Documentation forServer Configuration Monitor
Monitoring server configurations is a key capability of SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted (formerly Hybrid Cloud Observability) and is available in the Advanced edition.

Monitor Linux nodes in SCM

Using Server Configuration Monitor (SCM), you can monitor Linux nodes via SolarWinds Platform agent. Just as on Windows nodes, the SCM agent plugin must be installed on monitored nodes to monitor files, and the Asset Inventory agent plugin is required for HW and SW inventory profiles. Linux machines with Linux kernel 2.6.23 or later are supported.

The SolarWinds Platform agent runs under the swiagent user. For more information about the SolarWinds Platform agent, see SolarWinds Platform agent requirements.

To monitor your Linux environment, see this page for instructions on how to configure SNMP for agents deployed by SCM. (These instructions apply to SAM, SCM, and other products.) Once installed, it should auto-configure for you.

Monitor Linux files

The dialog for adding file elements remains the same, using the generic File profile elements. SCM automatically distinguishes between files with Linux filepaths, such as /etc/init.d/*.config and Windows filepaths, such as C:\Program Files\Solarwinds\*.config. You can monitor individual files or use wildcard characters to dynamically monitor any sub-directory and file. SCM also supports Linux system variables such as ${HOME}.

The polling is interval-based. The polling frequency setting is shared with Windows file polling.

Note that after adding the "swiagent" user to a group, there may be a delay of up to 30 minutes before the system fully recognizes the group changes. During this time, if the system is set up for file polling, you may encounter an error message indicating that polling has failed due to insufficient permissions.

To resolve this issue, wait up to 30 minutes to refresh the SCM agent plugin, or restart agent service on the node.

Monitor hardware and software

Monitoring hardware and software inventory also works on Linux machines via the Asset Inventory Linux agent plugin.

Execute Linux scripts (bash, python, or others)

You can define custom Linux scripts in SCM to capture any desired output that meets your business needs. The Linux script element enables you to run scripts in any language that is available on the monitored system. It is executed using the swiagent account. Optionally, you may specify script content that is stored in a temporary file. The file can then be referenced in the command line with the ${Script-file} macro. The output of this script is then collected and used for change detection in the same way the PowerShell script element is. This provides readily available business data analysis and enables you to manage your Linux scripts from on location. To learn more about Linux scripts, see Leverage Linux scripts in SCM.