

AWS Systems Manager Incident Manager is no longer open to new customers. Existing customers can continue to use the service as normal. For more information, see [AWS Systems Manager Incident Manager availability change](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/incident-manager-availability-change.html). 

# Managing responder rotations with on-call schedules in Incident Manager
Managing responder rotations with on-call schedules

An on-call schedule in Incident Manager defines who is notified when an incident occurs that requires operator intervention. An on-call schedule consists of one or more rotations you create for the schedule. Each rotation can include up to 30 contacts.

After you create an on-call schedule, you can include it as an escalation in your escalation plan. When an incident associated with that escalation plan occurs, Incident Manager notifies the operator (or operators) who are on call according to the schedule. This contact can then acknowledge the engagement. In your escalation plan, you can designate one or more on-call schedules, as well as one or more individual contacts, across multiple stages of escalation. For more information, see [Creating an escalation plan for responder engagement in Incident Manager](escalation.md).

**Tip**  
As a best practice, we recommend adding contacts and on-call schedules as the escalation channels in an escalation plan. You should then choose an escalation plan as the engagement in a response plan. This approach provides the fullest coverage for incident response in your organization.

Each on-call schedule supports up to eight rotations. Rotations can overlap or run concurrently. This increases the number of operators notified to respond when an incident occurs. You can also create rotations that run consecutively. This supports scenarios like "follow the sun" incident management where you have groups around the world that support the same service.

Use the topics in this section to help you create and manage on-call schedules for your incident response operations.

**Topics**
+ [

# Creating an on-call schedule and rotation in Incident Manager
](incident-manager-on-call-schedule-create.md)
+ [

# Managing an existing on-call schedule in Incident Manager
](incident-manager-on-call-schedule-manage.md)

# Creating an on-call schedule and rotation in Incident Manager
Creating an on-call schedule and rotation

Create an on-call schedule with one or more rotations of contacts to engage to respond to incidents during their shifts.

**Before you begin**  
Before you create an on-call schedule, ensure that you previously created the contacts you want to add to the rotations in the schedule. For information, see [Creating and configuring contacts in Incident Manager](contacts.md).

**Accounting for Daylight Savings Time (DST) changes**  
When you create a rotation, you specify the global time zone that serves as the basis for shift coverage times and dates you specify for this rotation. You can use any time zone defined by the [Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)](https://www.iana.org/time-zones). For example: `America/Los_Angeles`, `UTC`, and `Asia/Seoul`. You can add more than one rotation to an on-call schedule. However, when the responders for each rotation are geographically located in different time zones, keep in mind any DST changes each rotation might be subject to. 

For instance, `America/Los_Angeles` and `Europe/Dublin` observe different DST schedules. As a result, the time difference between the two zones can vary from 6 to 8 hours, depending on the time of the year. For example, a follow-the-sun on-call schedule has one rotation in the `America/Los_Angeles` time zone and one rotation in `Europe/Dublin`. In this example, the schedule can contain a one-hour shift gap or a one-hour shift overlap because of DST changes.

To avoid these situations, we recommend the following approach:

1. Use a single time zone for all rotations in an on-call schedule.

1. Calculate local times when you assign responders outside that particular time zone.

If you do decide to assign each rotation to its local time zone, review the schedule before any DST. Then, adjust the rotation shift times as needed to make sure that you avoid any unintended gaps or overlaps in your on-call coverage before any DST changes take effect.

**To create on on-call schedule**

1. Open the [Incident Manager console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/incidents/home). 

1. In the left navigation, choose **On-call schedules**. 

1. Choose **Create on-call schedule**.

1. For **Schedule name**, enter a name to help you identify the schedule, such as **MyApp Primary On-call Schedule**.

1. For **Schedule alias**, enter an alias for this schedule that is unique in the current AWS Region, such as **my-app-primary-on-call-schedule**.

1. (Optional) In the **Tags** area, apply one or more tag key name and value pairs to the on-call schedule.

   Tags are optional metadata that you assign to a resource. Tags allow you to categorize a resource in different ways, such as by purpose, owner, or environment. For example, you can tag a schedule to identify the period of time in which it runs, the types of operators it contains, or the escalation plan it supports. For more information about tagging Incident Manager resources, see [Tagging resources in Incident Manager](tagging.md).

1. Continue by [adding one or more rotations to the on-call schedule](#on-call-schedule-rotation-times).

## Creating a rotation for an on-call schedule in Incident Manager


A rotation in an on-call schedule specifies when the shift is in effect. It also specifies the contacts that shifts rotate through. You can include up to eight rotations in a single on-call schedule.

You can add any individuals you created as a contact in Incident Manager to a rotation. For information about managing your contacts, see [Creating and configuring contacts in Incident Manager](contacts.md).

As you configure your rotation, you can see how the overall schedule looks in a **Preview** calendar on the right side of the page.

**To create a rotation for an on-call schedule**

1. In the **Rotation 1** section of the **Create on-call schedule** page, for **Rotation name**, enter a name that identifies the rotation, such as **00:00 - 7:59 Support**, or **Dublin Support Group**.

1. For **Start date**, enter the date when this rotation becomes active in `YYYY/MM/DD` format, such as `2023/07/14`.

1. For **Time zone**, select the global time zone that serves as the basis for shift coverage times and dates you specify for this rotation. 

   You can use any time zone defined by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). For example: "America/Los\$1Angeles", "UTC", "Asia/Seoul". For more information, see the [Time Zone Database](https://www.iana.org/time-zones) on the IANA website.
**Warning**  
You can base each rotation on its own time zone. However, any Daylight Savings Time changes in the time zones you select can impact your intended coverage windows. For more information, see [Accounting for Daylight Savings Time (DST) changes](#on-call-dst) earlier in this topic.

1. For **Rotation start time**, enter the time when this rotation's shift begins in 24-hour `hh:mm` format, such as `16:00`.

   Note the differences in local time for contacts in time zones different from the one you specified. For example, if you choose `America/Los_Angeles` as the time zone and `00:00` as the rotation start time, this equals 08:00 in Dublin, Ireland, and 13:30 in Mumbai, India.

1. For **Rotation end time**, enter the time when this rotation's shift ends in 24-hour `hh:mm` format, such as `23:59`.
**Note**  
The length of time between the start and end of a rotation must be at least 30 minutes.

1. (Optional) To set the rotation length to 24 hours, select **24-hour coverage** and enter the start time for this rotation in the **Rotation start time** field. The **Rotation end time** value updates automatically.

   For example, if you want your on-call to have 24-hour coverage with the shift change at 11 AM, choose **24-hour coverage** and enter **11:00** as the start time.

1. For **Active days**, select the days of the week that this rotation is active. If your on-call plan excludes weekend coverage for example, select all the days except **Sunday** and **Saturday**.

1. Continue by [adding contacts to the rotation](#on-call-schedule-rotation-contacts).

## Adding contacts to a rotation in an on-call schedule in Incident Manager


For each rotation in your on-call schedule, you can add one or more contacts, up to a total of 30. You choose from contacts who are set up in your Incident Manager configuration. 

When you add a contact to a rotation, the contact may receive notifications as part of their on-call duties. Notifications may be sent by email, SMS, or voice call as specified in a contact's details. 

For information about managing your contacts and contacts notification options, see [Creating and configuring contacts in Incident Manager](contacts.md).

**To add contacts to a rotation in an on-call schedule**

1. On the **Create on-call schedule** page, in the **Contacts** section for the rotation, choose **Add or remove contacts**.

1. In the **Add or remove contacts** dialog box, select the aliases of the contacts to include in the rotation.

   The order that you select the contacts in is the order that they are first listed in the rotation schedule. You can change the order after you add contacts.

1. Choose **Confirm**.

1. To change a contact's position in the order, select the radio button for that user and use the Up (![\[)The Up button\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/images/on-call-Up.png)) and Down (![\[)The Down button\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/images/on-call-Down.png)) buttons to update the contact order.

1. Continue by [specifying individual shift recurrence and length](#on-call-schedule-rotation-recurrence-and-tags) for the rotation.

## Specifying shift recurrence and length and adding tags to a rotation in Incident Manager


Shift recurrence specifies how frequently the contacts in a rotation rotate in and out of being on call. Recurrence lengths can be specified in a number of days, weeks, or months.

**To specify shift recurrence and length and add tags to a rotation**

1. On the **Create on-call schedule** page, in the **Recurrence settings** section for the rotation, do the following:
   + For **Shift recurrence type**, specify whether each on-call's shift lasts a number of days, weeks, or months by choosing from `Daily`, `Weekly`, and `Monthly`.
   + For **Shift length**, enter how many days, weeks, or months a shift lasts.

     For example, if you chose `Daily` and enter **1**, each contact's on-call shift lasts one day. If you chose `Weekly` and enter **3**, each contact's on-call shift lasts three weeks.

1. (Optional) In the **Tags** area, apply one or more tag key name and value pairs to the rotation.

   Tags are optional metadata that you assign to a resource. Tags allow you to categorize a resource in different ways, such as by purpose, owner, or environment. For example, you can tag a rotation to identify the location of the contacts assigned to it, the type of coverage it's meant to provide, or the escalation plan it will support. For more information about tagging Incident Manager resources, see [Tagging resources in Incident Manager](tagging.md).

1. (Recommended) Use the calendar preview to ensure there are no unintended gaps in coverage for your on-call schedule.

1. Choose **Create**.

You can now add the on-call schedule as an escalation channel in an escalation plan. For information, see [Create an escalation plan](escalation.md#escalation-create).

# Managing an existing on-call schedule in Incident Manager
Managing an existing on-call schedule

Use the content in this section to help you work with on-call schedules you have already created.

**Topics**
+ [

## Viewing on-call schedule details
](#on-call-schedule-details)
+ [

## Editing an on-call schedule
](#on-call-schedule-edit)
+ [

## Copying an on-call schedule
](#on-call-schedule-copy)
+ [

## Creating an override for an on-call schedule rotation
](#on-call-schedule-override)
+ [

## Deleting an on-call schedule
](#on-call-schedule-delete)

## Viewing on-call schedule details


You can access an at-a-glance summary of an on-call schedule on the **View on-call schedule details** page. This page also contains information about who is currently on call and who is on call next. The page includes a calendar view that shows which contacts are on call at any specific time.

**To view on-call schedule details**

1. Open the [Incident Manager console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/incidents/home). 

1. In the left navigation, choose **On-call schedules**. 

1. In the row for the on-call schedule to view, do one of the following:
   + To open a summary view of the calendar, choose the schedule alias.

     -or-

     Select the radio button for the row, and then choose **View**.
   + To open a calendar view of the schedule, choose **View calendar** ![\[The View calendar button\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/images/on-call-calendar.png)

     In calendar view, choose the name of a contact on a specific date in the schedule to see details about the assigned shift or create an override,.
   + To turn on or turn off the display of a specific rotation in the calendar, choose the toggle next to the rotation's name.  
![\[Toggle buttons shown in on and off position in an on-call calendar preview.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/images/on-call-calendar-toggles.png)

## Editing an on-call schedule


You can update the configuration for an on-call schedule and its rotations, except the following details:
+ The schedule alias
+ Rotation names
+ Rotation start dates

To use an existing calendar as the basis for a new calendar with the ability to change these values, you can copy the calendar instead. For information, see [Copying an on-call schedule](#on-call-schedule-copy).

**To edit an on-call schedule**

1. Open the [Incident Manager console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/incidents/home). 

1. In the left navigation, choose **On-call schedules**. 

1. Do one of the following:
   + Select the radio button in the row for the on-call schedule to edit, and then choose **Edit**.
   + Choose the schedule alias for the on-call schedule to open the **View on-call schedule details** page, and then choose **Edit**.

1. Make any modifications needed to the on-call schedule and its rotations. You can change rotation configuration options such as the start and end times, contacts, and recurrence. You can add or remove rotations from the schedule as needed. The calendar preview reflects your changes as you make them.

   For information about working with the options on the page, see [Creating an on-call schedule and rotation in Incident Manager](incident-manager-on-call-schedule-create.md).

1. Choose **Update**.

**Important**  
If you edit a schedule that contains overrides, your changes can affect the overrides. To ensure that your overrides remain configured as expected, we recommend reviewing your shift overrides closely after you update the schedule.

## Copying an on-call schedule


To use the configuration of an existing on-call schedule as the starting point for a new schedule, you can create a copy of the calendar and modify it as needed.

**To copy an on-call schedule**

1. Open the [Incident Manager console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/incidents/home). 

1. In the left navigation, choose **On-call schedules**. 

1. Select the radio button in the row for the on-call schedule to copy.

1. Choose **Copy**.

1. Make any modifications you need to the calendar and its rotations. You can change, add, or remove rotations as needed.
**Note**  
When you copy an existing schedule, you must specify new start dates for each rotation. Copied schedules don't support rotations with start dates in the past.

   For information about working with the options on the page, see [Creating an on-call schedule and rotation in Incident Manager](incident-manager-on-call-schedule-create.md).

1. Choose **Create copy**.

## Creating an override for an on-call schedule rotation


If you need to make one-off changes to an existing rotation schedule, you can create an override. An override lets you replace all or part of a contact's shift with another contact. You can also create an override that spans across multiple shifts.

You can only assign contacts to an override that are already assigned to the rotation.

In the calendar preview, overridden shifts are shown with a striped background instead of a solid background. The following image demonstrates that the contact named Zhang Wei is on call in an override. The override include parts of the shifts for John Doe and Martha Rivera, starting May 5th and ending May 11th.

![\[A schedule calendar demonstrates an override shift covering parts of two other shifts.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/images/on-call-rotation-override-example.png)


**To create an override for an on-call schedule**

1. Open the [Incident Manager console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/incidents/home). 

1. In the left navigation, choose **On-call schedules**. 

1. In the row for the on-call schedule to view, do one of the following:
   + Choose the schedule alias, then choose the **Schedule calendar** tab.
   + Choose **View calendar** ![\[)The Calendar button\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/incident-manager/latest/userguide/images/on-call-calendar.png).

1. Do one of the following:
   + Choose **Create override**.
   + Choose the name of a contact in the calendar preview, and then choose **Override shift**.

1. In the **Create shift override** dialog box, do the following:
**Note**  
An override must be at least 30 minutes in length. You can only specify an override for shifts that occur no more than six months in the future.

   1. For **Select rotation**, select the name of the rotation to create an override in.

   1. For **Start date**, select or enter the date when the override begins.

   1. For **Start time**, enter the time when the override begins in `hh:mm` format. 

   1. For **End date**, select or enter the date when the override ends.

   1. For **End time**, enter the time when the override ends, in `hh:mm` format. 

   1. For **Select override contact**, select the name of the rotation contact who is on call during the override period. 

1. Choose **Create override**.

After you create an override, you can identify it by its striped background. When you choose the contact name for an overridden shift, an information box identifies it as an overridden shift. You can choose **Delete override** to remove it and restore the original on-call assignment.

## Deleting an on-call schedule


When you no longer need a particular on-call schedule, you can delete it from Incident Manager.

If any escalation plans or response plans currently use the on-call schedule as an escalation channel, you should remove it from those plans before you delete the schedule. 

**To delete an on-call schedule**

1. Open the [Incident Manager console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/incidents/home). 

1. In the left navigation, choose **On-call schedules**. 

1. Select the radio button in the row for the on-call schedule to delete.

1. Choose **Delete**.

1. In the **Delete on-call schedule?** dialog box, enter **confirm** in the text box.

1. Choose **Delete**.