Overview

Backend Config lets administrators review and change global ToBeAlert settings that affect alert retention, authentication, email delivery, timeouts, notifications, and runbook links. Changes are written to the active configuration file on the server and applied to the running instance.

Step	What you configure	Menu / route	Documentation
1	Configuration — editable global settings by category	Management → Backend Config → /backend-config	Configuration settings
2	Configuration File — raw on-disk file (read-only)	Same page → Configuration File tab	Configuration file

Where to find it in the UI

In the sidebar under Management:

• Backend Config → /backend-config

The page title is Backend Configuration. Two tabs:

Tab	Purpose
Configuration	Grouped settings with toggles, numbers, and text fields
Configuration File	Path, existence status, size, and raw file content

Header actions (visible when you have unsaved edits):

Button	Purpose
Save	Persist changes to the configuration file
Discard	Revert the form to the last loaded or saved values

A warning banner appears at the top: incorrect values can prevent the backend from starting or corrupt the configuration file.

Permissions

Only users with the administrator role can open this page. Non-admins see Access denied. Admin privileges required. with a hint to contact an administrator.

Saving settings and viewing the Configuration File tab require admin-level management access. If the menu item is missing, contact your administrator.

How configuration fits together

Typical workflow:

1. Open Backend Config and review categories on the Configuration tab (housekeeping, alerts, authentication, email, and others).
2. Change one or more values; Save becomes enabled when the form differs from the last load.
3. Confirm the result on the Configuration File tab if you need the raw file view.
4. For deployment-time or container-only options (database URL, Redis, plugins, SNMP traps), use Settings & environment variables — many keys are not exposed in this UI.

Database fields on the Configuration tab are read-only in the UI (display only). Change database connectivity outside this screen.

Limits and environment behavior

Condition	Effect
Non-admin user	Access denied message; no tabs
Demo mode	Save may appear to succeed but changes are not applied
Environment variables	Override values from the configuration file for many keys — see installation docs
Unsaved navigation	Leaving the page with pending edits triggers an unsaved-changes prompt

There is no license gate on Backend Config itself; access is role-based.

Related modules

Module	Relationship
Settings & environment variables	Full reference for tobealertd.conf, env vars, and keys not in the Web UI
Notification methods	Per-method SMTP/Telegram credentials; global SMTP here is separate from notification methods
Maintenance windows	Housekeeping retention affects how long alert records remain
Alerts dashboard	Alert timeouts, query limits, and page size affect dashboard behavior
Users, roles and permissions	Authentication and signup settings interact with Users

Best practices

1. Back up /tobealert/config/tobealertd.conf before bulk changes.
2. Change one category at a time and verify alerts, login, and notifications after each save.
3. Prefer environment variables in Docker/Kubernetes for secrets and connectivity; use the Web UI for operational tuning.
4. Do not edit the Database section in the UI — it is informational; use installation docs for DATABASE_URL and related settings.
5. Use Discard to abandon a bad edit session instead of saving untested values.
6. Cross-check the Configuration File tab after save when troubleshooting startup issues.