Managing Users and Permissions

Understanding User Roles in Server Scout

Server Scout provides a straightforward two-tier user system designed to balance simplicity with security. Understanding these roles is essential for properly managing team access to your monitoring infrastructure.

Admin users have complete control over the Server Scout installation. They can add and remove servers, manage all user accounts, configure global settings, and access monitoring data for all servers in the system.

Regular users have read-only access to monitoring data for servers they've been specifically granted permission to view. They cannot modify server configurations, add new servers, or manage user accounts.

Adding Users to Your Organisation

Only admin users can create new accounts and manage permissions. To add a new team member:

1. Navigate to the Users page from the main navigation menu
2. Click Add New User
3. Fill in the required details:

- Full name - Email address (this will be their username) - Choose whether to grant admin privileges

1. Click Create User

The new user will receive an email with their initial login credentials and instructions for setting up their account. They'll be prompted to change their password on first login.

Setting Server Permissions

After creating a regular user account, you'll need to specify which servers they can monitor. Admin users automatically have access to all servers, but regular users start with no permissions.

To configure server access:

1. Go to the Users page and locate the user account
2. Click Edit Permissions next to their name
3. Select the servers this user should be able to monitor
4. Save your changes

# Users will only see their permitted servers in the dashboard
# No command-line access is required for permission management

Server permissions can be modified at any time, making it easy to adjust access as team responsibilities change or new servers are added to your monitoring setup.

User Login Process

Each user logs in with their own email address and password through the standard Server Scout login page. There's no difference in the login process between admin and regular users—the interface adapts based on their permissions.

Regular users will see:

• Only their permitted servers in the dashboard
• Read-only monitoring data and alerts
• No access to user management or global settings

Admin users will see:

• All servers and monitoring data
• User management options
• Global configuration settings
• Server addition and removal controls

Best Practices for Team Access

Individual Accounts Are Essential

Always create separate accounts for each team member rather than sharing login credentials. This approach provides several critical advantages:

Accountability: You can track who accessed what information and when through the audit logs.

Security: If a team member leaves or their credentials are compromised, you can disable just their account without affecting others.

Appropriate Access: Each user sees only the servers relevant to their role, reducing confusion and potential mistakes.

Regular Access Reviews

Periodically review user permissions to ensure they align with current responsibilities. Remove access for servers that users no longer need to monitor, and promptly disable accounts for team members who have left the organisation.

Principle of Least Privilege

Grant admin privileges sparingly. Most team members only need to view monitoring data, not manage the entire system. Reserve admin access for those who genuinely need to configure servers, manage users, or modify global settings.

Managing Account Security

Encourage users to choose strong passwords and consider implementing a password policy within your organisation. Server Scout supports standard authentication practices, and users can change their passwords through their account settings.

If a user forgets their password, admin users can generate a password reset from the Users page, which will send new credentials to the user's registered email address.

By following these practices, you'll maintain a secure, organised monitoring environment where team members have appropriate access to the servers they need to monitor, without compromising the overall security of your infrastructure.