics. Modified SAP events show as “SAP” source with a “Modified” indicator, while custom events show as “CUSTOM” source.
Q: Do custom events work immediately after creation? A: Yes! Once you save a custom event, it becomes active immediately and starts processing incoming metrics. Any configured event actions (emails, alerts, tickets) will trigger automatically when the conditions are met.
Metric Selection
Q: Why can’t I use a metric that’s already assigned to another event? A: Each metric can only belong to one event per service to avoid conflicts and ensure clear ownership. If you need to monitor the same metric differently, you have two options: (1) modify the existing event that owns the metric, or (2) remove the metric from the existing event first, then add it to your new event.
Q: Can I combine multiple metrics in a single custom event? A: Yes! This is one of the powerful features of Custom Events. You can select multiple related metrics to create a comprehensive monitoring view. For example, combine CPU, memory, and disk metrics to monitor overall application health in one event.
Q: What are “labels” and how do they work with metrics? A: Labels provide additional context for metrics. For instance, a disk metric might have labels like “partition=/data” or “mount=/app”. This lets you create events that monitor specific disk partitions rather than all disks. When you select a metric with labels, you can choose which specific labeled instances to monitor.
Event Management
Q: Can I delete a SAP event? A: No, you cannot delete SAP-provided events as they’re part of the standard content. However, you can modify them to suit your needs. If you’ve modified a SAP event and want to return to the original, use the “Restore” function.
Q: What happens to existing event actions (IEP configurations) when I modify an event? A: Existing event action configurations are preserved. Your variants, email rules, ticket workflows, and other automated actions continue to work. However, if you significantly change the event’s metrics or behavior, you should review your action configurations to ensure they still make sense.
Q: What happens if I delete a custom event that has active IEP configurations? A: The system automatically removes all associated IEP rules and configurations when you delete a custom event. This ensures there are no orphaned configurations. Always review the impact before deleting events that are actively used in production monitoring.
Technical Questions
Q: Are there any limits on how many custom events I can create? A: There are no hard limits on the number of custom events per service. However, we recommend being strategic—create events for genuinely important monitoring scenarios rather than one event per metric. Too many events can make your monitoring harder to manage.
Q: Can I change the metrics after creating the event? A: For custom events: Yes, you can add or remove metrics anytime by editing the event. For modified SAP events: No, the metric assignments from the original SAP content are preserved. If you need different metrics, create a new custom event instead.
Q: Should I create separate events for each severity level? A: Not necessarily. Use the rating field (Critical, High, Medium, Low) to indicate severity. Create separate events when you’re monitoring genuinely different conditions, not just different severity levels of the same condition.
We’re excited to announce a powerful new capability in SAP Cloud ALM Health Monitoring that puts you in control: Custom Events. This feature empowers you to create, manage, and monitor business-critical conditions specific to your organization’s unique operational needs—without waiting for SAP to deliver them.What Are Custom Events?Custom Events allow you to define your own monitoring alerts and health indicators for your SAP landscapes. Think of them as your personal health monitoring rules that complement SAP’s standard event catalog.While SAP provides pre-built monitoring events covering common scenarios, every organization has unique requirements. Maybe you need to monitor a specific metric, track a custom metric combination, or set up alerts for organization-specific thresholds. Custom Events makes this possible—and it’s remarkably simple.Key CapabilitiesCreate From Scratch or Customize SAP EventsYou have two powerful options:Build Custom Events: Define entirely new monitoring events with your own metrics, thresholds, and alert conditionsModify SAP Events: Take any SAP-provided event and customize it to match your specific needs – adjust names, descriptions, criticality or separate it by labelsFlexible Metric SelectionChoose from all available metrics for your service type: – Select single or multiple metrics to monitor – Combine metrics with labels for precise monitoring (e.g., track specific disk partitions, memory pools, or application instances) – View threshold information for each metric to make informed decisionsSeamless Integration with Event ActionsCustom Events integrate directly with SAP Cloud ALM’s Integration Event Processing (IEP): – Configure automated actions (emails, alerts, tickets, chat notifications) – Set up downstream workflows – Define variants with specific conditions and recipients – Everything you can do with SAP events, you can do with your custom onesFull Lifecycle ManagementEdit: Modify event properties, add/remove metrics, update descriptionsDelete: Remove custom events when they’re no longer neededRestore: Modified SAP events can be restored to their original configurationAudit Trail: Track who created and modified events with timestampsHow It WorksLet’s walk through a practical example:Example: Custom Application MemorySuppose you have a critical Java application where you need to monitor a specific memory pool that’s not covered by standard SAP events.Step 1: Open the Custom Event Dialog Navigate to your service in Health Monitoring and select “Create Custom Event” from the Events section. Step 2: Define Your Event – Event Name: “Critical App Memory Pool Monitor” – Display Name: What users will see in the monitoring dashboard – Description: Detailed explanation of what this event monitors and why it matters – Rating: Set the business criticality (Critical, High, Medium, Low)Step 3: Select Your Metrics Browse the list of available metrics for your service and select the specific memory metrics you want to monitor. The UI shows you: – Metric name and description – Associated labels (if any) – Current threshold configuration – Whether the metric is already used by another eventStep 4: Configure Event Actions Set up what should happen when this condition triggers: – Send email notifications to specific teams – Create tickets in your service management system – Post messages to chat channels – Trigger automated remediation workflowsStep 5: Save and Activate Your custom event is now live! It will: – Appear in your service’s Events list alongside SAP events – Process incoming metrics automatically – Trigger configured actions when conditions are met – Show up in all monitoring dashboards and reports Important ConsiderationsUniqueness: Each custom event must have a unique name, ID, and alert definition ID within a service. The system validates this automatically.Metric Availability: A metric can only be used by one event at a time within a service. If a metric is already assigned to another event, you’ll need to choose a different one or modify the existing event.Permissions: Creating and managing custom events requires appropriate permissions in SAP Cloud ALM.Source Tracking: The system clearly distinguishes between: – SAP Events: Standard content delivered by SAP (marked with SAP logo) – Custom Events: Your organization’s custom content (marked with customer icon) – Modified SAP Events: SAP events you’ve customized (can be restored to original)Best PracticesUse Descriptive Names: Choose clear, business-friendly names that make sense to all stakeholdersDocument Your Intent: Use the description field to explain why this event exists and what actions should be taken when it triggersStart Small: Begin with a few critical custom events, validate they work as expected, then expandRegular Review: Periodically review your custom events to ensure they’re still relevant and properly configuredCoordinate with Teams: Work with application teams to understand which metrics matter most and how they should be monitoredGetting StartedCustom Events is available now in SAP Cloud ALM Health Monitoring. To start creating your first custom event:Navigate to any monitored service in Health MonitoringGo to the “Events” sectionClick “Create Custom Event” or select an existing SAP event to modifyFollow the guided wizard to define your monitoring requirementsFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)General QuestionsQ: Can I create custom events for any type of service? A: Yes! Custom Events work with any service monitored in SAP Cloud ALM Health Monitoring—whether it’s SAP BTP services, SAP S/4HANA systems, SAP HANA databases, or integrated cloud services. The available metrics depend on what’s being collected for that specific service type.Q: What’s the difference between modifying a SAP event and creating a custom event? A: When you modify a SAP event, you’re customizing SAP’s standard content (e.g., changing the name, description, or rating). The original event remains accessible and you can restore it anytime. Creating a custom event builds something entirely new from scratch with your choice of metrics. Modified SAP events show as “SAP” source with a “Modified” indicator, while custom events show as “CUSTOM” source.Q: Do custom events work immediately after creation? A: Yes! Once you save a custom event, it becomes active immediately and starts processing incoming metrics. Any configured event actions (emails, alerts, tickets) will trigger automatically when the conditions are met.Metric SelectionQ: Why can’t I use a metric that’s already assigned to another event? A: Each metric can only belong to one event per service to avoid conflicts and ensure clear ownership. If you need to monitor the same metric differently, you have two options: (1) modify the existing event that owns the metric, or (2) remove the metric from the existing event first, then add it to your new event.Q: Can I combine multiple metrics in a single custom event? A: Yes! This is one of the powerful features of Custom Events. You can select multiple related metrics to create a comprehensive monitoring view. For example, combine CPU, memory, and disk metrics to monitor overall application health in one event.Q: What are “labels” and how do they work with metrics? A: Labels provide additional context for metrics. For instance, a disk metric might have labels like “partition=/data” or “mount=/app”. This lets you create events that monitor specific disk partitions rather than all disks. When you select a metric with labels, you can choose which specific labeled instances to monitor.Event ManagementQ: Can I delete a SAP event? A: No, you cannot delete SAP-provided events as they’re part of the standard content. However, you can modify them to suit your needs. If you’ve modified a SAP event and want to return to the original, use the “Restore” function.Q: What happens to existing event actions (IEP configurations) when I modify an event? A: Existing event action configurations are preserved. Your variants, email rules, ticket workflows, and other automated actions continue to work. However, if you significantly change the event’s metrics or behavior, you should review your action configurations to ensure they still make sense.Q: What happens if I delete a custom event that has active IEP configurations? A: The system automatically removes all associated IEP rules and configurations when you delete a custom event. This ensures there are no orphaned configurations. Always review the impact before deleting events that are actively used in production monitoring.Technical QuestionsQ: Are there any limits on how many custom events I can create? A: There are no hard limits on the number of custom events per service. However, we recommend being strategic—create events for genuinely important monitoring scenarios rather than one event per metric. Too many events can make your monitoring harder to manage.Q: Can I change the metrics after creating the event? A: For custom events: Yes, you can add or remove metrics anytime by editing the event. For modified SAP events: No, the metric assignments from the original SAP content are preserved. If you need different metrics, create a new custom event instead.Q: Should I create separate events for each severity level? A: Not necessarily. Use the rating field (Critical, High, Medium, Low) to indicate severity. Create separate events when you’re monitoring genuinely different conditions, not just different severity levels of the same condition. Read More Technology Blog Posts by SAP articles
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