Setting Up Email Notifications for Alarms generated in vCenter Server.

Products

VMware vCenter Server 8.0 VMware vCenter Server VMware vCenter Server 7.0

Issue/Introduction

vCenter provides built-in functionality to monitor VM resource usage and trigger email alerts. We advise configuring SMTP settings and creating alarm definitions in vCenter to leverage these capabilities for effective performance management.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.x

VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Resolution

Configure Mail Sender Settings :

Prerequisites:

Required Access: The user must have "Global.Settings" privileges within vCenter Server.
vSphere Version: This procedure is applicable for vSphere 7.0 Update 1 and later versions.
Email Provider: The email account must be associated with Office 365.
SMTP Authentication: The email account must meet the requirements for sending emails through SMTP authentication. These requirements are detailed in Microsoft's documentation about "Requirement for SMTP AUTH client submission."

Step 1: Configuring Mail Sender Settings in vCenter Server:

Open vSphere Client: Launch the vSphere Client application.
Navigate to vCenter Server: Select the specific vCenter Server instance that requires configuration.
Access Settings: Click the "Configure" tab. Under "Settings," choose "General."
Edit Mail Settings: Click the "Edit" button to access the mail configuration options.

Step 2: Configuring the Mail Server:

Locate the Mail Server Field: Identify the "Mail server" text box.
Anonymous Email Sending: For anonymous email sending, enter the DNS name or IP address of any accessible SMTP gateway.
SMTP Authentication (Recommended): If using SMTP authentication, input "smtp.office365.com" into the "Mail server" text box.
Important: Do not use an IP address for SMTP authentication.

Step 3: Configuring the Mail Sender:

Locate the Mail Sender Field: Locate the "Mail sender" text box.
SMTP Authentication: Enter the complete email address, including the domain name, in the "Mail Sender" text box. This should be an email account created within the corresponding Outlook instance. For example, "[email protected]."

Step 4: Saving SMTP Authentication Settings (SMTP Authentication Only):

Click "Save": After entering the email address, click the "Save" button to apply the settings. This step is only necessary if utilizing SMTP authentication.

Step 5: Configuring SMTP User Settings (SMTP Authentication Only):

Return to Settings: Click the "Configure" tab again.
Access Advanced Settings: Select "Advanced Settings."
Edit Settings: Click "EDIT SETTINGS" and enter the necessary information for SMTP user settings. These settings might include things like usernames and passwords.
Save Settings: Click "Save" to apply the changes.

For Reference :

Step 6: Creating an Alarm for Virtual Machine Hard Disk Usage:

Access Alarms: Log in to vCenter Server using the vSphere Client. Navigate to "vCenter Server" and click "Alarms."
Create New Alarm: Right-click "Definitions" and select "New Alarm."
Configure Alarm Details: Enter a descriptive name for the alarm. Select "Virtual Machines" as the "Alarm Type."
Set Alarm Trigger: Under "Triggers," click "Add." Default VM CPU/Memory usage values might be displayed. Set the trigger condition for "Warning" based on the desired hard disk usage threshold. Click "OK."

Verifying Alarm Functionality:

Monitor Virtual Machine: Observe the virtual machine for which the alarm has been configured, particularly its hard disk usage.
Trigger the Alarm: Allow the hard disk usage to reach the designated threshold to trigger the alarm.
Verify Email Notification: Check the associated email inbox for the notification generated by the triggered alarm. Additionally, verify the alarm status within the vCenter Server monitoring section.

Additional Information

Enabling or Disabling SMTP Authentication for Specific Mailboxes in Exchange Online

This procedure details the steps to enable or disable SMTP authentication for individual mailboxes within the Exchange Online environment. It adheres to the guidelines provided by Microsoft in their documentation, "Enable or disable SMTP AUTH in Exchange Online | Microsoft Learn."

Note: Enabling SMTP authentication is not mandatory. It is a configuration option to control which mailboxes can send emails through SMTP servers that require authentication.

Enabling SMTP Authentication for Specific Mailboxes:

Access the Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using administrative credentials.
Navigate to Users: In the left navigation menu, select Users > Active users.
Select the Mailbox: Identify the mailbox for which SMTP authentication needs to be enabled or disabled. Click on the mailbox name to open its details pane.
Access Mail Settings: In the mailbox details flyout that appears, select Mail.
Manage Email Apps: Within the "Mail" section, locate the "Email apps" subsection and click on Manage email apps.
Verify Authenticated SMTP Setting: Review the status of the "Authenticated SMTP" setting:
- Unchecked: Indicates that SMTP authentication is disabled for the selected mailbox.
- Checked: Indicates that SMTP authentication is enabled for the selected mailbox.
Save Changes: After adjusting the "Authenticated SMTP" setting as needed, click on Save changes to apply the configuration.

Additional Considerations:

Microsoft 365 Admin Center: The steps outlined above utilize the Microsoft 365 admin center. Alternatively, SMTP authentication settings can be configured using Exchange Online PowerShell.
SMTP Authentication Requirements: Ensure that the email account meets the requirements for SMTP authentication as specified by Microsoft. These requirements might vary depending on the SMTP server configuration.
Security Best Practices: Enable SMTP authentication only for necessary mailboxes. Limiting the number of accounts with SMTP authentication capabilities enhances security by reducing the potential for unauthorized email sending.

By following these steps, administrators can successfully enable or disable SMTP authentication for individual mailboxes within their Exchange Online environment, ensuring alignment with their organization's security and email sending policies.