Understanding Failed to Connect messages in xMatters logs (Voice Notifications)

Question

When looking through xMatters activity logs, I sometimes see errors:

UNREACHABLE. The called party was unreachable, due to a 403 forbidden, 404 not found, 
or anything between 501 and 599

What does this mean?

Environment

• All versions of xMatters
• Voice notifications

Answer

This error can be found in message delivery logs and is an indicator of a problem encountered by a telecommunications provider.

When an error is received from a provider, xMatters retries the call. Often the error is temporary and the call is successful when retried.

Below is a list of common errors related to telephone calls:

• 403 forbidden: The call was rejected by the receiver. Typically this indicates that the call was not answered.
• 404 not found: The user does not exist. This often indicates that the called number is incorrect.
• 501-599: Errors in this category are less common and indicate a problem at the carrier level.

Fix

Determine if the end user is answering the calls also verify that the called number is correct and in the right format.

If you experience persistent errors, please Submit a Request with xMatters Customer Support.