Email actions
In the Actions section, you will find an overview of all system-internal events where OpenVLE can automatically send emails.
Each action represents a specific event in the system -- such as the creation of a virtual machine, the start of an event, or the end of an event.
By assigning an email template to an action, you define which message is sent in that case.
If no email template is assigned to an action, no email is sent when that action occurs.
Where can I find this section?
Via main menu: Emails → Actions
Alternatively accessible via: Linked from email templates
Features at a glance
- Display all email actions available in the system
- Assign or change the email template used per action
- Quick overview of which actions currently send emails
- Edit assigned templates directly from the action view
Important fields at a glance
| Field name | Description |
|---|---|
Description | Brief description or version information of the action, including the permitted email variables. |
Name | Display name of the action in the interface. Describes when the action is triggered, e.g. "Event is being deployed". |
Slug | Internal name of the action, e.g. "events_post_deployment_success". Used system-internally. |
Currently available email actions
The following actions within OpenVLE currently trigger automatic emails.
Events
| Name | Slug | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Event successfully deployed | events_post_deployment_success | Notifies all participants (instructors and students) that the event has been successfully deployed and is now available. |
| Event could not be archived | events_post_decommission_failed | Informs the event admins that the archival of the event has failed and manual intervention may be required. |
| Event could not be deployed | events_post_deployment_failed | Notifies the event admins that the deployment of the event has failed. May contain technical details or troubleshooting hints. |
| Event is being archived | events_decommission_started | Informs all participants (instructors and students) that the event is currently being archived and will no longer be accessible. |
| Event will start soon | events_pre_start | Sends a reminder to all participants (instructors and students) that the event will start shortly. May contain credentials or organizational information. |
| Event is being deployed | events_deployment_started | Informs the event admins that the deployment of the event has begun. Serves for deployment status tracking. |
| Event will be archived soon (instructors) | events_pre_end_admin | Notifies only the instructors that the event will be archived soon, with the option to make last changes or downloads beforehand. |
| Event will be archived soon (students) | events_pre_end_student | Informs only the students that the event will be archived soon and that materials or results should be saved beforehand. |
| Event was successfully archived | events_post_decommission_success | Confirms to the event admins that the archival was completed successfully. |
| Event was deleted | events_delete | Notifies the event admins that the event has been completely deleted. May contain confirmation or log information. |
Virtual Machines
| Name | Slug | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VirtualMachine could not be deployed | vm_create_failed | Informs that a virtual machine could not be created during deployment. Contains technical error details. |
| VirtualMachine could not be deleted | vm_delete_failed | Notifies that the deletion of a virtual machine has failed. May contain hints for manual cleanup. |
| VirtualMachine is being deleted | vm_delete_started | Sends a status message that the deletion process of a virtual machine has been started. |
| VirtualMachine was successfully deployed | vm_create_success | Notifies that the virtual machine was successfully created and is ready for use. |
Assigning an email template
- Open the Emails → Actions section from the main menu.
- Find the desired action in the list.
- Open the action.
- Switch to the Email templates tab and click Assign.
- Find the desired email template and select it.
- Save the assignment.
When an action has one email template assigned, this is indicated in the detail view of the email template by a green icon in the upper right corner.
Removing an email template
- Open the Emails → Actions section from the main menu.
- Find the desired action in the list.
- Open the action.
- Switch to the Email templates tab.
- Click Remove on the email template you want to unassign, or open the context menu and select Remove.
- Confirm the action in the displayed dialog.
When an action has no email template assigned, this is indicated in the detail view of the email template by a red icon in the upper right corner.
Example or use case
After the creation of a new virtual machine, an email should be sent automatically. Open the action "VirtualMachine was successfully deployed" in the Emails → Actions section and assign the template "VirtualMachine was successfully deployed" to it. From now on, this email will be automatically sent whenever a new virtual machine is created.
Notes / special considerations
- Actions are predefined by the system and cannot be manually created or deleted.
- If no template is assigned to an action, no email dispatch takes place.
- Changes to the assigned template take effect immediately for future events.
- Actions are typically grouped by area (e.g. users, environments, events, system).
- Some actions are purely internal and serve for logging, without a dispatch function.
Relationships to other objects
Many objects in OpenVLE are related to other elements within the system. The following overview shows which relationships exist and whether they trigger certain automations.
| Object | Description | Automatic behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Email templates | Any number of email templates can be assigned to an action. | No automations. |
Required permissions
The permissions required for actions can be assigned via roles or individually. If you lack certain rights, the corresponding functions in the user interface are hidden or disabled.
| Action | Required permission | Path | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| View email templates | mailtemplates_read | / or /<objectID> | |
| Edit email templates | mailtemplates_update | / |