Getting Started: Setting up an on-call schedule

Question 

How do I create an on-call schedule for my team or group?

Environment

• All versions of xMatters

Answer

As demonstrated in the following video and instructions, the main steps for creating an on-call schedule are:

1. Create a shift: Add a shift to a new or existing group and set the shift's duration and recurrence.
2. Set the shift's timeframe: Add shift members, set their contact order, and add delays between them.

Create a shift

1. Click the Groups tab.
2. Select an existing group or create a group.
3. Click the Shifts tab.
4. Click Add Shift.
5. Give the shift a name and optional description.
6. Select the start time and end time for the first occurrence of the shift, for example: today from 9 AM to 5 PM.
7. Choose when and how often the shift should recur, for example: on weekdays.
8. Click Save.

For more information about creating shifts and configuring shift timeframes, see Schedule Shifts.

Set the shift's timeline

1. On the Shifts tab, select the shift.
2. To add a member to the shift, start typing in the search bar (a minimum of two characters is required) and select a user, group, or dynamic team from the drop-down list. (Note: users must already exist in xMatters, so you'll need to create or add them first.)
3. To arrange members in the order you want them to be contacted, drag them to a new position in in the list.
4. To add a wait time between members, click the clock icon that appears on the timeline in between those members.
5. Type in the number of minutes for xMatters to wait before notifying the next member in the timeline.
6. Click Save Changes.

For more information about configuring the shift timeline and the different types of escalation delays, see Escalate alerts within a shift. You can also periodically change the order of members in the shift timeline, to more evenly distribute notifications; for more information, see Rotate positions within a shift.

Questions or comments?

To discuss or ask questions, please post in our Community.

Read the next article in our Getting Started series: Sending your first xMatters Message.