Troubleshooting PagerDuty and OpsGenie Sync Issues

Symptoms of a Sync Problem

You might have a sync issue between Tellspin and PagerDuty or OpsGenie if you notice any of the following:

• The on-call person in your Slack user group is incorrect or doesn't update at the handoff time.
• The schedule displayed in the Tellspin App Home in Slack does not match the schedule in PagerDuty or OpsGenie.
• Your on-call user group in Slack is empty, even though someone is on-call in the source schedule.

  

• Tellspin shows an error message related to the integration on its App Home page.

Common Causes for Sync Failures

Sync problems are typically caused by a configuration or permission issue. Here are the most common reasons:

• Invalid or Expired API Key: The API token used to connect Tellspin to PagerDuty or OpsGenie may have been revoked or expired.
• Incorrect API Key Permissions: The API key may not have the necessary 'Read' permissions for schedules.
• PagerDuty Escalation Policy: PagerDuty schedules must be associated with an Escalation Policy for the API to correctly report who is on-call.
• Mismatched User Emails: The email address for a user in Slack must exactly match their email address in PagerDuty or OpsGenie for Tellspin to map them correctly.
• Restricted Slack Users: If an on-call user is a Single-Channel or Multi-Channel Guest in Slack, Tellspin cannot add them to a user group, causing the sync to fail for that user.

How to Fix PagerDuty Sync Issues

Follow these steps to resolve common PagerDuty sync problems.

1. Check the Escalation Policy: In PagerDuty, ensure that the schedule you are syncing is linked to an active Escalation Policy. Tellspin relies on this association to determine the current on-call user.
2. Reconnect Your PagerDuty Account: An expired or revoked token is a frequent cause of sync failure. Re-establishing the connection can resolve this.
   • Open the Tellspin App Home in Slack.
   • Click the PagerDuty Connect button.
   • Follow the prompts to re-authenticate with your PagerDuty account.
3. Verify API Key Permissions: When generating a PagerDuty API key for Tellspin, ensure it has read-only access to schedules, users, and escalation policies.

How to Fix OpsGenie Sync Issues

Follow these steps for issues with your OpsGenie integration.

1. Reconnect Your OpsGenie Account: Just like with PagerDuty, reconnecting can refresh your authentication token.
   • Open the Tellspin App Home in Slack.
   • Click the OpsGenie Connect button.
   • Follow the prompts to re-enter your API key.
2. Verify API Key Permissions: In your OpsGenie settings, confirm that the API key provided to Tellspin has the Read permission enabled. It does not require Write, Create, or Delete permissions.
3. Check User Mapping: Ensure that every user in your on-call schedule has a Slack account with the same email address used in their OpsGenie profile. Also, confirm that none of the on-call users are guest or restricted accounts in your Slack workspace.

Verifying the Sync is Active

Once you've taken the troubleshooting steps, you can confirm the sync is working:

1. Check the App Home: Open the Tellspin App Home and view the schedule. The current on-call user should match PagerDuty or OpsGenie, with upcoming shifts listed—for example:

   

2. Test the User Group: Mention the user group handle (e.g., @dev-oncall) in a Slack channel. The correct on-call user should be notified.

Still Stuck?

If your sync issues persist after following these steps, please contact our support team. Email support@tellspin.com and include the following information:

• Your Slack Workspace ID.
• The name of the Tellspin schedule that is failing.
• A screenshot of the schedule in the Tellspin App Home.
• A screenshot of the corresponding schedule in PagerDuty or OpsGenie for the same time period.