Installation guide

You create an alarm by using the Alarm Settings dialog box. You can open this dialog box by selecting the
object in the inventory and using any of the following methods.
n
Select File > New > Alarm.
n
Select Inventory > <object_type> > Alarm > Add Alarm.
n
Right-click the object and select Alarm > Add Alarm.
n
In the Alarms tab, click the Definitions tab, right-click in the pane, and select New > Alarm.
n
Select the object in the inventory and press Ctrl+A.
Prerequisites
To set up an alarm on an object, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system. In addition,
you must have proper user permissions on all relevant objects to create alarms. After an alarm is created, it
will be enabled even if the user who created it no longer has permissions.
Procedure
1 Alarm Settings – General on page 254
Use the General tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box to set up general alarm information, such as the
alarm name, description, monitoring type, and status.
2 Alarm Settings – Triggers on page 255
In the Alarm Settings dialog box, use the Triggers tab to add, edit, or remove alarm triggers. The
procedure for setting up triggers depends on whether you are setting the trigger for a condition or state
or for an event.
3 Alarm Settings – Reporting on page 257
In the Alarm Settings dialog box, use the Reporting tab to define a tolerance range and trigger frequency
for condition or state triggers. Reporting further restricts when the trigger occurs.
Alarm Settings – General
Use the General tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box to set up general alarm information, such as the alarm
name, description, monitoring type, and status.
Procedure
1 If necessary, display the Alarm Settings dialog box.
a Display the object in the Inventory panel.
b Select the object and press Ctrl-M.
2 On the General tab, enter an alarm name and alarm description.
3 In the Alarm Type box, define the type of alarm to create.
a In the Monitor list, select the object on which to create the alarm.
The objects in the Monitor list are determined by the object selected in the inventory.
b Select how to monitor the object: for specific conditions or states, or for specific events.
This determines which triggers are available for the alarm.You can monitor hosts, virtual machines,
and datastores for conditions, states, and events. All other objects are monitored only for events.
4 (Optional) To enable the alarm, select Enable this alarm.
You can enable an alarm at anytime after you create it.
5 (Optional) To define the alarm triggers, click the Triggers tab.
vSphere Basic System Administration
254 VMware, Inc.