Reducing Frequent "ESXi Host has Packet Errors" Alerts in Aria Operations

Products

• VMware Aria Suite

Issue/Introduction

• This article addresses a common issue where Aria Operations generates excessive "ESXi Host has Packet Errors" alerts due to low sensitivity thresholds
• The alert is triggered when the "Network|Total Error Packets Received" and "Network|Total Error Packets Transmitted" metrics exceed 10
• This can lead to alert fatigue and hinder the identification of truly critical network issues

Environment

• Aria Operations 8.18.x
• Aria Operations 8.x

Cause

• The high frequency of the alert is primarily due to the low threshold values (10) set for the "Network|Total Error Packets Received" and "Network|Total Error Packets Transmitted" metrics. These values are too sensitive and trigger alerts even for normal network traffic fluctuations
• The default threshold of 10 for packet error metrics might not be appropriate for all environments, especially those with high network traffic or specific hardware characteristics

Resolution

• Increase Alert Thresholds: Adjust the "Network|Total Error Packets Received" and "Network|Total Error Packets Transmitted" thresholds in the alert definition to a more suitable value using the below steps. This will reduce the number of unnecessary alerts
  • Login to Aria Operations product ui using https://Aria-Ops-IPorFQDN/ui
  • Navigate to Operations > Configurations > Alert Definitions section in Aria Operations 8.18.x or later and Configure > Alerts > Alert Definitions in earlier versions than 8.18.x
  • Search for the "ESXi host has packet errors" alert definition in the filter box at the top right
  • Click on the 3 vertical ellipsis on the left side of the "ESXi host has packet errors" alert and click on Edit
  • Go to Symptoms / Conditions section by clicking on Next button
  • Now the number for the Network|Total Error Packets Received and Network|Total Error Packets Transmitted metrics can be increased to a more suitable value

• Consult Hardware Vendor: Contact the hardware vendor for guidance on acceptable thresholds for packet error metrics based on your specific ESXi host model and network configuration. This will ensure that the thresholds are set appropriately to avoid false positives

Additional Information

• By increasing the alert thresholds, you can focus on more critical network issues and reduce alert fatigue
• Regularly review and adjust alert thresholds based on your environment's specific characteristics and network traffic patterns