Setup email alert for alarms in vCenter 6.7 U3

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Recently, I was approached by someone who wasn’t fully familiar with VMWare.  They quick ask was how do I get email alerts when our ESXi hosts go offline.  It took a few minutes to confirm they had an email server setup and then to walk them through how to edit alarms to send emails when triggered.  Since the UI has change some in 6.7 U3 I thought I would take a moment to write a quick refesher on this topic.

Step 1. Confirm or add an email server into vCenter

Click on the vCenter at the top of the topology

Configure > Settings > General >Edit

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Hosts & Clusters 
Summary 
Monitor 
Settings 
General 
Licensing 
Message of the Day 
Advanced Settings 
Configure 
permissions 
Datacenters 
VMS 
Datastores 
Networks 
Linked vCenter Server Systems 
Extensions 
Updates 
EDIT 
vCenter Server Settings 
Statistics 
Database 
Estimated space required: 16.71 GB 
Max connections: 50
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Edit vCenter general settings 
Statistics 
Database 
Runtime settings 
User directory 
Mail 
SNMP receivers 
ports 
Timeout settings 
Logging settings 
SSL settings 
Mail 
Enter the settings that vCenter Server uses to send email alerts 
Mail server 
Mail sender 
CANCEL 
SAVE

Mail Server: This should be your mail server

Mail sender: this should be the FQDN of your vCenter

Step 2 – find the alarm you want to have emailed to you in the event of it being triggered and click edit

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Hosts & Clusters 
Summary 
Settings 
Monitor 
General 
Licensing 
Message of the Day 
Advanced Settings 
Authentication Proxy 
vCenter HA 
More 
Alarm Definitions 
Scheduled Tasks 
Key Management Serv _ 
Storage Providers 
vSAN 
Update 
Internet Connectivity 
Configure 
ADD 
permissions 
Datacenters 
DISABLE 
VMS 
Datastores 
Networks 
Defined In 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
This Object 
Linked vCenter Server Systems 
Extensions 
Updates 
Alarm Definitions 
EDIT 
Alarm Name 
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Errors occurred on the disk(s) of a 
ESXi Host Certificate Status 
Expired host license 
Expired host time-limited license 
Host Baseboard Management Conm 
Host battery status 
Host compliance check for hyperc„ 
Host connection and power state 
Host connection failure 
Host CPU usage 
DELETE 
Object type 
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Host 
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Cluster 
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Edit Alarm Definition 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Name and Targets 
Alarm Rule 1 
Alarm Rule 2 
Alarm Rule 3 
Review 
Name and Targets 
Alarm Name 
Description 
Target 
Targets 
Host connection failure 
Default alarm to monitor host connection failure 
All Hosts on dalprdesxvic02.freemanco.com 
CANCEL 
NEXT

Click next

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Edit Alarm Definition 
Alarm Rule 1 
Cannot connect host 
THEN 
Trigger the alarm and 
Send email notifications 
Subject * 
Email to 
Send SNMP traps 
Run script 
network error 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Name and Targets 
Alarm Rule 1 
Alarm Rule 2 
Alarm Rule 3 
Review 
ADD ARGUMENT 
Keep the target's current state 
Repeat @ 
Alarm {Alarm name} on Host : {Target Name) is {New status} 
Repeat 
ADD ADVANCED ACTIONS 
ADD ANOTHER RULE 
DUPLICATE RULE 
REMOVE RULE 
CANCEL 
BACK 
NEX

Click the tab next to send email notifications

Add a custom subject if you want

Email to: put the email distribution list or individuals email down.  Remember, if adding more than one separate by a ,

Enable send SNMP traps and check repeat

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Edit Alarm Definition 
Alarm Rule 2 
Cannot connect host - time-out 
THEN 
Trigger the alarm and 
ADD ARGUMENT 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Name and Targets 
Alarm Rule 1 
Alarm Rule 2 
Alarm Rule 3 
Review 
Keep the target's current state 
@ Actions are same as Alarm Rule 1 due to same severity level 
Send email notifications 
Subject * 
Email to 
Send SNMP traps 
Run script 
ADD ANOTHER RULE 
Alarm {Alarm name} on Host : {Target Name) is {New status} 
Keene@treemanco.com 
DUPLICATE RULE 
REMOVE RULE 
CANCEL 
BACK 
x 
NEXT
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Edit Alarm Definition 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Name and Targets 
Alarm Rule 1 
Alarm Rule 2 
Alarm Rule 3 
Review 
Alarm Rule 3 
Host connection lost 
THEN 
Trigger the alarm and 
ADD ARGUMENT 
Keep the target's current state 
@ Actions are same as Alarm Rule 1 due to same severity level 
Send email notifications 
Subject * 
Email to 
Send SNMP traps 
Run script 
ADD ANOTHER RULE 
Alarm {Alarm name} on Host : {Target Name) is {New status} 
Keene@treemanco.com 
DUPLICATE RULE 
REMOVE RULE 
CANCEL 
BACK 
x 
NEXT

Keep clicking next through the rules unless you want to add another rule or duplicate the rule

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Edit Alarm Definition 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Name and Targets 
Alarm Rule 1 
Alarm Rule 2 
Alarm Rule 3 
Review 
Review 
Alarm Name 
Description 
Targets 
Alarm Rules 
Host connection failure 
Default alarm to monitor host connection failure 
All Hosts on CJ dalprdesxvic02.treemanco.com 
IF Cannot connect host - network error 
THEN Trigger the alarm and @ Keep the target's current state 
Send emails to 
with subject Alarm {Alarm name} on Host : {Target Name) is {New status} 
Send SNMP traps and repeat enabled 
IF Cannot connect host - time-out 
THEN Trigger the alarm and @ Keep the target's current state 
Send emails to 
with subject Alarm {Alarm name} on Host : {Target Name) is {New status} 
Send SNMP traps and repeat enabled 
Enable this alarm 
CANCEL 
BACK 
SAVE

At the review page click save and you are all set.

Summary:
As you can see the process is not a difficult one if you know where to click and how to add rules.  Once again, I hope y’all found this article to be useful.

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