Use SolarWinds Tokens for container monitoring

Starting in Orion Platform 2020.2.6, use a new type of SolarWinds Platform credential — SolarWinds Tokens — to authenticate container monitoring.

If upgrading from an earlier version, update existing container services to use SolarWinds Token. Otherwise, polling stops.

There are two ways to generate a SolarWinds Token in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console:

• In the Manage Container Service wizard, when adding or editing services, or
• On the Manage Credentials page, as described next.

The Manage Credentials page serves as the repository for SolarWinds Tokens that enhance the security of your environment through the use of random, system-generated tokens.

To access the Manage Credentials page:

1. Log into the SolarWinds Platform Web Console with an Orion administrator account.

2. Click Settings > All Settings.

3. Scroll down to the Credentials section of the page and click Manage API Poller Credentials.
   

   

Note the following details about the Manage Credentials page:

• Data for added credentials is sent to the SolarWinds Platform server by HTTP in plain text.
  

  SolarWinds recommends logging into the SolarWinds Platform Web Console directly from the SolarWinds Platform server to add a credential.

• You cannot delete a credential that is currently used by a container service. Update the container service to change its credential, and then return to this page to delete the credential.
  

  Deleted credentials are permanently removed from the SolarWinds Platform database.

• This page can also be used to store credentials used to:
  • Monitor metrics with API pollers in SAM, and
    
  • Monitor APM Integrated Experience and AppOptics services in SAM.
• Logs are typically stored in: ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SolarWinds.Credentials\SolarWinds.Credentials\SolarWinds.Credentials.log

To add a credential: 

1. Navigate to the Manage Credentials page.
   Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Poller Credentials.

2. On the Manage Credentials page, click New.

3. On the Add Credential page, select SolarWinds Token.

   

4. Enter a Credential name.

5. Click "Generate and save".

   The SolarWinds Platform generates a new token.

   

6. (Optional) Click the Copy icon to save the token to the Windows Clipboard.
   

   A new token only appears once — when you add a new credential. To store it in a secure location, copy it now.

7. Click Close to return to the Manage Credentials page.

To edit the name for a credential:

1. Select the credential.

2. Click Edit.

3. Modify the name, as necessary.
   

   Tokens cannot be edited for existing credentials. Delete the original credential and create a new one instead.

4. Click Save.

To delete a credential:

1. Select the credential.
   

   Credentials currently in use by entities such as container services cannot be deleted. Change the credential in the related container service(s) first, and then return to the Manage Credentials page to delete the credential.

2. Click Delete.

3. Confirm the deletion when prompted.