Configuring Email Notifications in Altium NEXUS Server

Parent page: Browser-based Access & Management

The Altium NEXUS Server provides the ability to configure email notifications from the NEXUS Server – flagging a variety of events to key stakeholders.

Enabling & Configuring the Feature

The feature to send notification emails from your NEXUS Server instance is enabled and configured on the Email Notifications page (Admin – Settings – Email Notifications) of the NEXUS Server's browser interface. This page is an element of the interface that can only be accessed by Administrative users of the NEXUS Server – those who are part of the Administrators role.

The Email Notifications page of the Admin – Settings area provides the interface for enabling and configuring the NEXUS Server's email notifications functionality.

By default, the NEXUS Server email notifications feature is disabled. Enable the Send Mail Enabled option to turn it on.

Configure the fields of the page (detailed below) to set up the feature for your organization:

• Email From – the email account from which the emails will originate, appearing as the sender in the From field of an email, for example notificationsbot@yourcompany.com. When using Gmail, this is the originating email address from which the notification emails are sent (for example mycompanynotifications@gmail.com).

• Smtp User Name – this is the username portion of the credentials to access your SMTP server, for example smtpserver@yourcompany.com. When using Gmail, this is the originating email address from which the notification emails are sent (for example mycompanynotifications@gmail.com).
• Smtp User Password – this is the password portion of the credentials to access your SMTP server. When using Gmail, this is the password to access the email account from which the notifications will be sent.
• Smtp Host – this is the host name of your SMTP server, for example smtp.yourcompany.com. When sending through Gmail this entry will be smtp.gmail.com.
• Smtp Port – the SMTP port (typically 25, or 587 when sending mail through Gmail).
• Smtp SSL Enabled – used to enable SMTP communications. Check the box if your SMTP server uses TLS/SSL.
• Interval to check notification (ms) – the interval for dispatching new notifications within the server, specified in milliseconds. By default this is set to 20000ms.

• Send email notifications interval (ms) – the interval for checking new notifications to send via email, specified in milliseconds. By default this is set to 35000ms.

Example email configuration, when using SMTP to send email notifications from a defined Gmail account.

Once enabled and configured as required, click the button to test sending of emails from the nominated account. The Check Email Settings dialog will appear, use this to enter a target email address and click . The dialog will show progress of Checking... and, if the sending account has been configured correctly, the final message of Sent Successful.

Checking the email notifications setup, by sending a test email to a target account. Hover over the image to see the successful result of the check.

And of course, checking the target email will yield a Notifications Service Test Email, from the sending email account.

Test email from the NEXUS Server's notifications service, as received by the target email supplied for the check.

With the notifications email configured and tested successfully, be sure to click the button at the top-right of the page.

Supported Notifications

A number of email notification events are supported by this feature:

Events Related to a Managed Project

Related Page: Managed Projects

Notifications include:

• Project Commit – notification when a project has been commited to the NEXUS Server.
• Project Update – notification when the properties of a project have changed in some way (the project's Name and/or Description).
• Project Release – notification when a project has been released to the NEXUS Server.
• Project Revision State Change – notification when there is a change in the lifecycle state for a project.
• Project Activity Start – notification of the start of a project-related activity (Ad Hoc Review, Handoff Review, or Milestone Review).
• Project Activity Complete – notification of the completion of a project-related activity (Ad Hoc Review, Handoff Review, or Milestone Review).
• Project Delete – notification when a project has been deleted.

Events Related to a Managed Component

Related Page: Working with Managed Components

Notifications include:

• Component Create – notification when a new component has been created in the NEXUS Server.
• Component Release – notification when a new revision of a component has been released to the NEXUS Server.
• Component Revision State Change – notification when there is a change in the lifecycle state for a component.
• Component Delete – notification when a component has been deleted.

Events Related to an Approval Request

Related page: Controlling Transitions between Lifecycle States

Notifications include:

• New Approval Request – notification when a request for transition between lifecycle states for a revision of a Component Item has been submitted for approval.
• Approval Request Reminder – notification when the original requestor uses the Reminder feature for a pending approval request.
• State Change Request Processed – notification when a pending approval request has been processed by a member of the relevant approval group. The type of action that has been taken with respect to the request can be one of the following:
  • Cancelled – the original requestor for approval has decided to cancel the request.
  • Rejected – a member of the relevant approval group has rejected the request.
  • Approved – if the request is being passed through multiple defined approval groups, this action will be applied if a member of an intermediate approval group has approved the request.
  • Completed – a member of the approval group (or final approval group where multiple groups have been defined) has approved the request.

Events Related to Tasks

Related page: Working with Tasks

Notifications include:

• Task Assigned – notification when a task has been assigned and needs action (for example a task related to a project reviewing activity, or a part request).

Events Related to Part Requests

Related page: Requesting a New Managed Part

Notifications include:

• Part Request Created – notification when a new part request has been submitted.
• Part Request Complete – notification when a part request has been completed (either the part has successfully been created, or the request has been ultimately rejected).

Watching a Managed Project

Related page: Managed Projects

To receive email notifications with respect to a managed project, you need to not only be a collaborator on that project, but also be 'subscribed' to that project. This is done by watching that managed project.

Watching managed projects is performed only through the NEXUS Server's browser interface. To do so:

1. Browse to, and click on once to select, the required managed project within the NEXUS Server, from the Projects page of the interface.
2. Click the control at the top-right of the projects listing, then choose the Watch entry in the associated menu that appears.

Accessing the control to Watch a managed project.

You will receive applicable notifications related to the project through the email notifications system (if enabled).

To stop watching a managed project:

1. Browse to, and click on once to select, the required managed project within the NEXUS Server, from the Projects page of the interface.
2. Click the control at the top-right of the projects listing, then choose the UnWatch entry in the associated menu that appears.

Click UnWatch to essentially unsubscribe to getting notifications for a Managed Project.

You will also no longer receive applicable notifications for that project through the email notifications system (if enabled).

Following a Component Folder

Related Page: Working with Managed Components

To receive email notifications with respect to a component, you need to be 'subscribed' to the parent folder in which that component resides. This is done by following that component folder. Following component folders is performed only through the NEXUS Server's browser interface. To do so:

1. Browse to the required component folder within the NEXUS Server, from the Explorer page of the interface.
2. Right-click on the folder entry and choose the Follow command from the context menu.

Accessing the control to Follow a component folder, and therefore all activity for components created therein.

You will receive applicable notifications related to any component activity in that folder through the email notifications system (if enabled).

To stop following a component folder, right-click on the folder entry and choose the UnFollow command from the context menu.

Click UnFollow to essentially unsubscribe to getting notifications for component activity within the parent component folder.

You will also no longer receive applicable notifications through the email notifications system (if enabled).