Virtualization & hypervisors · 6 min read

Set VM resource alerts that don't just mirror the host

A VM-level CPU or memory alert that fires every time the host is busy isn't telling you anything about that specific VM.

What you'll need

  • A hypervisor integration (vCenter, Proxmox, Hyper-V or Nutanix) already reporting per-VM metrics in Linivo
1

Separate VM-level thresholds from host-level ones

A VM pinned at 100% CPU because the host is oversubscribed is a capacity-planning issue; a single VM spiking to 100% while its host has headroom is an application issue. Use different thresholds and routing for each.

2

Watch for ballooning and swap, not just usage percentage

On memory-overcommitted hosts, a VM's reported usage can look normal while it's actually being throttled through ballooning or swapping. Where the hypervisor exposes it, alert on balloon/swap activity as its own signal.

3

Group alerts by VM owner or workload tag, not just by host

If VMs are tagged by team or application, route their resource alerts accordingly. Otherwise every VM alert lands on whoever owns the underlying host, whether or not it's their workload.