Alarms
Understanding and managing the VergeOS alarm system for proactive monitoring, including viewing, resolving, and snoozing alarms for hardware failures, configuration issues, and security concerns.
Overview
The VergeOS alarm system provides proactive monitoring and alerting to notify of problems, concerns, and vulnerabilities within the system. Alarms are automatically generated notifications that make users aware of conditions requiring attention, such as:
Missing or incorrect configuration settings
Potentially vulnerable system configurations
Hardware failures (missing or failed drives)
Security concerns requiring immediate action
System maintenance requirements
Alarm Notifications
Default Administrator Email Notifications
By default, the built‑in admin user and the Administrators group receive automatic email notifications whenever a system alarm is raised or lowered (cleared)
Top Bar Indicator
When active alarms are present in your system, a notification badge will appear next to the alarm icon (bell) on the right side of the top navigation bar. This badge displays the total number of current, active, non-snoozed alarms requiring attention.
Main Dashboard Card
The Main Dashboard includes a dedicated Alarms card that provides:
Active alarm count: Total number of unresolved system alarms
Visual status indicator: Color-coded status (green: no alarms raised; yellow: warnings; red: error and/or critical alarms)
Quick access: Direct link to the Alarms Dashboard, providing a detailed view of current alarms
Snoozed alarms are not included in the active alarm count displayed on the dashboard card.
Contextual Dashboard Alerts
Many alarms also appear as contextual messages at the top of relevant dashboard pages. For example:
SMTP configuration alarms display on the SMTP settings dashboard
Network-related alarms appear on applicable network configuration pages
Storage alarms show on relevant storage management dashboards
Viewing Alarm Details
Accessing the Alarms List
To view a comprehensive list of all active alarms, use either method:
1: Click the alarm icon (bell) in the top navigation bar
2: Navigate to System → Alarms
Alarm Ownership Types
System Alarms
Deal with core system functionality and security
Affect overall system operation and stability
Typically require administrative privileges to resolve
User Alarms
Specific to individual VergeOS user accounts
Examples: Missing two-factor authentication configuration, personal settings issues
Can often be resolved by the individual user
Alarm Expiration
Most alarms display "Never" in the Expires field because they require specific resolution actions rather than automatic expiration. Alarms remain active until the underlying condition is addressed, or the alarm is manually snoozed.
Resolving Alarms
Different alarm types require different resolution approaches:
Configuration Issues: Navigate to the relevant settings page to correct misconfigurations
Hardware Problems: Replace or repair faulty hardware components
Security Concerns: Update settings, apply patches, or implement security measures
Maintenance Tasks: Complete required system maintenance or updates
To access resolution options:
Double-click any alarm in the list to navigate directly to the associated dashboard or configuration page
Review detailed information and access necessary tools from the target page
Auto-Resolvable Alarms
Some alarms include built-in resolution actions that can be triggered directly from the alarm notification, streamlining the resolution process. The following scenarios show examples of auto-resolvable alarms:
Example 1: Virtual Machine Restart Required
Issue: A VM requires reboot/restart to complete configuration changes
Resolution: Click the Restart button directly from the alarm notification
Example 2: Firewall Rules Pending Application
Issue: Network firewall rules have been configured but not yet applied
Resolution: Click the Apply Rules button to activate pending rule changes
Snoozing Alarms
When to Snooze Alarms
Snoozing allows you to temporarily suppress alarm notifications when:
Waiting for replacement hardware to arrive
Planning maintenance during scheduled downtime
Coordinating with other team members before taking action
Deferring non-critical (warning) issues to a more appropriate time
Always understand the alarm's purpose and implications before snoozing. Delaying resolution of more urgent issues (e.g. Error or Critical Level) can impact system stability and security.
How to Snooze Alarms
Access alarms: Click the alarm icon in the top bar or navigate to System → Alarms
Select alarms: Choose the desired alarm(s) from the list
Initiate snooze: Click Snooze in the left menu
Set duration: Select the appropriate snooze duration from the dropdown menu
Confirm: Click Snooze to apply the setting
Managing Snoozed Alarms
Visual Indicators:
Snooze icon: The "ZzZ" symbol appear at the far left of snoozed alarms
Snoozed field: Shows "Yes" for currently snoozed items
Snoozed Until: Indicates when the alarm will become active again
Modified: Shows the date/time when snooze was implemented
Modifying Snooze Duration:
To adjust an existing snooze period, follow the standard snooze process with the new desired duration. The system will update the snooze period accordingly.
Best Practices
Check Regularly for Alarms
Before snoozing an Alarm: understand the importance of the alarm, and alert other VergeOS administrators
Note the type of alarm, e.g. Critical/Error/Warning to better understand importance and urgency level
Typically, it is not recommended that you snooze alarms marked as "Critical"; if you find it necessary to snooze a Critical alarm, select a short snooze duration and verify other VergeOS administrators are aware of the alarm
Regular Monitoring
Daily checks: Review active alarms at the start of each day
Priority focus: Address critical and error-level alarms first
Snooze Management
Understand before snoozing: Always review alarm details and implications before deferring
Team communication: Notify other administrators when snoozing shared system alarms
Critical alarm caution: Avoid snoozing Critical alarms
Short durations for critical issues: If you must snooze critical- or error-level alarms, use minimal durations
Resolution Strategy
Severity-based prioritization: Use alarm severity levels to guide response timing
Documentation: Keep records of alarm resolutions for future reference
Proactive approach: Address warning-level alarms before they escalate
Team coordination: Ensure multiple administrators are aware of ongoing system alarm situations
Troubleshooting
Alarms not appearing
Refresh the browser page
Verify user permissions for alarm viewing
Check if alarms are snoozed and hidden from active view
Cannot resolve alarms
Ensure you have appropriate administrative privileges
Verify the underlying issue has been properly addressed
Contact system administrators for assistance with system-level alarms
Version Compatibility: This functionality is available in VergeOS 26.0 and later.
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