Device Types and Supported Protocols

Server Scout supports monitoring a wide range of network devices and infrastructure components through standardised protocols. This agentless approach means no software needs to be installed on your monitored devices — Server Scout connects directly using industry-standard protocols to gather telemetry data.

Supported Device Types

Switch

Network switches are monitored via SNMP to provide comprehensive network infrastructure visibility. Server Scout tracks:

• Per-port status (up/down/admin down)
• Port speeds and duplex settings
• Traffic statistics (bytes in/out, packets, unicast/multicast)
• Error counters (CRC errors, collisions, discards)
• Interface utilisation percentages

This monitoring helps identify network bottlenecks, failed connections, and performance issues across your switching infrastructure.

DRAC

Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs), including Dell iDRAC, HP iLO, and other IPMI-compatible devices, provide crucial hardware health monitoring. Server Scout monitors:

• CPU and ambient temperatures
• Fan speeds and status
• Power supply unit (PSU) health and redundancy
• Server power state (on/off/standby)
• Chassis intrusion detection
• System Event Log (SEL) entries

This low-level hardware monitoring operates independently of the server's operating system, providing visibility even when servers are powered down or unresponsive.

UPS

Uninterruptible Power Supplies using standard UPS-MIB are monitored to ensure power infrastructure reliability:

• Battery charge percentage and health
• Estimated runtime remaining
• Input and output voltage levels
• Load percentage and power consumption
• Output source (mains/battery/bypass)
• Alarm conditions and battery replacement indicators

PDU

Power Distribution Units provide basic infrastructure monitoring through SNMP:

• System description and model information
• Uptime tracking
• Basic availability monitoring

More advanced PDU monitoring capabilities depend on manufacturer-specific MIBs and may be supported through custom device configurations.

Storage

Network-attached storage arrays and SAN devices are monitored using SNMP for basic health checking:

• System availability and uptime
• Basic device identification
• SNMP connectivity verification

Advanced storage metrics may require vendor-specific monitoring solutions or custom SNMP configurations.

Printer

Network printers supporting SNMP provide basic operational monitoring:

• Printer status and availability
• System uptime tracking
• Basic connectivity verification

Other/Generic

Custom devices supporting SNMP can be monitored using generic device profiles. This flexibility allows monitoring of:

• Environmental sensors
• Specialised network equipment
• Industrial control systems
• Any device with SNMP agent capability

Supported Protocols

SNMP v2c

The most commonly deployed SNMP version uses community string authentication:

• Simple configuration with read-only community string
• Plaintext transmission (suitable for secure networks)
• Broad device compatibility
• Minimal configuration overhead

Example community strings are typically "public" for read-only access, though organisations should use custom community strings for security.

SNMP v3

The most secure SNMP implementation offers user-based authentication with three security levels:

noAuthNoPriv: Username-only authentication with no encryption authNoPriv: Authentication using SHA or MD5 hashing without encryption authPriv: Full authentication plus AES or DES encryption for privacy

SNMP v3 is recommended for devices accessible across untrusted networks or where security policies require encrypted management traffic.

IPMI

Intelligent Platform Management Interface provides out-of-band server hardware monitoring:

• Username and password authentication
• Direct BMC network connectivity required
• Operates independently of server OS
• Provides comprehensive hardware telemetry

IPMI typically uses dedicated management network interfaces, allowing monitoring even when primary server interfaces are unavailable.

Implementation Considerations

All monitoring is performed agentlessly, eliminating the need to install software on monitored devices. This reduces security risk, simplifies deployment, and minimises impact on device performance.

When configuring devices, ensure appropriate SNMP community strings or user credentials are configured, and verify that management interfaces are accessible from your Server Scout installation. Network ACLs and device security settings must permit monitoring traffic from your Server Scout server.

Regular testing of monitoring connectivity helps ensure continued visibility across your infrastructure components.