Operations Manager – Object group as notification criterion can be defined in writable MP

Operations Manager can monitor servers placed in different data centers with dedicated administering teams. Alert notifications can be sent to responsible persons on condition that monitored devices (objects) belong to specified group inside Operations Manager.

You can consider as impossible to use a group stored in a XML (not sealed) MP, as notifications are placed in Microsoft.SystemCenter.Notifications.Internal (writable MP, XML format). A simple test can prove, that is not true.

A group called “GRP-GDY-Servers” was created inside writable MP “Group.Test”.

eo.

A new subscription was created (NS-GRP-GDY) with criterion based on group membership

You can choose a group created inside writable MP. It is quite unexpected because references between objects inside two writable (not sealed) MP are not possible.

It looks like an exception from this general rule. To ensure that, all writable MPs were exported to a single disk folder using a command:

Now, you can check where group name is contained:

Group name used as a criterion is found only inside XML file “GROUP.TEST.XML” (this file contains a group definition). This name is not included in Microsoft.SystemCenter.Notifications.Internal.xml file.

The conclusion is simple: There is no reference between objects inside writable (XML) MPs. No exception exist here.