VCF Operations Top Alerts Widget

I rarely use the Top Alerts Widget in VCF Operations, but had a use-case that required it, so I explored it in a bit more detail. It is documented here, but it's not all that elaborate, so I explored and here's what I found:

• List Alerts in descending order of Severity: Critical, Immediate, Warning, then Info

• Can be configured to show Alerts for self and child

• Can be configured to show Alerts based on Badge

• Can be configured to list any number of Alerts (default is 5)

• Generally works best not as a self-provider, but rather driven from another Widget

• There is a UI bug where clicking an Alert link sends the user to the wrong Object/Alert

First, the Top Alerts Widget lists Alerts for a selected Object in descending order of Severity.

Second, the Top Alerts Widget can be configured to show both Alerts against the selected Object and Alerts against child Objects.

Notice in the screenshot above I've selected a VM at left, but am showing a Datastore Alert in the Top Alerts Widget as well.

Next, the Top Alerts Widget can be configured to only show Alerts affecting certain Badges (or All). It can also be configured to only show a certain number of Alerts.

When configured to show fewer Alerts than an Object actually has, it will show the most severe/recent Alerts first.

The last two points are around the Top Alerts Widget being a self-provider or not. What I found when configuring it as a self-provider is that you must configure Input Data. To see all Alerts in the Top Alerts Widget the natural selection here is vSphere World.

When using vSphere World (or any other higher level construct), Top Alerts shows like this.

As you can see it lists Top Alerts by severity then number of Alerts:

• 18 Criticals first

• 20 Immediates second

• 2 Criticals third

• 15 Warnings fourth

• then lists the single Alerts in order of Severity

Clicking the link for the 18 Critical Alerts at the top gives you this.

Clicking the links here takes you to the Alert or Object. But if you click any of the single Alerts it takes you here.

Notice the error indidating "Error retrieving information for alert", which appears to be a bug. I've opened a bug case internally to get this addressed, but keep it in mind if you're using the Top Alerts Widget with a self provider configuration. I personally recommend using the Top Alerts Widget when driving it from another source, but it's dealers choice. Hope this was helpful!