Editing Server Details and Display Names

Server Scout's dashboard provides flexible options for customising how your servers are displayed and organised. You can easily modify server details, change display names, reassign groups, and update connection settings without disrupting monitoring operations.

Accessing Server Edit Options

To modify server details, locate the server card on your dashboard and click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner. From the dropdown menu, select "Edit Server" to open the configuration panel.

Editable Fields for Servers

Display Name

The display name is the friendly name that appears on the server card and detail pages. This is completely separate from the system hostname and allows you to use more descriptive names for easy identification. For example, you might change "ubuntu-web-01" to "Production Web Server" for clearer dashboard organisation.

Hostname

Server Scout automatically updates this field using the system hostname reported by the monitoring agent. However, you can override this value if needed. This is particularly useful when dealing with complex network configurations or when you need to standardise naming conventions across your infrastructure.

Group Assignment

Use this field to move servers between groups or remove them from groups entirely. Groups help organise your infrastructure logically—perhaps separating production from development servers, or grouping by function such as web servers, databases, or application servers.

To change a server's group:

1. Click the group dropdown field
2. Select an existing group or choose "No Group" to remove group assignment
3. The server will immediately appear in the new location on your dashboard

Additional Options for Network Devices

If you're editing a network device rather than a server, you'll see additional configuration options:

Connection Credentials

Network devices require specific credentials for monitoring:

• SNMP Community String: For SNMP v1/v2c devices, enter the community string (typically "public" for read-only access)
• SNMP v3 Credentials: For enhanced security, configure username, authentication protocol, privacy protocol, and associated passwords
• IPMI Credentials: Enter username and password for Intelligent Platform Management Interface access

Poller Assignment

Choose which Server Scout agent handles polling for this device. This is particularly important in distributed environments where you might have multiple agents monitoring different network segments.

Saving Changes

Once you've made your modifications, click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the edit panel. Changes take effect immediately:

• Display name and group changes appear instantly on the dashboard
• No agent restart is required for basic configuration changes
• Connection credential updates for devices begin with the next polling cycle

Important Considerations

API Key and Install Command

Editing server details does not affect the server's API key or monitoring configuration. Your existing monitoring setup continues unchanged, and the agent maintains its connection to Server Scout without interruption.

Viewing Setup Instructions

If you need to reference the original installation command for a server, you can find this in the same three-dot menu. Select "Setup Instructions" to view the complete install command with the correct API key and server-specific parameters. This is helpful when setting up additional servers with similar configurations or troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Best Practices

Consider establishing naming conventions for display names that reflect your organisation's structure. For example, use prefixes like "PROD-", "DEV-", or "TEST-" to immediately identify server purposes. Similarly, organise groups logically—by environment, function, or geographical location—to make dashboard navigation more intuitive.

Regular review of server details ensures your monitoring dashboard remains organised and meaningful as your infrastructure evolves. Taking a few moments to properly configure display names and groups significantly improves the day-to-day experience of managing your server infrastructure through Server Scout.