Configure SMS messages and replies

The SMS protocol was originally designed as a device-to-device messaging service. Unlike most paging protocols, SMS is "stateless" and does not contain hidden information that can be used to link related messages together. As a result, xMatters requires that SMS responses contain links or textual information that can be used to identify the original event. This is accomplished by embedding a unique identifier, the "notification key", within the notification message that must be included within the reply.

The following sections explain some different configuration options for replies to be accepted and processed correctly by xMatters. In each of the following examples, the Response Key specified in the Device Engine settings is "RES".

Example One:

The following response includes the notification key as the first entry in the reply message (and therefore it does not require delimiting characters); the User's response is contained on a separate line at the end of the message:

359055 SMPP 02 Reply <ID> , "Clear", "Ignore"

RES Acknowledge

xMatters would successfully process the above reply.

Example Two

The following response includes the notification key as the first entry in the reply message (and therefore does not require delimiting characters); the User's response is appended directly following the notification key:

359067 RES Acknowledge Security Breach - Data Center 4 - SMPP 04 Reply <ID> RES "Acknowledge"

xMatters would be unable to process the above message, due to the User's response being indistinct from the body of the message. To resolve the issue, and make the above message acceptable, a carriage return must be inserted after the User's response:

359067 RES Acknowledge 

Security Breach - Data Center 4 - SMPP 04 Reply <ID> RES "Acknowledge"

xMatters would successfully process the modified reply.

Example Three

The following response includes the notification key within delimiters inside the body of the reply message; the User's response is on a separate line, and followed by a carriage return:

RES Acknowledge 

{359067} Security Breach - Data Center 4 - SMPP 04 Reply <ID> RES "Acknowledge"

xMatters would successfully process the above reply.

Example Four

The simplest possible response message using the default xMatters configuration includes the notification key at the beginning of the message, followed immediately by the User's response, with no other information included in the reply:

359077 RES Acknowledge