Custom Alarm Remains Triggered After Condition Clears

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• You are unable to clear alarm from vCenter.
• A custom alarm in vCenter remains triggered in the vCenter UI, even after the triggering condition has cleared and the alarm appears resolved on the host or object level.
  Attempts to "Reset to Green" or acknowledge the alarm are unsuccessful in clearing it from the vCenter view.
  This applies specifically to customer-defined alarms.

Environment

vCenter Server 7.0.3

Cause

This issue is typically due to a synchronization or caching problem within the vCenter Server's alarm subsystem.
The alarm state becomes "stale" or incorrectly cached, preventing its status from updating even after the underlying condition is resolved.

Resolution

To resolve a stuck custom alarm, temporarily disable and then re-enable its definition:

1. Identify the Stuck Alarm: Note the exact name of the custom alarm definition that is stuck.
2. Disable Alarm Definition:
   • Navigate to Configure > Alarm Definitions in vCenter.
   • Locate the problematic custom alarm definition.
   • Select it and click Disable.
3. Verify Clearance: Allow a few moments (e.g. 30-60 seconds). Confirm the alarm has now disappeared from the vCenter UI.
4. Re-enable Alarm Definition:
   • Return to Configure > Alarm Definitions.
   • Locate the alarm definition you just disabled.
   • Select it and click Enable.