VM Reboot Alerts in Aria and VCF Operations: Configuration Guide

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

This article provides instructions for configuring an alert in Aria Operations and VCF Operations to detect Virtual Machine (VM) reboots and monitor guest OS availability. This configuration helps administrators distinguish between VM downtime and guest OS reboots by tracking OS uptime thresholds. The alert is designed to automatically resolve once the uptime exceeds the defined limit, indicating the resumption of normal operations.

Environment

• Aria Operations 8.18.x
• VCF Operations 9.x

Resolution

Follow these steps to create an alert definition that triggers when a Virtual Machine's OS uptime indicates a recent reboot.

 

Note: Ensure VMware Tools is installed and running on the target Virtual Machines for accurate uptime reporting

 

1. Create a New Alert Definition

1. Navigate to Operations > Configurations > Alert Definitions.
2. Click the Add icon to create a new alert.

2. Configure Alert Details

• Name: VM Reboot
• Description: Alerts when a VM has recently rebooted, based on OS uptime dropping below a threshold.
• Base Object Type: Select Virtual Machine.
• Advanced Settings: Expand this section and select Impact, Criticality, Alert Type, and Subtype based on your organizational requirements.
• Wait Cycle: Set to 1.
  • Note: A Wait Cycle of 1 is critical to ensure the alert triggers immediately upon detection. 
• Cancel Cycle: Set to 1.
  • This ensures the alert cancels as soon as the symptom clears (e.g., uptime exceeds 300 seconds).

3. Add Symptoms and Conditions

1. Under Conditions, search for "uptime."
2. Select System | OS Uptime (Seconds) and drag it to the editor.
3. Set the condition to less than or equal to 300.
4. Set the Criticality as per your requirement.

4. Finalize Configuration

1. Add Recommendations if specific recovery procedures are required.
2. Select the Policy where the alert will be activated.
3. Click Create to finalize the definition.

Note: The threshold for the alert can be modified as per the requirement

Additional Information

Create a New Alert Definition

Delayed Alert notification on Aria Operations

Understanding the actual uptime of a virtual machine (as seen inside the guest OS) and the uptime displayed in the vCenter UI