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Getting Started with Intelligent Alerts

Intelligent Alerts is a monitoring and alerting system that uses advanced detection models to identify anomalies in customer's messaging traffic. We are expanding our Intelligent Alerts offering to all customers willing to test the product - access can be requested through the following sign-up form. This article is an overview of how the feature works and how to get started. 

What is Intelligent Alerts?

Intelligent Alerts is a new monitoring system that uses Machine Learning/AI to identify anomalies in customers' outbound messaging traffic in real-time. We monitor for anomalous changes in error code volumes per sub-account + mobile network operator + error code. Our detection models dynamically calculate thresholds for each aggregation key based on the customer's own historical data.

Getting Started

Reviewing Intelligent Alerts

Intelligent Alerts Summary Page

The main Intelligent Alerts page provides customers with an aggregated view of all the Intelligent Alerts identified on their accounts. Global and Page filters are incorporated into the page to help narrow down searches and streamline troubleshooting. This page offers links that allow customers to configure their Notification Preferences and drill down into each of the anomalies in the Alert Details page.

Navigating to the Intelligent Alerts Pages

  1. Log in into Twilio Console
  2. Navigate to Monitor > Insights > Intelligence

Global Filters

In the Intelligent Alerts summary page, customers have 2 filter options that carry through any current or future tabs in the Intelligence section.

Time Range
  1. Customers can choose from a range of predefined time periods.
  2. The Intelligent Alerts summary banner and the event table will update based on the user selection.
Sub-Account
  1. Provide the sub-account SID or the sub-account name
  2. All the Intelligent Alerts identified for that sub-account will be populated

Alert Impact Levels

Intelligent Alerts automatically categorize anomaly events within 4 groups: Urgent, Critical, Important and Warning. We use metrics such as deliverability rate, data sparsity and traffic volume fluctuations which are calculated in real-time from your most recent period of observation. After comparing them to your historical patterns, we are able to estimate the impact the anomalous event may have on your traffic.

Based on the calculated Impact metrics, we map each anomaly to an Impact Category:

  1. Urgent:  This is a high-severity anomaly, indicating a potentially significant issue. Investigate immediately to identify any abnormal factors impacting your traffic during this period. 
  2. Critical: This high-ranking anomaly is noteworthy compared to others experienced on your account. Review impacted messages to assess any substantial effects on your traffic. 
  3. Important: This moderate-severity anomaly differs from your usual traffic behavior. Examine the affected messages to determine if there are significant impacts on your traffic. 
  4. Warning: This low-severity anomaly often appears in accounts with little to no recent traffic. It might not require immediate action, but review the situation to stay informed.  

Some anomalies may be considered Uncategorized as some of the error codes we monitor do not appropriately fit in the logic above.

Understanding the Impact Category Section

Immediately after the global filters, customers will find a summary section that provides a snapshot of all the alerts identified based on global filters applied. Customers will find the total number of anomalies for the time range to the far left and a breakdown of each alert into their specific Impact Category next to it. Below each category, customers can see the percentage change from the prior period (based on the global time range filter).

Intelligent Alerts Summary Table

Customers are presented with an aggregated view of all of their alerts based on the global filters applied. Customers can filter the table by Event types, Error code, or Impact. An option to export a CSV file with the current page content is also available.

Intelligent Alerts Details Page

When selecting one of the alerts in the Summary table, you will be taken to the Alert Details page for that individual alert. The Alert Details page breaks down in the following sections:

  1. Event Properties: Specific to each alert.
    • Impacted account friendly name: Friendly name configured by the customer for the impacted accountSID. 
    • Impacted account: The AccountSID of the impacted account. monitoring happens at the sub-account level and in most cases sub-account = AccountSID unless a Parent Account has no sub-accounts.
    • Alert ID: Unique Alert ID given to the anomalous event.
    • Day of anomaly: Date in UTC for when the anomaly occurred. 
    • Time of occurrence: Time window in UTC for when the anomaly occurred. Currently, anomalies are evaluated based on 5 minute evaluation windows.
    • MCC/MNC: Mobile Country Codes (MCC) and Mobile Network Codes (MNC) 
    • Carrier Route: Carrier Name
    • Alert threshold: Dynamic threshold calculated by the Intelligent Alerts platform based on the customer's own historical trends.
    • Number of errors: The sum of all of the errors in the 5 minute evaluation window for the impacted error code and carrier combination for which the anomaly was identified.
    • Number of messages: The sum of all of the outbound SMS in the 5 minute evaluation window for the impacted carrier route for which the anomaly was identified.
  2. Historical graph: Shows the historical trends for the impacted accountSID. Noted that the historical trend is based on the aggregation key - meaning that trends only look at messages and error codes for the carrier route identified as an anomaly.
  3. Error description: Includes a high level description and possible causes and solutions for the error code where the anomaly was identified. 

Seting Up Email Notifications

Within the Twilio Console, customers can navigate to the Monitor > Intelligence > Intelligent Alerts > Manage Notifications and provide their preferred email addresses where they can be notified in real-time.

FAQ's

What metrics are monitored by Intelligent Alerts?

Intelligent Alerts uses advanced monitoring capabilities to detect anomalous changes in volumes of Twilio error codes: 30001, 30003, 30005, 30006, 30007 and 30008. 

What notification channels are supported by Intelligent Alerts?

We currently support email notifications with plans to bring more channels over time.

Will I have to pay for Intelligent Alerts?

Intelligent Alerts is not currently a paid feature. Customers will be notified if that changes with the addition of new features in the future. 

What is the difference between Alarms and Intelligent Alerts?

Alarms and Intelligent Alerts are complementary but serve different purposes. Alarms allows customers to configure their own thresholds for any Twilio error code - In this case, our Alarm customers deeply understand their traffic and are looking for broad changes in their error codes. 

What should I do if I receive an Intelligent Alerts?

Customers can log in to Twilio Console and navigate to Monitor > Insights > Intelligence where they will find the new Intelligent Alerts summary page. Each alert will have its own details page where the customer will find more details about that alert such as impacted account, when it occurred, a historical graph and more details about the error code and how to prevent such alerts going forward. 







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