How to Set Up Server Down, CPU and Disk Alerts
Create alerts in your dashboard to be told when your server goes down, CPU or RAM run high, the disk fills up or an invoice is about to be due.
To get an alert when your server goes down, open Notifications in the SolumeCore dashboard, go to the Alerts tab, click New alert, choose Server down, pick the server and click Create alert. You can do the same for high CPU, high RAM, a disk that is almost full, an invoice about to be due and, for web hosting, an HTTPS certificate about to expire.
An alert tells you once when something needs your attention, and does not repeat until the problem is resolved, so it does not flood you.
The kinds of alert
| Alert | When it fires |
|---|---|
| Server down | The server stops responding without anyone turning it off. It is confirmed with two readings in a row, so a short blip does not wake you up |
| High CPU | The CPU stays above a percentage for some minutes |
| High RAM | The memory stays above a percentage for some minutes |
| Disk almost full | The disk stays above a percentage for some minutes, before there is no room for files, backups or worlds |
| Invoice due soon | A number of days before an invoice is due. Once per invoice; if you pay it, we do not warn again |
| HTTPS certificate expiring | A number of days before the certificate of a web hosting site expires |
Create an alert
- In the left menu, under Account, open Notifications, then the Alerts tab.
- Click New alert. If you have none yet, you can also click one of the suggestions: Tell me if my server goes down, Tell me before the disk fills up or Remind me before an invoice is due.
- In the What to watch step, choose the kind of alert and the server (not needed for invoices).
- In the Details step, set the numbers:
- Warn me above the percentage of use (for CPU, RAM and disk). It starts at 90%.
- For at least the number of minutes, so a short spike does not trigger it. It starts at 5 minutes and can be between 1 and 120.
- How many days before, for invoices and certificates. It starts at 3 days for invoices and 14 days for certificates, and can be between 1 and 30.
- Read the How it will work preview and click Create alert.
You can have up to 100 alerts per account.
What each alert looks like afterward
Your alerts are listed with their state:
- All good: the condition is not happening.
- Firing: it is happening now. The page shows how many alerts are firing and since when, and it turns off by itself when things are back to normal.
- Paused: the alert is switched off.
Use the More options menu on an alert to pause it, turn it on again or delete it.
Where the alerts arrive
An alert generates a notification in the Alerts category. It always shows in the bell and in your inbox. Whether it also goes to your email, a Discord channel or Telegram depends on what you chose in the What and where tab. By default, alerts are also sent by email. See notifications and alert sounds to change that and to turn on a sound for urgent alerts.
The home page of the dashboard also shows an alert banner when a server is down, a disk, CPU or RAM is high, or an invoice is due.
Troubleshooting
I do not see the server I want to watch
Alerts for a server only list the servers that support that kind of alert. For example, HTTPS certificate expiring only applies to web hosting. If you have no eligible servers, the window says so.
The alert fired, but my server looks fine
Open the server and check its metrics for that time. A short spike above the percentage you chose triggers the alert if it lasts longer than the minutes you set. Raise the threshold or the minutes if it is too sensitive.
I get too many emails
Open the What and where tab and switch off Email for the Alerts row. You will still see them in the bell.
FAQ
How do I get notified when my server goes down?
Create a Server down alert in Notifications, Alerts, and keep Email or Discord enabled for the Alerts category.
Will I be warned again if the server stays down?
No. An alert fires once and does not repeat until it has been resolved. It then arms itself again.
Can I get alerts in Discord?
Yes. Connect a Discord channel in the What and where tab and switch on the Alerts row for Discord.
Does the server down alert work if I stop the server myself?
The alert is for a server that stops responding without anyone turning it off, so stopping it from the dashboard is not treated as an outage.
Related articles
- Notifications and alert sounds
- Connect the SolumeCore Discord bot
- Monitor your VPS resources
- Dashboard overview and getting started
Run something your community depends on? Take a look at our VPS plans and set an alert on day one.