ndent application functionality for performing tasks which relate to accessing event objects, adding new event objects, registering as Trap and Event Observers for notification, among other things. The EventAPI methods can be accessed from within the same JVM as that of FMS or from a sep- arate JVM using RMI. 12 Fault Management A set of API methods allow the developer to create functionality for dynamic adding, deleting and accessing the properties of the event filter at runtime. There is also a set of API methods for dynamic handling of event parsers. Event filters can be used to perform specific automatic actions or to use user-defined classes to process the event. Events generated are first passed through event filters based on whether they satisfy matching criteria. An event that satisfies these matching criteria will trigger - or be subject to execution of - an action specified in the event. Once again, applications can register as observers using the Event Observer API. There are five actions given by FMS for event filters: 1. Suppress action: Suppresses the generation of events for a specified period of time as configured by the user. 2. Run command: Executes a program such as opening a notepad editor whenever an event of the matching criteria is received. 3. Send trap action: Sends a trap with specified properties whenever an event is received with the matching criteria. 4. Send e-mail action: Some specified persons can be notified of event received via e-mail. 5. Custom filter: When an event with some specific properties is received, the user- defined filter classes can be used to process that event. Alert filters are used to manipulate incoming alerts and events per user require- ments, subject to matching criteria. Alert filters can perform specific automatic actions such as e-mails and user-defined classes. The above five actions can also be specified for Alert Filters. A filter action class can be used to group alerts. Figure 12.8 shows the alerts being grouped under a single group called "MyGroup".