Skip to content
1stLine Docs 1stLine Docs

24/7 Escalation Coverage with Backups

This guide shows a practical first 24/7 setup in 1stLine by Burava:

  • one Chain
  • one primary Line that uses a Schedule
  • one backup Line
  • one Routing Rule that sends matching alerts into that path

This pattern is useful when one person should be on call at a time, but there must still be a backup step if the first step is missed.

Before you start

Make sure you already have:

  • an Alert Schema that extracts the fields needed for routing
  • a working Communication Rule for the people who should be contacted
  • the users you want in the schedule

1. Create the Schedule

  1. Open Create Schedule.
  2. Enter the schedule Name and Timezone.
  3. Use Add Rotation.
  4. Set Rotation Type, Rotation Interval, Shift Length, Rotation Start, and Rotation Members.
  5. Save the schedule.
  6. Review Schedule Timeline and confirm the right user is active in the expected time window.

2. Create the Chain

  1. Open Create Escalation Chain.
  2. Give the Chain a clear name, for example Platform 24/7.
  3. Save the Chain.

Keep the first Chain simple. You can add Chain Conditions later if the path needs them.

3. Create the primary Line

  1. Open Create Escalation Line.
  2. Set Escalation Chain to the Chain you just created.
  3. Set the line order to 1.
  4. Set the timeout to the first response window you want.
  5. Save the Line.

This Line is the first escalation step.

4. Add the scheduled primary responder

  1. Open the Line you just created.
  2. In Line Members, click Add Member.
  3. Set Member Type to Schedule.
  4. Choose the Schedule you created.
  5. Set the Communication Rule if this step should use a specific communication path.
  6. Save the member.

This makes the first step time-based instead of tied to one named user.

5. Create the backup Line

  1. Open Create Escalation Line.
  2. Set Escalation Chain to the same Chain.
  3. Set the line order to 2.
  4. Set the timeout to the backup response window.
  5. Save the Line.

The backup Line should only be used after the primary step times out.

After saving the backup Line, open the Chain and use Preview Escalation before moving on. At this point, the preview should already show the full two-step path.

6. Add backup responders

Open the backup Line and add one or more Line Members:

  • User if one named backup should respond
  • Team if a wider fallback group should be available
  • Schedule if backup coverage is also time-based

Use Member Order if there is more than one backup inside the same Line.

7. Route alerts into the Chain

  1. Open Create Routing Rule.
  2. Set Escalation Chain to the Chain you created.
  3. Add broad Routing Conditions based on fields already extracted by the schema.
  4. Save the rule.

If this is your first test, keep conditions broad until you confirm the path works. If you later route by values such as P1 or P2, enable Is Priority on that condition so greater than and less than operators compare priorities correctly.

8. Preview the path

Before sending a real alert:

  1. Open the Chain.
  2. Click Preview Escalation.
  3. Confirm the preview shows the intended Chain, both Lines, and the expected step order.
  4. Confirm the path shape matches the real response plan before any live notification is sent.
  5. If the path shape is wrong, fix the Chain or Line setup now instead of debugging it from a live alert.

Then open the Schedule again and recheck Schedule Timeline.

9. Send a real test alert

  1. Send an alert through the real Alert Producer Destination.
  2. Open Alert Instances.
  3. Confirm the alert is not Orphan.
  4. Confirm the alert entered the intended Chain.
  5. If needed, let the first step time out and verify the backup Line is used.

What to improve next

After the first working version:

  • tighten the Routing Conditions
  • add more specific backup logic
  • add Overrides for temporary coverage
  • split into multiple Chains only if the path itself is different