Pulse for Proxmox VE

A lightweight monitoring application for Proxmox VE that displays real-time status for VMs and containers via a simple web interface.

📸 Screenshots

Click to view more screenshots

Desktop Views:

PBS Tab	Backups Tab
Storage Tab	Line Graph Toggle

Mobile Views:

Mobile Dashboard	Mobile PBS View	Mobile Backups View

🚀 Quick Start

Choose your preferred installation method:

📦 Easiest: Proxmox Community Scripts (Recommended)

One-command installation in a new LXC container:

bash -c "$(wget -qLO - https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/ct/pulse.sh)"

This will create a new LXC container and install Pulse automatically. Visit the Community Scripts page for details.

🐳 Docker Compose (Pre-built Image)

For existing Docker hosts:

mkdir pulse-config && cd pulse-config
# Create .env file with your Proxmox details (see Configuration section)
# Create docker-compose.yml (see Docker section)
docker compose up -d

🛠️ Manual LXC Installation

For existing LXC containers:

curl -sLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rcourtman/Pulse/main/scripts/install-pulse.sh
chmod +x install-pulse.sh
sudo ./install-pulse.sh

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📋 Table of Contents

• Quick Start
• Prerequisites
• Configuration
  • Environment Variables
  • Creating a Proxmox API Token
  • Creating a Proxmox Backup Server API Token
  • Required Permissions
• Deployment Options
  • Proxmox Community Scripts
  • Docker Compose
  • Manual LXC Installation
  • Development Setup
  • Node.js (Development)
• Features
• System Requirements
• Updating Pulse
• Contributing
• Privacy
• License
• Trademark Notice
• Support
• Troubleshooting

✅ Prerequisites

Before installing Pulse, ensure you have:

For Proxmox VE:

• Proxmox VE 7.x or 8.x running
• Admin access to create API tokens
• Network connectivity between Pulse and Proxmox (ports 8006/8007)

For Pulse Installation:

• Community Scripts: Just a Proxmox host (handles everything automatically)
• Docker: Docker & Docker Compose installed
• Manual LXC: Existing Debian/Ubuntu LXC with internet access

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🚀 Deployment Options

Proxmox Community Scripts (Automated LXC)

✨ Easiest method - fully automated LXC creation and setup:

bash -c "$(wget -qLO - https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/ct/pulse.sh)"

This script will:

• Create a new LXC container automatically
• Install all dependencies (Node.js, npm, etc.)
• Download and configure Pulse
• Set up systemd service
• Guide you through Proxmox API token setup

After installation: Access Pulse at http://<lxc-ip>:7655

Visit the Community Scripts page for more details.

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Docker Compose (Recommended for Existing Hosts)

For existing Docker hosts - uses pre-built image:

Prerequisites:

• Docker (Install Docker)
• Docker Compose (Install Docker Compose)

Steps:

1. Create a Directory: Make a directory on your Docker host where Pulse configuration will live:

   mkdir pulse-config
   cd pulse-config
   

2. Create .env file: Create a file named .env in this directory and add your Proxmox connection details. See Configuration for details and required permissions. Minimally, you need:

   # .env file
   PROXMOX_HOST=https://your-proxmox-ip:8006
   PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID=your_user@pam!your_token_id
   PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET=your_secret_uuid_here
   # Optional: Set to true if using self-signed certs
   # PROXMOX_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS=true
   # Optional: Add PBS details if desired
   # PBS_HOST=https://your-pbs-ip:8007
   # PBS_NODE_NAME=your-pbs-node-hostname # Important! See config docs.
   # PBS_TOKEN_ID=pbs_user@pbs!token_id
   # PBS_TOKEN_SECRET=pbs_secret_uuid_here
   # PBS_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS=true
   

3. Create docker-compose.yml file: Create a file named docker-compose.yml in the same directory with the following content:

   # docker-compose.yml
   services:
     pulse-server:
       image: rcourtman/pulse:latest # Pulls the latest pre-built image
       container_name: pulse
       restart: unless-stopped
       ports:
         # Map host port 7655 to container port 7655
         # Change the left side (e.g., "8081:7655") if 7655 is busy on your host
         - "7655:7655"
       env_file:
         - .env # Load environment variables from .env file
       # Optional: Uncomment to map a volume for potential future config/log persistence
       # volumes:
       #   - ./data:/data
   

4. Run: Start the container:

   docker compose up -d
   

5. Access: Open your browser to http://<your-docker-host-ip>:7655.

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Manual LXC Installation

For existing Debian/Ubuntu LXC containers:

Prerequisites:

• A running Proxmox VE host
• An existing Debian or Ubuntu LXC container with network access to Proxmox
  • Tip: Use Community Scripts to easily create one: bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/main/ct/debian.sh)"

Steps:

1. Access LXC Console: Log in to your LXC container (usually as root).
2. Download and Run Script:

   # Ensure you are in a suitable directory, like /root or /tmp
   curl -sLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rcourtman/Pulse/main/scripts/install-pulse.sh
   chmod +x install-pulse.sh
   ./install-pulse.sh
   

3. Follow Prompts: The script guides you through:
   • Installing dependencies (git, curl, nodejs, npm, sudo).
   • Entering your Proxmox Host URL, API Token ID, Secret, and self-signed cert preference.
   • (Optional) Entering PBS connection details if desired.
   • Setting up Pulse as a systemd service (pulse-monitor.service).
   • Optionally enabling automatic updates via cron.
4. Access Pulse: The script will display the URL (e.g., http://<LXC-IP-ADDRESS>:7655).

For update instructions, see the Updating Pulse section.

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Development Setup (Docker Compose)

Use this method if you have cloned the repository and want to build and run the application from the local source code.

1. Get Files: Clone the repository (git clone https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse.git && cd Pulse)
2. Copy .env: cp .env.example .env
3. Edit .env: Fill in your primary Proxmox API details (PROXMOX_HOST, PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID, PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET). See Configuration for details.
4. Run: docker compose up --build -d (The included docker-compose.yml uses the build: context by default).
5. Access: Open your browser to http://localhost:7655 (or your host IP if Docker runs remotely).

🛠️ Configuration

Environment Variables

Pulse is configured using environment variables, typically set in a .env file in the project root.

1. Copy Example File: If you haven't already, copy the example file:

   cp .env.example .env
   

2. Edit .env: Open .env in a text editor and update the values for your environment(s).

Proxmox VE (Primary Environment)

These are the minimum required variables:

• PROXMOX_HOST: URL of your Proxmox server (e.g., https://192.168.1.10:8006).
• PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID: Your API Token ID (e.g., user@pam!tokenid).
• PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET: Your API Token Secret.

Optional variables:

• PROXMOX_NODE_NAME: A display name for this endpoint in the UI (defaults to PROXMOX_HOST).
• PROXMOX_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS: Set to true if your Proxmox server uses self-signed SSL certificates. Defaults to false.
• PORT: Port for the Pulse server to listen on. Defaults to 7655.
• BACKUP_HISTORY_DAYS: Number of days of backup history to display (defaults to 365 for full year calendar view).
• (Username/Password fallback exists but API Token is strongly recommended)

Alert System Configuration (Optional)

Pulse includes a comprehensive alert system that monitors resource usage and system status:

# Alert System Configuration
ALERT_CPU_ENABLED=true
ALERT_MEMORY_ENABLED=true
ALERT_DISK_ENABLED=true
ALERT_DOWN_ENABLED=true

# Alert thresholds (percentages)
ALERT_CPU_THRESHOLD=85
ALERT_MEMORY_THRESHOLD=90
ALERT_DISK_THRESHOLD=95

# Alert durations (milliseconds - how long condition must persist)
ALERT_CPU_DURATION=300000       # 5 minutes
ALERT_MEMORY_DURATION=300000    # 5 minutes  
ALERT_DISK_DURATION=600000      # 10 minutes
ALERT_DOWN_DURATION=60000       # 1 minute

Alert features include:

• Real-time notifications with toast messages
• Multi-severity alerts (Critical, Warning, Resolved)
• Duration-based triggering (alerts only fire after conditions persist)
• Automatic resolution when conditions normalize
• Alert history tracking

Note: For a Proxmox cluster, you only need to provide connection details for one node. Pulse automatically discovers other cluster members.

Multiple Proxmox Environments (Optional)

To monitor separate Proxmox environments (e.g., different clusters, sites) in one Pulse instance, add numbered variables:

• PROXMOX_HOST_2, PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID_2, PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET_2
• PROXMOX_HOST_3, PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID_3, PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET_3
• ...and so on.

Optional numbered variables also exist (e.g., PROXMOX_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS_2, PROXMOX_NODE_NAME_2).

Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) (Optional)

To monitor PBS instances:

Primary PBS Instance:

• PBS_HOST: URL of your PBS server (e.g., https://192.168.1.11:8007).
• PBS_TOKEN_ID: Your PBS API Token ID (e.g., user@pbs!tokenid). See Creating a Proxmox Backup Server API Token.
• PBS_TOKEN_SECRET: Your PBS API Token Secret.
• PBS_NODE_NAME: Important! The internal hostname of your PBS server (e.g., pbs-server-01). This is usually required for API token auth because the token might lack permission to auto-discover the node name. See details below.
• PBS_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS: Set to true for self-signed certificates. Defaults to false.
• PBS_PORT: PBS API port. Defaults to 8007.

Additional PBS Instances:

To monitor multiple PBS instances, add numbered variables, starting with _2:

• PBS_HOST_2, PBS_TOKEN_ID_2, PBS_TOKEN_SECRET_2
• PBS_HOST_3, PBS_TOKEN_ID_3, PBS_TOKEN_SECRET_3
• ...and so on.

Optional numbered variables also exist for additional PBS instances (e.g., PBS_NODE_NAME_2, PBS_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS_2, PBS_PORT_2). Each PBS instance, whether primary or additional, requires its respective PBS_NODE_NAME or PBS_NODE_NAME_n to be set if API token authentication is used and the token cannot automatically discover the node name.

Why PBS_NODE_NAME (or PBS_NODE_NAME_n) is Required (Click to Expand)

Pulse needs to query task lists specific to the PBS node (e.g., /api2/json/nodes/{nodeName}/tasks). It attempts to discover this node name automatically by querying /api2/json/nodes. However, this endpoint is often restricted for API tokens (returning a 403 Forbidden error), even for tokens with high privileges, unless the Sys.Audit permission is granted on the root path (/).

Therefore, setting PBS_NODE_NAME in your .env file is the standard and recommended way to ensure Pulse can correctly query task endpoints when using API token authentication. If it's not set and automatic discovery fails due to permissions, Pulse will be unable to fetch task data (backups, verifications, etc.).

How to find your PBS Node Name:

1. SSH: Log into your PBS server via SSH and run hostname.
2. UI: Log into the PBS web interface. The hostname is typically displayed on the Dashboard under Server Status.

Example: If your PBS connects via https://minipc-pbs.lan:8007 but its internal hostname is proxmox-backup-server, set:

PBS_HOST=https://minipc-pbs.lan:8007
PBS_NODE_NAME=proxmox-backup-server

Creating a Proxmox API Token

Using an API token is the recommended authentication method.

Steps to Create a PVE API Token (Click to Expand)

1. Log in to the Proxmox VE web interface.
2. Create a dedicated user (optional but recommended):
   • Go to Datacenter → Permissions → Users.
   • Click Add. Enter a User name (e.g., "pulse-monitor"), set Realm to Proxmox VE authentication server (pam), set a password, ensure Enabled. Click Add.
3. Create an API token:
   • Go to Datacenter → Permissions → API Tokens.
   • Click Add.
   • Select the User (e.g., "pulse-monitor@pam") or root@pam.
   • Enter a Token ID (e.g., "pulse").
   • Leave Privilege Separation checked. Click Add.
   • Important: Copy the Secret value immediately. It's shown only once.
4. Assign permissions (to User and Token):
   • Go to Datacenter → Permissions.
   • Add User Permission: Click Add → User Permission. Path: /, User: pulse-monitor@pam, Role: PVEAuditor, check Propagate. Click Add.
   • Add Token Permission: Click Add → API Token Permission. Path: /, API Token: pulse-monitor@pam!pulse, Role: PVEAuditor, check Propagate. Click Add.
   • Note: The PVEAuditor role at the root path (/) with Propagate is crucial.
5. Update .env: Set PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID (e.g., pulse-monitor@pam!pulse) and PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET (the secret you copied).

Creating a Proxmox Backup Server API Token

If monitoring PBS, create a token within the PBS interface.

Steps to Create a PBS API Token (Click to Expand)

1. Log in to the Proxmox Backup Server web interface.
2. Create a dedicated user (optional but recommended):
   • Go to Configuration → Access Control → User Management.
   • Click Add. Enter User ID (e.g., "pulse-monitor@pbs"), set Realm (likely pbs), add password. Click Add.
3. Create an API token:
   • Go to Configuration → Access Control → API Token.
   • Click Add.
   • Select User (e.g., "pulse-monitor@pbs") or root@pam.
   • Enter Token Name (e.g., "pulse").
   • Leave Privilege Separation checked. Click Add.
   • Important: Copy the Secret value immediately.
4. Assign permissions (to User and Token):
   • Go to Configuration → Access Control → Permissions.
   • Add User Permission: Click Add → User Permission. Path: /, User: pulse-monitor@pbs, Role: Audit, check Propagate. Click Add.
   • Add API Token Permission: Click Add → API Token Permission. Path: /, API Token: pulse-monitor@pbs!pulse, Role: Audit, check Propagate. Click Add.
   • Note: The Audit role at root path (/) with Propagate is crucial for both user and token.
5. Update .env: Set PBS_TOKEN_ID (e.g., pulse-monitor@pbs!pulse) and PBS_TOKEN_SECRET.

Required Permissions

• Proxmox VE: The PVEAuditor role assigned at path / with Propagate enabled is recommended.
  Permissions included in PVEAuditor (Click to Expand)

  - `Datastore.Audit` - `Permissions.Read` (implicitly included) - `Pool.Audit` - `Sys.Audit` - `VM.Audit`
• Proxmox Backup Server: The Audit role assigned at path / with Propagate enabled is recommended.

Running from Release Tarball

For users who prefer not to use Docker or the LXC script, pre-packaged release tarballs are available.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (Version 18.x or later recommended)
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• tar command (standard on Linux/macOS, available via tools like 7-Zip or WSL on Windows)

Steps:

1. Download: Go to the Pulse GitHub Releases page. Download the pulse-vX.Y.Z.tar.gz file for the desired release.
2. Extract: Create a directory and extract the tarball:

   mkdir pulse-app
   cd pulse-app
   tar -xzf /path/to/downloaded/pulse-vX.Y.Z.tar.gz
   # This creates a directory like pulse-vX.Y.Z/
   cd pulse-vX.Y.Z
   

3. Configure: Copy the environment file template and edit it with your details (see Configuration):

   cp .env.example .env
   nano .env # Or your preferred editor
   

4. Run: Start the application using npm:

   npm start
   

   (Note: The tarball includes pre-installed production dependencies, so npm install is not typically required unless you encounter issues.)
5. Access: Open your browser to http://<your-server-ip>:7655 (or the port configured in .env).

️ Running the Application (Node.js - Development)

For development purposes or running directly from source, see the DEVELOPMENT.md guide. This involves cloning the repository, installing dependencies using npm install in both the root and server directories, and running npm run dev or npm run start.

✨ Features

• Lightweight monitoring for Proxmox VE nodes, VMs, and Containers.
• Real-time status updates via WebSockets.
• Simple, responsive web interface.
• Built-in diagnostic tool with API permission testing and troubleshooting guidance.
• Advanced alert system with configurable thresholds and durations.
• Efficient polling: Stops API polling when no clients are connected.
• Docker support.
• Multi-environment PVE monitoring support.
• Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) monitoring support.
• LXC installation script.

💻 System Requirements

• Node.js: Version 18.x or later (if building/running from source).
• NPM: Compatible version with Node.js.
• Docker & Docker Compose: Latest stable versions (if using container deployment).
• Proxmox VE: Version 7.x or 8.x recommended.
• Proxmox Backup Server: Version 2.x or 3.x recommended (if monitored).
• Web Browser: Modern evergreen browser.

🔄 Updating Pulse

Community Scripts LXC Installation

If you installed using the Community Scripts method, simply re-run the original installation command:

bash -c "$(wget -qLO - https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/ct/pulse.sh)"

The script will detect the existing installation and update it automatically.

Docker Compose Installation

To update a Docker Compose installation:

cd /path/to/your/pulse-config
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

This pulls the latest image and recreates the container with the new version.

Manual LXC Installation

If you used the manual installation script, update by re-running it:

# Navigate to where you downloaded the script
cd /path/to/script/directory
./install-pulse.sh

Or run non-interactively (useful for automated updates):

./install-pulse.sh --update

Managing the Service:

• Check status: sudo systemctl status pulse-monitor.service
• View logs: sudo journalctl -u pulse-monitor.service -f
• Restart: sudo systemctl restart pulse-monitor.service

Automatic Updates: If you enabled automatic updates during installation, they run via cron. Check logs in /var/log/pulse_update.log.

Release Tarball Installation

To update a tarball installation:

1. Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
2. Stop the current application
3. Extract the new tarball to a new directory
4. Copy your existing .env file to the new directory
5. Start the application: npm start

Development/Source Installation

If running from source code:

cd /path/to/pulse
git pull origin main
npm install
npm run build:css
npm run start    # or your preferred restart method

Note: The development setup only requires npm install in the root directory, not in a separate server directory.

📝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guidelines.

🔒 Privacy

• No Data Collection: Pulse does not collect or transmit any telemetry or user data externally.
• Local Communication: Operates entirely between your environment and your Proxmox/PBS APIs.
• Credential Handling: Credentials are used only for API authentication and are not logged or sent elsewhere.

📜 License

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

™️ Trademark Notice

Proxmox® and Proxmox VE® are registered trademarks of Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH.

❤️ Support

File issues on the GitHub repository.

If you find Pulse useful, consider supporting its development:

❓ Troubleshooting

🔧 Quick Fixes

Can't access Pulse after installation?

# Check if service is running
sudo systemctl status pulse-monitor.service

# Check what's listening on port 7655
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 7655

# View recent logs
sudo journalctl -u pulse-monitor.service -f

Empty dashboard or "No data" errors?

1. Check API Token: Verify your PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID and PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET are correct
2. Test connectivity: Can you ping your Proxmox host from where Pulse is running?
3. Check permissions: Ensure token has PVEAuditor role on path / with Propagate enabled

"Empty Backups Tab" with PBS configured?

• Add PBS_NODE_NAME=your-pbs-hostname to your .env file
• Find hostname with: ssh root@your-pbs-ip hostname

Docker container won't start?

# Check container logs
docker logs pulse

# Restart container
docker compose down && docker compose up -d

Diagnostic Tool

Pulse includes a comprehensive built-in diagnostic tool to help troubleshoot configuration and connectivity issues:

Web Interface (Recommended):

• The diagnostics icon appears automatically in the header when issues are detected
• Click the icon or navigate to http://your-pulse-host:7655/diagnostics.html
• The tool will automatically run diagnostics and provide:
  • API Token Permission Testing - Tests actual API permissions for VMs, containers, nodes, and datastores
  • Configuration Validation - Verifies all connection settings and required parameters
  • Real-time Connectivity Tests - Tests live connections to Proxmox VE and PBS instances
  • Data Flow Analysis - Shows discovered nodes, VMs, containers, and backup data
  • Specific Actionable Recommendations - Detailed guidance for fixing any issues found

Key Features:

• Tests use the same API endpoints as the main application for accuracy
• Provides exact permission requirements (e.g., VM.Audit on / for Proxmox)
• Shows counts of discovered resources (VMs, containers, nodes, backups)
• Identifies common misconfigurations like missing PBS_NODE_NAME
• Privacy Protected: Automatically sanitizes hostnames, IPs, and sensitive data before export
• Export diagnostic reports safe for sharing in GitHub issues or support requests

Command Line:

# If using the source code:
./scripts/diagnostics.sh

# The script will generate a detailed report and save it to a timestamped file

Common Issues

• Empty Backups Tab: Usually caused by missing PBS_NODE_NAME in your configuration. SSH to your PBS server and run hostname to find the correct value.
• Pulse Application Logs: Check container logs (docker logs pulse_monitor) or service logs (sudo journalctl -u pulse-monitor.service -f) for errors (401 Unauthorized, 403 Forbidden, connection refused, timeout).
• .env Configuration: Verify PROXMOX_HOST, PROXMOX_TOKEN_ID, PROXMOX_TOKEN_SECRET, and PROXMOX_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS. For PBS, also check PBS_HOST, PBS_TOKEN_ID, PBS_TOKEN_SECRET, PBS_ALLOW_SELF_SIGNED_CERTS, and especially PBS_NODE_NAME. Ensure no placeholder values remain.
• Network Connectivity: Can the machine running Pulse reach the PVE/PBS hostnames/IPs and ports (usually 8006 for PVE, 8007 for PBS)? Check firewalls.
• API Token Permissions: Ensure the correct roles (PVEAuditor for PVE, Audit for PBS) are assigned at the root path (/) with Propagate enabled in the respective UIs.