What is the primary function of an alarm in vCenter Server?

The primary function of an alarm in vCenter Server is to notify administrators about events or conditions that occur with an object in vCenter Server. Alarms are configured to monitor specific metrics or events within the environment, such as changes in performance, availability, or configuration. When a predefined condition is met, the alarm triggers notifications to alert administrators of the situation. This capability is essential for proactive monitoring and management of virtual infrastructure, ensuring that any issues can be addressed promptly to maintain system health and performance.

The alarms can be set up for various scenarios, including resource thresholds being reached, virtual machine state changes, or hardware issues, making them a critical tool for effective operations management in a virtualized environment.