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Circuit Breaker v0.2.0 – “Pulse & Discovery” Release

Circuit Breaker v0.2.0 delivers a major step toward “data‑center grade” homelab monitoring: deep Proxmox integration, safer discovery without NET_RAW, richer topology layouts, and a more polished map UI.

Headline Features

1. Proxmox Cluster Integration (Pulse‑Style Monitoring)

Circuit Breaker can now connect directly to a Proxmox VE cluster using a read‑only API token (PVEAuditor or a custom minimal role). It discovers your virtualization fabric and streams live telemetry into the topology map.

What’s new

  • Single Proxmox config per cluster via Settings → Integrations:
  • Host URL, API token ID + secret (stored in the encrypted vault).
  • TLS verification toggle for labs with self‑signed certs.
  • Full inventory scan:
  • Proxmox nodes mapped as hypervisor hardware.
  • VMs (QEMU) and LXC containers created as compute units under each host.
  • Storage pools (ZFS, directory, LVM, etc.) added as storage nodes with edges to the hosts they live on.
  • Live host telemetry:
  • CPU usage, memory utilization, load averages, disk and network I/O pulled from /nodes/{node}/status and /status/current.
  • Metrics persisted into live_metrics and surfaced as status rings and sparklines in the floating sidebar.
  • VM/LXC telemetry:
  • Per‑VM CPU, memory, and disk stats from /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}/status/current and LXC equivalents where available.
  • Running vs stopped state reflected as green/red halos on the map.

Why it matters

You get a single scan button that turns Proxmox into a live topology:

  • Hypervisor nodes at the top, with VMs/LXCs hanging beneath.
  • Storage pools and logical volumes represented visually.
  • Hovering any Proxmox object brings up a real‑time telemetry card in the floating sidebar, giving you a Pulse‑like overview without leaving Circuit Breaker.

2. Safe Discovery Mode (No NET_RAW Required)

To better support containerized deployments and security‑sensitive environments, v0.2.0 introduces a safe discovery pipeline that does not require Docker’s NET_RAW capability.

What’s new

  • Discovery modes in Settings:
  • safe: ICMP pings (using user‑space libraries) plus TCP connect scans on common ports (22, 80, 443, 8080, 8443); works in standard Docker setups without additional capabilities.
  • full (future‑facing): reserved for ARP/Scapy/nmap once users explicitly grant NET_RAW.
  • Subnet scans:
  • Given a CIDR, Circuit Breaker sweeps the range, flags responsive hosts, and probes key ports to infer service presence.
  • Results are stored in the existing discovery tables and appear on the topology as newly discovered hardware/services.
  • Docker‑aware discovery (optional):
  • If /var/run/docker.sock is mounted read‑only, Circuit Breaker reads container and network information straight from the Docker API and merges it into the discovery view.

Why it matters

You now get 80% of network discovery – reachable devices and open service ports – without asking users to weaken container sandboxing. Advanced users can still opt into raw‑socket based “full” discovery later.

3. Docker Networks as First‑Class Topology Objects

Circuit Breaker understands Docker’s networking model and renders container stacks as clear, navigable islands on the map.

What’s new

  • Docker network nodes:
  • Each user‑defined Docker network appears as a network node with badges indicating its driver (bridge, macvlan, overlay, host).
  • Container services:
  • Containers are represented as service nodes using the image name and container status.
  • Edges:
    • on_network between containers and their Docker networks.
    • published_port edges from containers to an “external” network node for mapped host ports.
  • Hybrid views:
  • macvlan networks can be tied to physical subnets, so containers appear as peers on the same LAN segment as hardware.
  • Overlay networks can span multiple hosts, showing cross‑host microservice clusters.

Why it matters

For users running heavily containerized labs, the topology map becomes a live architecture diagram: stacks, shared networks, and exposure points are all visible at a glance.

4. Advanced Topology Layouts

The layout system has been expanded beyond basic tree/force‑directed options to better express both physical and logical designs.

What’s new

  • Network‑first hierarchical layout:
  • Networks at the top, then hypervisors/hardware, then compute, then services/storage, matching best‑practice network diagrams.
  • Radial and concentric layouts:
  • Service‑centric views that radiate out from core services or gateways for microservice and Docker‑stack visualization.
  • Layered VLAN/segment view:
  • Left‑to‑right layers for WAN, DMZ, LAN, management, and storage networks, with edges flowing between segments.
  • Circular cluster layout:
  • Perfect for Proxmox clusters and Docker overlays, with nodes arranged in rings.

Why it matters for Layouts

Different questions need different diagrams. You can now toggle layouts to see:

  • How segments and VLANs relate.
  • How Proxmox clusters and hypervisors are organized.
  • How Docker networks tie internal services together.

All layouts respect saved manual positions when you switch back to manual mode.

5. Map UX & Context Menu Refinements

To support all the new data without clutter, the map experience has been polished.

What’s new

  • Context‑aware node menus:
  • Right‑click menus are now viewport‑aware and never spawn off‑screen.
  • Styling has been modernized to match the dock: rounded corners, subtle shadows, and streamlined list items.
  • Drawing and connection improvements:
  • The connection‑drawing experience is smoother and less obstructed.
  • Node hover cards no longer block the pointer when you are actively creating connections.
  • Telemetry in the floating sidebar:
  • Host, VM/LXC, and service nodes can show CPU, memory, disk, and network statistics inline.
  • Proxmox metrics integrate side‑by‑side with existing SNMP/iDRAC/iLO telemetry for a consistent view.

Why it matters

Circuit Breaker is moving toward a “live NOC wallboard”: something you can leave up on a big display that is both beautiful and informative, without fighting the UI.

Under‑the‑Hood Changes

  • Schema extensions:
  • hypervisors (type, API config).
  • computeunits now include Proxmox VMID and type fields.
  • storage table for Proxmox storage pools.
  • live_metrics extended to store Proxmox host/VM telemetry.
  • Background jobs:
  • Proxmox full‑sync job to discover nodes, VMs/LXC, and storage in one run.
  • Telemetry poller for Proxmox nodes and guests, with SSE updates to the frontend.
  • Security:
  • All Proxmox credentials live in the encrypted vault.
  • Integration operates correctly with least‑privilege tokens (PVEAuditor or equivalent read‑only roles).

Upgrade Notes

  • Proxmox token:
  • Recommended to create a dedicated Proxmox user and API token with PVEAuditor role on / and, if you want storage details, read‑only datastore privileges.
  • Docker discovery:
  • To enable Docker insights, mount the Docker socket read‑only into the Circuit Breaker container; otherwise, Docker networks/services are simply omitted.
  • Discovery mode:
  • Existing discovery is automatically mapped to safe mode; you can opt into more aggressive scanning later in Settings.

Circuit Breaker v0.2.0 makes your map more than a diagram—it becomes a cluster‑aware, Proxmox‑driven monitoring surface for your entire homelab.