rcourtman
7606b72a8b
## Problem
The resource drawer's **Split merged resource** (`POST
/api/resources/{id}/report-merge`), and `POST
/api/resources/{id}/unlink`, on a Proxmox node merged with its
pulse-agent recorded exclusions and answered "Resource split applied",
but the pair stayed merged on every rebuild, in the monitor and in the
resources API.
`ResourceRegistry.ingestRecord` joined the pair through the node↔agent
link in `resolveLinkedResource` (both sides declared, or a node-side
link the agent's hostname corroborates) before `findMatch`, and that
path never read `rr.exclusions`. The linked node had also already taken
the agent's identity in `resourceFromProxmoxNode`, so it minted the
agent's machine-derived canonical ID before the agent was ingested.
## Decision
The operator's split wins. The node↔agent link is Pulse's own inference
from endpoint addresses and hostnames, the evidence cloned machines and
reused short hostnames defeat, and report-merge exists precisely for
wrong merges. A later `POST /api/resources/{id}/link` between the split
rows joins them again.
## Change
- `nodeAgentSplit` (`proxmox_node_links.go`) decides the pair from the
operator's decisions read across the IDs each side can hold: the store
records them against the merged ID and the `SourceTargets` candidates,
while a split node holds its own ID. The latest decision across those
sets wins (registries now keep each exclusion's `CreatedAt`). An
exclusion naming only the agent's candidate against the agent's
machine-derived ID does not count, because report-merge records that
same pair when it splits another source (a Docker host) off the agent.
- Every path that joined the pair applies it: the snapshot ingest no
longer lends a split node the agent's identity (`splitProxmoxNodeLink`);
identity-pin completion refuses the agent's machine key from a
joined-era pin; `resolveLinkedResource` refuses the declared and the
one-sided link; `applyManualLinks` skips an older link between split
rows; and the presentation filter keeps split rows apart when no single
exclusion names their IDs.
- A split node names the agent only where the monitor's node record
does, so guest discovery, deploy and service discovery are not handed
the rejected agent.
- A relink of the split rows is recorded as a folded ID, so pin
succession keeps it instead of re-keying it onto the joined ID.
Builds on #2725 (now merged). This PR's own changes are 4a97d2225f, plus
two repairs after `main` moved: 5b5026fafd records a relinked row as a
`ManualLinkFold` (#2721 replaced `linkMergedIDs`), and e4519ec5bc passes
thresholds to `CoalesceForPresentation` (#2745). The rest of the branch
is merges of `main`.
## Verification
- `TestOperatorSplitOverridesProxmoxNodeAgentLink`
(`registry_merge_policy_test.go`): seven link shapes (declared both
ways, node-side only, agent-side only, unclustered and clustered, an
agent hostname in another form, an agent reporting no machine key) × six
requests (report-merge, unlink naming the node's candidate, unlink
naming the split rows, an exclusion between the two candidates, an
exclusion naming only the agent's candidate, an unrelated exclusion).
Each step runs three rebuilds of a SQLite-backed `MonitorAdapter`,
checked in the monitor listing, the broadcast coalesce, and the
resources API's registry seeded from the listing and from the snapshot.
The test also covers agent-first ingests with and without the host, a
relink (plus an agent-first rebuild that persists its pins), and the
same request again. The unrelated exclusion and the agent-only exclusion
under a machine-derived ID are the negative controls: those pairs stay
merged.
- `TestOperatorSplitFromOneAgentKeepsAnotherAgentsPin`: a node split
from a second agent still completes its own linked agent's boot-window
pin. `TestOperatorSplitHoldsWhenTheAgentStopsReportingItsMachineID`: a
split holds when the agent comes back without its machine ID.
- 15 mutation controls, one per rule. Each makes these tests fail.
- Full `./internal/unifiedresources/...`,
`./internal/api/resourceapi/...` and `./internal/monitoring/...` pass,
as does `./internal/api/` filtered to resource, link, unlink, merge and
broadcast tests. The targeted tests also pass on the pushed head, which
includes current `main` (#2719).
## Not covered (contract "What the split does not reach")
- The browser's realtime coalesce (`mergeCanonicalResourceSnapshot`)
receives no exclusions and still joins a Proxmox-only row and an
agent-only row that share a hostname. A split pair, from this change or
from an identity-match split, therefore still renders as one row in the
UI.
- The monitor's own node record keeps its link. The SMART fallback,
disk-exclude patterns, guest discovery, deploy and service discovery
still follow the agent.
- `resolveLinkedPhysicalDisk` still joins disks inside one host without
reading exclusions.
- The agents API's node link does not replace a resource split.
- Exclusions keyed by cluster- or hostname-derived IDs carry no source.
Pulse
Real-time Proxmox, Docker and Kubernetes monitoring that finds what needs attention.
Pulse is a self-hosted monitoring workspace for Proxmox, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS, physical and virtual machines, and early-access VMware vSphere environments. It combines live infrastructure state, history, alerts, recovery visibility, and scheduled health checks without requiring a conventional enterprise monitoring stack.
Why Pulse
- It watches between visits. Alerts and Pulse Patrol find failed backups, capacity pressure, restart loops, unhealthy containers, clock drift, and other problems that dashboards cannot surface when nobody is looking.
- It keeps each platform familiar. Proxmox, Docker, Kubernetes, TrueNAS, vSphere, and machines have dedicated views, backed by one shared resource model for search, alerts, history, and investigation.
- It stays operator-controlled. Credentials are encrypted at rest, API tokens are scoped, agent commands are disabled by default, and governed fixes require the configured policy and approval path.
Platform coverage
| Platform | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Proxmox VE, PBS, and PMG | Nodes, guests, storage, backups, replication, Ceph, mail gateways, and alerts |
| Docker and Podman | Hosts, containers, Compose projects, Swarm services, health, images, and updates |
| Kubernetes | Clusters, nodes, workloads, pods, services, storage, and events through the unified agent |
| TrueNAS SCALE and CORE | Pools, datasets, disks, snapshots, replication tasks, apps, VMs, and alerts |
| Linux, Windows, and macOS machines | Host health, filesystems, networking, temperatures, RAID, and availability through the unified agent |
| VMware vSphere | Early-access inventory, hosts, clusters, VMs, datastores, networks, snapshots, and recovery context; validate against your own vCenter before production use |
Platform pages keep storage and recovery information beside the infrastructure it belongs to. Alerts, Actions, and Patrol remain cross-platform views.
Patrol: monitoring that does rounds
Pulse Patrol runs scheduled checks across the current state and recent history of your infrastructure. Community installations can use a local model or their own AI provider for watch-only analysis. Pulse Pro adds investigation and policy-bound fixes with approval, verification, and an audit trail.
Pulse also includes an interactive Assistant and an MCP adapter for external clients such as Claude Code and OpenCode. Both sit on top of the same scoped inventory, metrics, alert, storage, and governed-action contracts.
Quick start
Choose an exact version from the latest release and keep that version pinned during installation.
Docker
docker run -d \
--name pulse \
-p 7655:7655 \
-v pulse_data:/data \
-e PULSE_DEPLOYMENT_METHOD=docker_run \
--restart unless-stopped \
rcourtman/pulse:vX.Y.Z
Open http://<your-ip>:7655 and follow the bootstrap-token setup. Docker host
monitoring is provided by the unified agent; the Pulse server container does
not need the Docker socket.
Proxmox LXC, Linux, and Kubernetes
The installer is signed. Verify install.sh against the pinned
pulse-installer key before running it:
export PULSE_VERSION=vX.Y.Z
curl -fsSLO "https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases/download/${PULSE_VERSION}/install.sh" &&
curl -fsSLO "https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases/download/${PULSE_VERSION}/install.sh.sshsig" &&
ssh-keygen -Y verify \
-f <(printf '%s\n' 'pulse-installer namespaces="pulse-install" ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIMZd/DaH+BldzOkq1A8KVTcFk73nAyrE8aJOyf7i00jm pulse-installer') \
-I pulse-installer \
-n pulse-install \
-s install.sh.sshsig < install.sh &&
bash install.sh --version "${PULSE_VERSION}"
Paste the whole block: installation stops if either download or signature verification fails. Do not run the final command separately to bypass a failure.
The GitHub installer installs the Pulse server. Install and upgrade agents (including v5-to-v6 agent upgrades) with the per-host command generated under Settings → Infrastructure → Install on a host.
Do you need an agent?
Often not. Proxmox VE, PBS, and PMG are monitored through the Proxmox API with a read-only token, so nothing runs on the host and the generated setup script creates a privilege-separated monitoring user. Install the unified agent only where you want data the platform API cannot provide, such as host SMART health, temperatures, Docker hosts, or standalone machines.
The agent is operator-controlled by design. Command execution is off by
default, the local listener binds to localhost, and generated systemd units
ship hardened. On Linux, the installer's --least-privilege profile runs the
service as a dedicated non-root user, with optional scoped sudo grants for
the few collectors that need elevation. The
agent security model documents exactly what the
agent can and cannot do at each privilege level.
Important
GitHub release assets and
rcourtman/pulseimages are Community builds. Relay, Pro, and eligible legacy customers should use the private image or Linux archive provided by the Pulse download portal. Replacing a private Pro runtime with a public Community build removes its private runtime hooks.
Editions
- Community — self-hosted monitoring, seven days of metric history, core SSO, update alerts, and Patrol with your own provider or local model.
- Pro — Community plus Patrol investigation, governed fixes, ninety days of history, centralized agent profiles, RBAC, audit logging, and reporting.
- MSP — for managed service providers: one Pulse Account running many client workspaces, each with an isolated Pulse runtime — separate dashboards, alerts, users, audit history, and reports. Free sixty-day two-client evaluation at Pulse for MSPs.
Relay is no longer sold. Existing Relay subscribers receive Pro features at their current price for as long as their subscription continues. Existing paired phones keep working until 31 March 2027. Relay connects the app, not the web UI. Use your own VPN or tunnel for remote web access. For phone alerts, add an ntfy, Gotify or Pushover destination and open Pulse in your phone's browser.
Core self-hosted monitoring is not gated by monitored-system or child-resource volume. See the runtime-aligned capability reference and current plans for details.
Documentation
- Install and deployment
- Production deployment and security
- Upgrade from Pulse v5
- Releases and update channels
- Configuration
- Platform and agent guides
- Pulse Intelligence
- Security and privacy
- Code signing policy
- Troubleshooting
- API reference and architecture
Localized getting started guides: Deutsch · Español
Development
Pulse uses Go 1.26 and a SolidJS/TypeScript frontend. The managed development
runtime starts the frontend at http://127.0.0.1:5173 and proxies API and
WebSocket traffic to the backend on port 7655.
npm ci
npm --prefix frontend-modern ci
npm run dev
Useful checks:
go test ./...
npm --prefix frontend-modern test
npm --prefix frontend-modern run type-check
python3 scripts/check_public_docs.py
See CONTRIBUTING.md before investing in a code change. Pulse uses an issue-first contribution process and does not normally accept unsolicited pull requests.
Community and support
- Ask questions in GitHub Discussions.
- Report reproducible bugs through GitHub Issues.
- Home Assistant users can use the community-maintained Pulse add-ons.
- If Pulse is useful to you, support its development through GitHub Sponsors or Ko-fi.
License
Everything in this repository is licensed under the MIT License. There is no dual licensing and no commercial or source-available code here.
Pulse Pro is a separate commercial product, built from private sources and distributed through pulserelay.pro. Its use is governed by the Terms of Service, which apply to that product only, not to anything in this repository.