Can I use SNMP for Linux discovery

[Ann B_]

SNMP credentials have been configured for Linux servers. When I choose "test credential" it works and says successful. When I run discovery it fails and says "no valid SSH credentials". How can I force discovery to use SNMP credentials for some Linux servers?

[DaveHertel]

That makes sense -- I appreciate the historical context (and enlightenment that I'm not completely crazy... 🙂 )

[Ann B_]

Thanks for response.  I have no idea how to "build an entire structure of classifiers, identifiers and exploration probes using SNMP". Is there a tutorial for that or should I seek professional assistance?  I am working in a development environment so I can test if provided with instructions.

[doug_schulze]

AB,

Taking on a task like this I would think would be in the realm of a very experienced discovery administrator, its not impossible just very time consuming and complicated in its implementation.  You'd have to account for how many hundreds of moving parts of discovery need information fed to it in each particular phase and have a very strong background in building javascript probes and patterns to achieve what comes OOB with SSH.  And after all that work, you still are not going to be able to gather important data to support relationships or software so you will be left with nothing more than an asset record.  I'm sure there are partners out there that would love share an invoice with you to do this work, but I think the time is best spent working on getting the very limited SSH credential needed to get you the full breadth of a quality CI.

[DaveHertel]

Based on what guru-Doug just said, I would really, really, REALLY question why you need to do that route.  To cut to the chase... it'll be a lotta work to accomplish something that is already provided automatically via SSH.  Rolling your own w/SNMP will likely consume a lotta cycles.  Reading between lines --- why would SN stop going this route if SNMP for Linux discovery was a  viable solution...

A better use of your time (IMHO) is to address the concerns with doing this w/SSH and resolve those concerns.  Then, you get the goodness of A) Using out of box ecosystem that already does this; B) Robust community support;  C) Future benefits of SN imrprovements to SSH-based discovery.

[Ann B_]

Very helpful information. Thanks.