Hey folks,
I’m still getting familiar with all the capabilities of Hubitat, especially when it comes to automation and custom rules. I was wondering if there's a way in Rule Machine (or maybe another built-in app) to monitor the status of an app—like if it fails, stops working properly, or becomes unresponsive—and then trigger an alert or rule based on that?
For example, if Motion Lighting or Mode Manager doesn't run as expected, can Rule Machine be used to catch that? Or maybe via some kind of log monitoring or custom app?
I’m just trying to build a more resilient setup, especially for critical automations like lights at night or garage door alerts. Would love to hear how others are handling app reliability or fail-safes!
Thanks in advance.
—Newbie automator 
In general, the answer is no. There is not really a concept of app failure, nor of app status. Most apps run for a a very short time. Also, chasing this idea would create another layer of possible 'failure'.
The main source of automation failure is device failure. By that I mean a device fails to report or operate as expected. This is usually caused by things like a weak RF mesh network, or battery failure. No app can overcome a device that won't do its thing. There are a number of tools to help track devices, but some generalized device health is not doable. Bear in mind that you are using cheap consumer grade devices. Many are very reliable, and perhaps you get what you pay for. For example, Lutron devices tend to be very reliable, and also cost significantly more than others.
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You could issue a command, wait a second, reissue the command based on a condition test. Some device drivers have a preference called supervised command which turns on a handshake with the device. Like TCP vs UDP protocols when using IP. One issue I have occasionally has to do with a multi sensor in the garage which turns on the overhead when the door opens and it is dark. When it fails it is because Hubitat driver for it has not been updated so it thinks it is light enough in there. There is a wall switch to use easy enough so I just live with it.
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