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Choosing a collection method
↩ Servers
JOATOS can collect from a server in three ways. You choose per server, depending on the access you have and how much detail you want.
The three methods
| Method | How to set it up | What you get | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent | Install the agent on the server | Full inventory: stats, disks, software, services, roles (Windows), patches, vulnerabilities | The agent installed on the host |
| Agentless | Add the server and assign a scanning profile | Full inventory, polled over the network | An SSH / WMI / Proxmox API credential |
| ICMP-only | Add the server with just an ICMP profile | Up/down (reachability) status only | Nothing beyond network reachability |
How to choose
- Agent — best for machines you can install software on; deepest data, pushed on a heartbeat, and works even across networks since it's outbound-only.
- Agentless — best when you can't (or don't want to) install anything; the Site Collector polls the server on an interval using stored credentials.
- ICMP-only — when you just need to know whether a host is up.
By operating system:
| OS | Agentless method |
|---|---|
| Linux | SSH |
| Windows Server | WMI (WinRM) |
| Proxmox VE | Proxmox API |
Two independent settings
A server has two separate profiles:
- Scanning profile — the inventory/stats source. A server uses one source: agent or agentless, not both.
- ICMP profile — ping-based up/down monitoring. This is independent and can be added to any server regardless of how (or whether) its inventory is collected.
Set or change both from the server's Edit form, or review them on the Monitoring tab — see Server dependencies and monitoring.
Notes & tips
- Agentless polling runs through the site's collector, so the server's site must have a Site Collector online.
- For agentless servers, a Scan now button lets you poll immediately instead of waiting for the interval.