Scanners

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Introduction

After a SolarWinds Service Desk (SWSD) Discovery scanner is installed, it detects the subnet on which it is deployed, and automatically creates a new connection with subnet type. In addition, it detects the default router and automatically creates a new connection with router type.

All additional SCCM, router, vCenters, and subnets on the network can be manually entered through the All Connections index page. See Connections for more information.

The scanner must be installed on a virtual or physical dedicated machine and the OS on that machine can be Windows or Linux only. Be aware that the scanner can pull software data only from the local machine, but not other discovered machines.

Software data, such as title, version, and vendor can be pulled via the agent, an SCCM or JAMF connection, and Intune.

After installation is complete and you have run an initial scan, scanners automatically populate in the All Scanners index page.

To derive the maximum benefits, SolarWinds recommends scanning with credentials. See Credentials for more information.

SSH (Secure Shell) is used to access information on machines with SSH server installed.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is used to access information on network equipment such as routers, switches, printers, and other devices.
WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) is used to connect to your windows machine. If the account is a domain admin account, the user name should follow the format: domain\account name.

Credentials are used in two different ways:

When a credential is associated with a router it can enable scanning remote subnets that are connected to the router. This saves you time as it does not require deployment of multiple scanners in your network.
When a credential is associated with a subnet, it is used to fetch additional information from devices that support the credential type, as mentioned above. Therefore, you obtain a more significant amount of data regarding your network devices.

Navigation

Setup > Discovery & Assets > Installation.

All Scanners index page

To view a list of all scanners, navigate to Setup > Discovery & Assets > Scanners.

The table below describes the columns on the All Scanners index page and how you can acquire the maximum data based on information entered.

Column	Description
NAME	By default, the scanner name is set to the name of the server on which it was installed. Name and description are for your ease and convenience. This information does not affect the scanning process.
STATE	There are three possible states: Active - The scanner and the SWSD instance are connected. This does not mean the scanner is actively scanning right now. Pending Update - The scanner configuration has just been updated and the changes were sent to the server on which it is installed. No Connection - There is no connection between the discovery scanner and the SWSD instance.
CONNECTIONS	The number of connections associated with each scanner.
FREQUENCY	Frequency of scan (can be configured separately for each scanner). Recommended scan frequency: every 24 hours.
LAST REPORT	Provides date and time of the last update from the scanner.
ACTIONS	When hovering over the row, a trash icon displays. You may delete the device by clicking the icon. You may only delete a device that is not currently active.

SolarWinds encourages you to select a name for your network/subnet and provide a meaningful description in all tabs of the Discovery Scanner. As a best practice, we recommend purposeful input because the information does not affect the scan. Purposeful information better defines your environment and supplies useful data to agents analyzing feedback.

Scanner details page

From the All Scanners index page, you can select a scanner by clicking the scanner name. In the Scanner details page, you will find the scanner name , description, and properties.

Schedule your Scan

From the Scanner details page, you can set default scanning frequencies for a fixed time interval, or you can choose to assign a shorter or longer scan interval.

You can select the frequency by days, hours, or minutes. Or you can choose to run the scan on a specific day at a specific time.

You also have the ability to download logs to get the most recent log of any active scanner.