ProxMox Pulse

A lightweight, responsive ProxMox monitoring application that displays real-time metrics for CPU, memory, network, and disk usage across multiple nodes.

Quick Start

🚀 Run with Docker (Production)

# 1. Create .env file with your ProxMox details
cat > .env << EOL
PROXMOX_NODE_1_NAME=My Proxmox
PROXMOX_NODE_1_HOST=https://proxmox.local:8006
PROXMOX_NODE_1_TOKEN_ID=root@pam!pulse
PROXMOX_NODE_1_TOKEN_SECRET=your-token-secret
EOL

# 2. Run the container
docker run -d -p 7654:7654 --env-file .env --name pulse-app rcourtman/pulse:latest

# 3. Open in browser
open http://localhost:7654  # or visit in your browser

💻 Development Setup

# 1. Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/rcourtman/pulse.git
cd pulse
npm install
cd frontend && npm install && cd ..

# 2. Copy and edit .env
cp .env.example .env

# 3. Start development servers
./start-dev.sh

# 4. Open in browser
open http://localhost:3000  # or visit in your browser

For detailed setup instructions, see the Installation section.

Features

• Real-time monitoring of ProxMox nodes, VMs, and containers
• Dashboard with summary cards for nodes, guests, and resources
• Responsive design that works on desktop and mobile
• WebSocket connection for live updates
• Automatic version display linked to GitHub releases

Screenshots

Dashboard

Main dashboard showing node overview and resource usage

Resource Details

Detailed resource monitoring with real-time graphs

Mobile View

Responsive mobile interface

⚠️ Note: These screenshots are examples only. The actual interface may vary based on your ProxMox setup and version.

Project Structure

pulse/
├── frontend/                # React frontend application
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/     # React components
│   │   ├── hooks/         # Custom React hooks
│   │   ├── utils/         # Utility functions
│   │   └── styles/        # CSS and style files
│   ├── public/            # Static assets
│   └── package.json       # Frontend dependencies
│
├── src/                   # TypeScript backend application
│   ├── api/              # API route handlers
│   ├── proxmox/          # ProxMox API integration
│   ├── websocket/        # WebSocket server logic
│   ├── utils/            # Utility functions
│   └── server.ts         # Main server entry point
│
├── scripts/              # Development and utility scripts
├── .github/             # GitHub Actions workflows
├── docker/              # Docker configuration files
├── .env.example         # Example environment variables
└── package.json         # Backend dependencies

Key Components

Frontend

• Built with React and TypeScript
• Uses Vite for development server and building
• Styled with Tailwind CSS
• Real-time updates via WebSocket connection

Backend

• Node.js with Express
• TypeScript for type safety
• WebSocket server for real-time updates
• ProxMox API integration with error handling

Development Tools

• ESLint for code linting
• TypeScript for type checking
• Docker for production deployment
• GitHub Actions for CI/CD

Development vs Production Modes

The application runs differently in development and production modes:

Quick Reference

Feature	Development Mode	Production Mode
Start Command	./start-dev.sh or npm run dev:start	docker-compose up -d pulse
Frontend URL	http://localhost:3000	http://localhost:7654
Backend URL	http://localhost:7654	http://localhost:7654
Hot Reloading	Yes	No
Source Maps	Yes	No
Detailed Logging	Yes	No
Build Required	No	Yes
Best For	Local development, debugging	Deployment, production use

Development Mode

When running with ./start-dev.sh or npm run dev:start:

• Frontend (Vite dev server): http://localhost:3000
• Backend (API + WebSocket): http://localhost:7654
• Frontend automatically proxies API/WebSocket requests to backend
• Hot-reloading enabled for both frontend and backend
• Source maps and detailed logging available
• Development tools and debugging features enabled
• Changes to code are reflected immediately

Production Mode

When running with Docker or NODE_ENV=production:

• Everything runs on a single port: http://localhost:7654
• Backend serves the built frontend files directly
• No development servers or hot-reloading
• Optimized for performance and security
• Minimal dependencies and logging
• Requires a build step before deployment

Versioning

The application version displayed in the header is automatically updated when a new GitHub release is created. This is handled by a GitHub Actions workflow that:

1. Updates the version in the source code when a release is published
2. Updates the package.json files to match the release version
3. Commits and pushes these changes back to the repository

For more details on how to create releases, see the workflow documentation.

Environment Variables

Backend Environment Variables

The backend server uses the following environment variables, which can be set in the .env file:

Common Settings

• PORT: The port on which the server will run (default: 7654)
• NODE_ENV: Set to production for production or development for development
• METRICS_HISTORY_MINUTES: How many minutes of metrics history to keep (default: 60)
• NODE_POLLING_INTERVAL_MS: How often to poll nodes for updates (default: 10000)
• EVENT_POLLING_INTERVAL_MS: How often to poll for events (default: 2000)

Development-only Settings

• LOG_LEVEL: Log level (error, warn, info, debug) - defaults to debug in development
• ENABLE_DEV_TOOLS: Enable development tools (true or false) - defaults to true in development
• IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS: Whether to ignore SSL errors when connecting to ProxMox nodes - defaults to true in development
• NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED: Set to 0 to disable SSL certificate validation - defaults to 0 in development

Production-only Settings

• LOG_LEVEL: Log level (error, warn, info, debug) - defaults to error in production
• ENABLE_DEV_TOOLS: Enable development tools (true or false) - defaults to false in production
• IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS: Whether to ignore SSL errors when connecting to ProxMox nodes - defaults to false in production
• NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED: Set to 1 to enable SSL certificate validation - defaults to 1 in production

Frontend Environment Variables

The frontend can be configured using the following environment variables:

Development Mode

• VITE_API_URL: The URL of the backend API (defaults to http://localhost:7654 in development)

Production Mode

• VITE_API_URL: The URL of the backend API (defaults to the current origin in production)

Security Considerations

Development Mode

For development or internal networks, the default settings are:

LOG_LEVEL=debug
ENABLE_DEV_TOOLS=true
IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS=true
NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0

Production Mode

For production deployments, the recommended secure settings are:

LOG_LEVEL=error
ENABLE_DEV_TOOLS=false
IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS=false
NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=1

⚠️ Important: Never use development security settings in production, as they disable important security features.

Prerequisites

Development Requirements

• Node.js 18 or higher
• npm 8 or higher
• Git
• Access to a ProxMox server
• A ProxMox API token with appropriate permissions

Production Requirements

• Docker Engine 20.10.0 or higher
• Docker Compose v2.0.0 or higher (if using docker-compose)
• Access to a ProxMox server
• A ProxMox API token with appropriate permissions
• Valid SSL certificates (recommended)

ProxMox API Token Requirements

Your ProxMox API token needs the following permissions:

• PVEAuditor role or custom role with:
  • Datastore.Audit
  • VM.Audit
  • Sys.Audit
  • Pool.Audit

Compatibility

Tested Environments

ProxMox VE Versions

• Fully tested on ProxMox VE 7.x and 8.x
• Should work with ProxMox VE 6.x (not actively tested)
• Earlier versions are not supported

Operating Systems

• Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+)
• macOS (Monterey 12.0+)
• Windows 10/11 with WSL2

Browsers

• Chrome/Chromium 90+
• Firefox 90+
• Safari 15+
• Edge 90+

Container Platforms

• Docker 20.10.0+
• Podman 3.0+ (experimental)
• Kubernetes 1.20+ (with appropriate volume mounts)

Known Limitations

• Internet Explorer is not supported
• Mobile browsers have limited functionality
• Some features may not work with ProxMox VE 6.x
• WebSocket connections may be blocked by some corporate firewalls

Installation

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Install frontend dependencies:

   cd frontend && npm install
   

4. Create a .env file based on the .env.example file
5. Start the development server:

   ./start-dev.sh
   

6. Access the application at http://localhost:3000

Development Tools

The following npm scripts are available for development:

# Start the application in development mode
npm run dev:start         # Starts both frontend and backend (same as ./start-dev.sh)
npm run dev:frontend      # Start only the frontend dev server
npm run dev:server        # Start only the backend dev server

# Development utilities
npm run dev:kill:all     # Kill all development servers
npm run dev:kill:frontend # Kill only the frontend dev server
npm run dev:kill:backend  # Kill only the backend dev server

# Testing and validation
npm run test:startup     # Run startup checks
npm run test:api         # Test ProxMox API connection
npm run lint            # Run ESLint

# Production build
npm run build          # Build the TypeScript backend

These commands are particularly useful when:

• You need to restart specific components
• You're debugging connection issues
• You want to validate your ProxMox API configuration
• You're preparing for production deployment

Production Setup with Docker

1. Clone the repository
2. Copy the example environment file and configure it:

   cp .env.example .env
   

3. Edit the .env file with your ProxMox node details
4. Start the application:

   docker-compose up -d pulse
   

5. Access the application at http://localhost:7654

Quick Start with Docker Hub

The easiest way to get started with Pulse is to use the pre-built Docker image:

1. Create a .env file with your ProxMox node details (see Configuration section)
2. Run the container:

   docker run -d -p 7654:7654 --env-file .env --name pulse-app rcourtman/pulse:latest
   

3. Access the application at http://localhost:7654

Docker Details

The Docker setup uses a production-optimized build that:

• Runs the compiled application with minimal dependencies
• Runs as a non-root user for better security
• Serves both frontend and backend on port 7654
• Exits if startup checks fail (e.g., if it can't connect to your ProxMox nodes)

For development, use ./start-dev.sh instead of Docker, as it provides:

• Hot-reloading of both frontend and backend
• Source maps for better debugging
• Development tools and detailed logging
• Immediate reflection of code changes

Configuration

The only configuration you need to provide is your ProxMox node details. Create a .env file in the root directory based on the .env.example file:

# ProxMox Node Configuration
# Replace with your ProxMox node details

# Node 1
PROXMOX_NODE_1_NAME=Proxmox Node 1
PROXMOX_NODE_1_HOST=https://proxmox.local:8006
PROXMOX_NODE_1_TOKEN_ID=root@pam!pulse
PROXMOX_NODE_1_TOKEN_SECRET=your-token-secret

# Node 2 (optional)
PROXMOX_NODE_2_NAME=Proxmox Node 2
PROXMOX_NODE_2_HOST=https://proxmox2.local:8006
PROXMOX_NODE_2_TOKEN_ID=root@pam!pulse
PROXMOX_NODE_2_TOKEN_SECRET=your-token-secret

Advanced Configuration

You can customize the application further with these optional settings:

# App Configuration (usually you don't need to change these)
PORT=7654
NODE_ENV=development
LOG_LEVEL=debug
ENABLE_DEV_TOOLS=true
METRICS_HISTORY_MINUTES=60
IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS=true
NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0

# Polling Intervals (in milliseconds)
NODE_POLLING_INTERVAL_MS=10000
EVENT_POLLING_INTERVAL_MS=2000

The NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 setting is particularly important when using self-signed certificates, as it tells Node.js to ignore SSL certificate validation errors. Note that this should only be used in development environments or when you trust your network, as it bypasses security checks.

Important Note on API Tokens

If your ProxMox API token ID contains special characters (like !, @, or %), make sure to properly encode them in your environment variables. In some cases, you may need to escape these characters or enclose the entire token ID in quotes.

For example:

PROXMOX_NODE_1_TOKEN_ID="root@pam!pulse"

Troubleshooting

Common Development Issues

Port Conflicts

If you see "Port already in use" errors:

1. Use npm run dev:kill:all to stop all development servers
2. Check if any other applications are using ports 3000 or 7654
3. Restart the development server with npm run dev:start

Connection Issues

If you see connection errors:

1. Verify your ProxMox node details in .env are correct
2. Run npm run test:api to test the ProxMox API connection
3. Check if your ProxMox node is accessible from your machine
4. For SSL issues, ensure IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS and NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED are set correctly for your environment

Hot Reload Not Working

1. Ensure you're accessing the frontend via http://localhost:3000 in development
2. Check if both frontend and backend servers are running (npm run dev:start starts both)
3. Clear your browser cache and reload the page

Common Production Issues

Docker Container Not Starting

1. Check container logs: docker logs pulse-app
2. Verify your .env file is properly mounted
3. Ensure port 7654 is not in use by another application
4. Run docker-compose logs pulse to see detailed logs

SSL/TLS Issues

1. For production, ensure you have valid SSL certificates
2. Set IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS=false and NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=1
3. If using self-signed certificates, they must be properly installed and trusted

Version Mismatch

If the displayed version doesn't match the latest release:

1. Pull the latest Docker image: docker pull rcourtman/pulse:latest
2. Restart the container with the new image
3. Clear your browser cache

For additional support or unresolved issues, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! Here's how you can help:

Development Workflow

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   

3. Set up your development environment:

   npm install
   cd frontend && npm install
   

4. Make your changes following our coding standards:

   • Use TypeScript for type safety
   • Follow ESLint rules (npm run lint)
   • Add comments for complex logic
   • Update tests if applicable

5. Test your changes:

   • Run the application in development mode
   • Test both frontend and backend functionality
   • Verify changes in both development and production modes

6. Submit a Pull Request:

   • Provide a clear description of the changes
   • Reference any related issues
   • Include screenshots for UI changes
   • Ensure all checks pass

Code Style Guidelines

• Use TypeScript for all new code
• Follow the existing project structure
• Use meaningful variable and function names
• Add JSDoc comments for public APIs
• Keep components and functions focused and small
• Write self-documenting code where possible

Reporting Issues

When reporting issues, please include:

• Your environment details (OS, Node.js version, etc.)
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Relevant error messages and logs
• Screenshots if applicable

Performance Tuning

Polling Intervals

Adjust these settings in your .env file based on your needs:

# Increase intervals to reduce server load
NODE_POLLING_INTERVAL_MS=30000    # Default: 10000 (10 seconds)
EVENT_POLLING_INTERVAL_MS=5000    # Default: 2000 (2 seconds)

# Reduce metrics history for lower memory usage
METRICS_HISTORY_MINUTES=30        # Default: 60 minutes

Resource Usage Guidelines

• Memory usage scales with:
  • Number of ProxMox nodes
  • Number of VMs/containers
  • Metrics history length
  • Polling frequency

Optimization Tips

1. High-Traffic Environments:

   • Increase polling intervals
   • Reduce metrics history
   • Use a reverse proxy with caching
   • Consider running multiple instances

2. Low-Resource Environments:

   • Reduce WebSocket connections
   • Minimize browser connections
   • Use production mode
   • Optimize Docker container resources

3. Large Clusters:

   • Monitor resource usage
   • Adjust Node.js memory limits
   • Consider horizontal scaling
   • Use load balancing

Docker Resource Limits

Example docker-compose.yml with optimized settings:

services:
  pulse:
    image: rcourtman/pulse:latest
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          memory: 512M
        reservations:
          memory: 256M
    environment:
      NODE_OPTIONS: "--max-old-space-size=256"

Security Best Practices

API Token Security

• Create a dedicated API token for Pulse with minimal permissions (PVEAuditor only)
• Never use root tokens or tokens with write permissions
• Rotate API tokens periodically
• Use environment variables or secrets management in production
• Never commit API tokens to version control

Network Security

• Run behind a reverse proxy in production
• Use HTTPS for all ProxMox connections
• Enable SSL certificate validation in production
• Restrict access to the dashboard using network controls
• Consider using VPN for remote access

Docker Security

• Never run the container as root
• Keep the Docker image updated
• Use Docker secrets or environment files for sensitive data
• Regularly update base images and dependencies
• Scan container images for vulnerabilities

Development Security

• Keep all dependencies updated
• Run npm audit regularly
• Use .env.example without real credentials
• Never expose development ports to the internet
• Use different API tokens for development and production

⚠️ Important Security Notes:

1. This tool is for monitoring only and should never have write access to your ProxMox cluster
2. Development security settings (IGNORE_SSL_ERRORS=true) bypass important security checks
3. Always validate SSL certificates in production environments
4. Restrict access to the monitoring interface to trusted networks/users

Monitoring and Maintenance

Health Checks

Application Health

Monitor these indicators for application health:

# Check application status
curl http://localhost:7654/health

# Check WebSocket connectivity
curl http://localhost:7654/health/ws

# Verify ProxMox connectivity
npm run test:api

Container Health

For Docker deployments:

# View container status
docker ps -a | grep pulse-app

# Check container health
docker inspect pulse-app | grep Health

# View resource usage
docker stats pulse-app

# Check container logs
docker logs -f --tail 100 pulse-app

Regular Maintenance

Weekly Tasks

1. Check for updates:

   docker pull rcourtman/pulse:latest
   

2. Review logs for errors
3. Verify API token permissions
4. Monitor resource usage trends

Monthly Tasks

1. Rotate API tokens
2. Update SSL certificates if needed
3. Review security settings
4. Backup configuration files

Update Procedure

1. Backup your configuration:

   cp .env .env.backup
   

2. Pull latest version:

   docker pull rcourtman/pulse:latest
   

3. Stop current container:

   docker stop pulse-app
   docker rm pulse-app
   

4. Start new container:

   docker run -d -p 7654:7654 --env-file .env --name pulse-app rcourtman/pulse:latest
   

5. Verify application status:

   curl http://localhost:7654/health
   

Logging

Log Levels

Configure logging based on your needs:

# Production (minimal logging)
LOG_LEVEL=error

# Debugging (detailed logging)
LOG_LEVEL=debug

Log Rotation

For production deployments, configure log rotation:

# Docker log rotation
docker run -d \
  --log-driver json-file \
  --log-opt max-size=10m \
  --log-opt max-file=3 \
  --name pulse-app \
  rcourtman/pulse:latest

Backup and Recovery

Configuration Backup

Regularly backup these files:

• .env file
• docker-compose.yml
• Custom SSL certificates
• Any custom configurations

Recovery Procedure

1. Stop the container:

   docker stop pulse-app
   

2. Restore configuration:

   cp .env.backup .env
   

3. Restart with backup config:

   docker start pulse-app
   

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to the ProxMox team for their excellent virtualization platform
• All contributors who have helped improve this project