---
title: "Configuring a vROps alert by the SMTP protocol"
description: "Learn how to configure your SMTP server to automate sending alerts and reports by email to vROps."
url: https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/hosted-private-cloud/vmware/vrops-monitoring-by-smtp
lang: en
---
> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/llms-full.txt.

# Configuring a vROps alert by the SMTP protocol

**Learn how to configure your SMTP server to automate sending alerts and reports by email to vROps.**

 

## Requirements

- A working SMTP server
- STMP flows allowed between your SMTP server and your vROps instance

 

## Instructions

### Open the flow

The first step is to open a _flow_ on the OVHcloud API to enable vROps to communicate with your SMTP server.

You can check that the flow has been opened using the [OVHcloud API](https://api.us.ovhcloud.com/).

To do this, use the following API call:

[POST /dedicatedCloud/{serviceName}/vrops/outgoingFlow](https://api.us.ovhcloud.com/console/?section=/dedicatedCloud&branch=v1#post-/dedicatedCloud/-serviceName-/vrops/outgoingFlow)

Fill in the API call fields. If the results are not as expected, check your server port openings.

| PARAMETER   | DESCRIPTION                                                   |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| serviceName | Domain of the service                                         |
| description | Outgoing flow description (for example, here connect to SMTP) |
| ip          | IP address of the remote service, e.g., 123.100.200.0         |
| servicePort | Remote service port (587)                                     |

 

### Configuring vROps alerting

Once the flow has been opened, you need to configure the email alert on your vROps. To do this, go to the `Configure` section, then the `Alerts` section. Several types of alerts are available. Select `Outbound Settings`.

The page shows a summary of all your Outbound Settings. Click on the `ADD` button.

In the** Plugin Type **option, select `Standard Email Plugin`. A series of options will appear; fill in the fields.

| OPTION                  | DESCRIPTION                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Use Secure Connection   | Activates secure communication encryption using SSL/TLS. If you select this option, you must select a method in the `Secure Connection Type` drop-down menu.                            |
| Requires Authentication | Activates authentication on the email user account that you use to configure this SMTP instance. If you select this option, you must provide a password for the user account.           |
| SMTP Host               | URL or IP address of your email host server.                                                                                                                                            |
| SMTP Port               | Default port SMTP uses to connect with the server.                                                                                                                                      |
| Secure Connection Type  | Select either SSL/TLS as the communication encryption method used in your environment from the drop-down menu. You must select a connection type if you select `Use Secure Connection`. |
| User Name               | Email user account that is used to connect to the email server.                                                                                                                         |
| Password                | Password for the connection user account. A password is required if you select `Requires Authentication`.                                                                               |
| Sender Email Address    | Email address that appears on the notification message.                                                                                                                                 |
| Sender Name             | Displayed name for the sender email address.                                                                                                                                            |
| Receiver Email Address  | Receiver's email address.                                                                                                                                                               |

**Warning:**

**NOTE:** For the sake of this documentation, no authentication has been configured on the SMTP server. However, for obvious security reasons, we strongly advise you to do so!

You can test your configuration using the `Test` button at the bottom of the page.

Once these operations are complete, you will find the details of your alert configuration in the previous summary.

Finally, check that your alert is working properly by verifying that the emails are received correctly.

 

### Modification of an existing alert

You can modify an existing alert by selecting `☑️` the alert, clicking the _more options_ `...` button, and selecting `Edit`.

 

## Go further

Browse all the [VMware on OVHcloud guides](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/hosted-private-cloud/vmware/landing-page-vmware.md).

Browse the rest of the [OVHcloud US documentation](https://docs.us.ovhcloud.com/en/index.md) for guides on our other products and services.

Learn more about [VMware on OVHcloud](https://us.ovhcloud.com/hosted-private-cloud/vmware/) on the OVHcloud US website.

If you need training or technical assistance to implement our solutions, contact your sales representative or click on [this link](https://us.ovhcloud.com/professional-services/) to get a quote and ask our Professional Services experts for a custom analysis of your project.