rcourtman
b7bdf1b4eb
## Problem
`POST /api/resources/{id}/unlink` answered 200 "Resources unlinked" but
only recorded a `ResourceExclusion`. The manual link row stayed in
`resource_links`, and `ResourceRegistry.applyManualLinks` never consults
exclusions, so the pair stayed merged in the monitor's registry
rebuilds, the resources API and the websocket broadcast. Repro: link a
standalone agent into a VM, unlink it, then `GET /api/resources/<vm>`:
the agent facet is still there and the agent row is still gone.
Separately, the websocket broadcast coalesced host views with
`CoalescePresentationHostResources`, which applies no exclusions, while
REST's `ListForPresentation` applies the registry's, so a host pair the
operator split could be one broadcast row and two REST rows.
No frontend code calls `/api/resources/{id}/link` or `/unlink`
(`/api/agents/agent/unlink` is a different endpoint).
## Semantics
A resource pair carries one operator decision, and the later one
replaces the earlier: a link joins the pair, an exclusion (unlink,
report-merge) keeps it apart.
- Store writes: `AddExclusion` deletes the pair's link rows and
`AddLink` deletes its exclusion rows, in one transaction, matching both
ID orders; each also deletes a row of its own kind that canonical-ID
succession stored in the other order. The in-memory store does the same
and stamps `CreatedAt` like SQLite.
- Store reads: `GetLinks` / `GetExclusions` keep only each pair's latest
decision (`effectiveManualPairDecisions`), so rows written before this
change or rewritten onto one pair by succession resolve by their later
write; a tie keeps the pair apart.
- Registry: `loadOverrides` resolves its two reads together, so an
unlink committed between them cannot load both decisions into one
generation.
- Identity pins: while a Proxmox node was linked to an agent, the merged
resource's pin could record the node's endpoint hostname with the
agent's machine key. After unlink the node completed that key, minted
the agent's ID and folded into it by ID, a path no exclusion check sees.
A pin no longer completes the identity of a record the operator split
from the pinned resource.
- Broadcast: coalesces through `MonitorAdapter.CoalesceForPresentation`
on the read state that listed the rows when its registry is store-backed
(the store's adapter or a host-continuity overlay), else on the resource
store's adapter (the mock view lists through a store-less registry),
sharing `presentationExclusionFilter` with `ListForPresentation`.
In production REST seeds from the monitor's already-linked listing, so
an unlink shows on REST, `/api/state` and the websocket from the
monitor's next registry rebuild, the same generation in which a new link
reaches the broadcast.
## Known limits (unchanged, documented in the contract)
- Report-merge derives candidate IDs from the merged resource's type, so
it does not name the folded side of a cross-type manual link and cannot
undo one; unlink does.
- An agent's own declared node link (`resolveLinkedResource`) still
ignores exclusions.
- Presentation coalescing compares the IDs of the rows being merged, so
a third same-host fragment that merges first can carry an excluded pair
into one row (REST and broadcast now agree on this).
## Verification
- `TestResourceUnlinkSplitsManuallyLinkedPair` (new
`resources_unlink_test.go`) drives link, unlink and relink through the
API handlers against a `MonitorAdapter` on the same SQLite store,
rebuilt twice per step. It failed on main at "after unlink" exactly as
reported.
- `TestUnlinkSplitsHostPairWhosePinTookTheOtherSidesKey`: node/agent
pairs (IP and FQDN endpoints) through three rebuilds per step; both FQDN
cases fail with the pin guard removed.
- `TestManualPairDecisionReplacesThePreviousOne`,
`TestManualPairDecisionReadsResolveStoredConflictsByRecency`,
`TestRegistryResolvesDecisionsAcrossItsTwoReads`,
`TestMonitorAdapterCoalesceForPresentationHonoursExclusions`,
`TestBroadcastPresentationCoalesceHonoursMergeExclusions`,
`TestBroadcastPresentationCoalescePrefersTheListingReadState`.
- Negative controls (each fails with its fix reverted): store write
rule, newest-link-per-pair, registry combined resolution, pin guard,
broadcast exclusion coalesce, broadcast read-state preference,
store-less adapter fallback.
- Full `./internal/unifiedresources/...`,
`./internal/api/resourceapi/...` and `./internal/monitoring/...` pass.
- Live replay on private mock stacks built from main and from this
branch (`POST .../link`, `.../unlink`, `.../link` on a mock VM and a
standalone agent, then `GET /api/resources/{id}` for both). Main: after
unlink the VM still carries the agent facet and the agent row is still
404, unchanged 25 s later. This branch: after unlink the VM has no agent
facet and the agent row is back at once; relink folds it again.
Report-merge and agent-declared node links are left for separate
follow-ups.
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.