netdata/health/guides/systemdunits/systemd_target_unit_failed_state.md

Understand the alert

The systemd_target_unit_failed_state alert is triggered when a systemd target unit goes into a failed state. Systemd is the system and service manager for Linux, and target units are groups of systemd units that are organized for a specific purpose. If this alert is triggered, it means there is an issue with one of your systemd target units.

What does failed state mean?

A systemd target unit in the failed state means that one or more units/tasks of that target, whether it's a service, or any other kind of systemd unit, have encountered an issue and cannot continue running.

Troubleshoot the alert

1. First, you need to identify which systemd target unit is causing the alert. You can list all the failed units by running:

   systemctl --failed --all
   

2. Once you have identified the problematic target unit, check its status for more information about the issue. Replace <target_unit> with the actual target unit name:

   systemctl status <target_unit>
   

3. Look at the logs of the failed target unit to collect more details on the issue:

   journalctl -u <target_unit>
   

4. Based on the information gathered in steps 2 and 3, troubleshoot and fix the problem(s) in your target unit. This may involve:

   • Editing the unit file
   • Checking the services and processes that compose the target
   • Looking into configuration files and directories.

5. Reload the systemctl daemon to apply any changes you made, then restart the target unit:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl restart <target_unit>
   

6. Verify that the target unit has been successfully restarted:

   systemctl is-active <target_unit>
   

7. Continue monitoring the target unit to ensure that it remains stable and does not return to a failed state.

Useful resources

1. systemd man pages (targets)
2. systemd Targets - ArchWiki