Symptom definition fails to trigger alert when VM IP property matches 169.254.x.x range

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

You attempt to create a Symptom Definition in VMware Aria Operations to trigger an Alert when a Virtual Machine (VM) utilizes an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) IP address (169.254.x.x).

The alert fails to trigger, even when the property condition is met by a VM.

You have followed the standard procedure for creating the definition, including:

• Setting the Object Type to Virtual Machine.

• Defining the symptom to match a VM IP property (e.g., guest|ipAddress).

• Using a condition (e.g., contains or starts with) with the value 169.254. to check for the APIPA range.

• Creating the Alert Definition and ensuring it is Enabled in the active policy.

The expected alert, such as Virtual Machine APIPA IP Alert, does not activate.

Environment

Aria Operations 8.18.x

Resolution

Use the Ping Adapter Metrics to Monitor IP Address Changes

Property metrics for Virtual Machines are collected only once every 24 hours in Aria Operations 8.18.x, making them unsuitable for timely alerts. The recommended solution is to use the Ping Adapter to collect metrics more frequently (default is every 5 minutes), which you then use to create the symptom and alert definitions.

 

Follow these steps to enable the Ping Adapter and create the necessary alert:

1. Activate the Ping Adapter:

   • Navigate to Integrations > Repository.

   • Locate the Ping Adapter and click Activate.

2. Configure a Ping Adapter Instance (Account):

   • Go to Integrations and click Add Account for the Ping Adapter.

   • Target the FQDNs (Fully Qualified Domain Names) of the VMs you want to monitor, as this ensures your monitoring continues even if the VM's IP address changes via DNS updates.

   • Optional: If you must target an IP address, add a second Ping adapter instance for the expected new address to cover transitions.

   • Note: Each Adapter Instance can handle up to 5,000 addresses. If you need to monitor more, add another adapter instance.

3. Create Symptoms and Alerts:

   • Use the metrics provided by the Ping Adapter (e.g., latency, packet loss) instead of the VM Property metrics to create the desired symptom(s) and alert(s).

   • The Ping Adapter metrics, collected every 5 minutes by default, provide the flexibility needed for timely alerts on network-related issues.

   • You can view the collected data on the adapter's Ping Overview dashboard.

Additional Information

For detailed steps on configuring the Ping adapter instance, refer to the TechDocs article on Configuring Ping Adapter Instances

If you need assistance creating the necessary alert definitions, see the related KB: How to create Custom Groups and Alerts in Aria Operations

Disclaimer: The complete end-to-end solution for this use case is outside the scope of this KB and Broadcom VCF Support. For assistance with custom solutions, such as configuring your own symptoms and alerts, please reach out to your account team or Professional Services.