Notifications: Provide notifications for Device/Instance crashes

[joepavitt]

Using the new Notifications API we should alert the user via the notifications system in FlowFuse that instances have crashed or restarted unexpectedly.

Tasks

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1. Server-side: Ensure Notifications are created at the correct points in time
2. Front-End: Render the new notifications appropriately
3. Update device-agent to send audit events for crash/restart/safe

Tracking Issues

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1. Add notifications for instance/device crashed #4408
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2. Add Audit logging posting from Device Agent when NR crashes device-agent#309
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3. Changelog for instance crash notifications website#2503
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[Steve-Mcl]

Joe, since the notification API seems to only support a single recipient who should receive said notifications?

[joepavitt]

Send multiple notifications? Find members of team, loop over, send notification to each?

[Steve-Mcl]

@joepavitt

Send multiple notifications? Find members of team, loop over, send notification to each?

members? or just owners?

would that include admins of the platform too?

What if a team has 100+ members?

Also, not certain if/how/when we would clear this (if at all)?

[joepavitt]

@hardillb who receives an email when instances go down, members + owner, or just owners?

No need for platform admins to be made aware

[joepavitt]

Also, not certain if/how/when we would clear this (if at all)?

If the user clicks the notification, they'll be navigated to the instance overview, at which point, notification is marked as read

[hardillb]

It's configurable

[Steve-Mcl]

Also, not certain if/how/when we would clear this (if at all)?

If the user clicks the notification, they'll be navigated to the instance overview, at which point, notification is marked as read

Yeah, i know, but what if the application is restarted successfully (problem is resolved) - do we leave the notification in the other 99 users inbox?

[Steve-Mcl]

It's configurable

That is specific to emails not notifications @hardillb (not is scope as far as I can see)

[hardillb]

@Steve-Mcl it's the answer to Joe's question

[joepavitt]

Can we read from that same setting to drive the in-app notification too?

[Steve-Mcl]

Can we read from that same setting to drive the in-app notification too?

Yes, we can.

[Steve-Mcl]

Also, not certain if/how/when we would clear this (if at all)?

If the user clicks the notification, they'll be navigated to the instance overview, at which point, notification is marked as read

Yeah, i know, but what if the application is restarted successfully (problem is resolved) - do we leave the notification in the other 99 users inbox?

@joepavitt ^

[joepavitt]

yes - we do

[Steve-Mcl]

Can we read from that same setting to drive the in-app notification too?

Yes, we can.

Bah - the email options are EE only.

Possible directions that spring to mind are (listed most difficult to easiest)

1. We modify the email preferences so that it is dual purpose (emails and notification) (hide email section for CE)
   • Will require the settings data to be restructured due to current format

   /* current settings object ... */
   { 
       "emailAlerts": { "crash": true,  "safe": true, "recipients": "both"  } 
   }
   /* would need to be transformed for all instances to ... */
   { 
       "alerts": {
           "email": { "crash": true, "safe": true },
           "notification": { "crash": true, "safe": true },
           "recipients": "both"
       }
   }

2. We duplicate the email preferences as "notifications"
   • This is cleaner in implementation due to separation of concerns
   • Settings can be stored without affecting existing structure

   /* existing settings object - unchanged */
   {
       "emailAlerts": { "crash": true,  "safe": true, "recipients": "both" }
   }
   /* add new setting notificationAlerts */
   {
       "notificationAlerts": { "crash": true,  "safe": true, "recipients": "both" } 
   }

3. We just send the crashed notification to all members + owners (no options)
4. We just send the crashed notification to owners (no options)
5. We dont send crash notification on CE platforms (i.e. becomes an EE feature)

Mockups

@joepavitt I couldnt find in the owner/parent issues if notifications are EE only but since they are NOT implemented under the EE file structure I have assumed this feature is for all?

[joepavitt]

Correct this is not an EE-Only feature - first iteration, send to all.

We can offer configurations for this at a later date.

[Steve-Mcl]

No need for platform admins to be made aware

first iteration, send to all.

I am combining the 2 replies on this matter i.e. will send to Members and Owners

EDIT and excluding viewer/dashboard users

EDIT2:

To clarify - members and owners only (and if an admin happens to be a member or owner, they will get notification too)

[joepavitt]

All tasks completed