Servers and Operating Systems
On this page
In this lesson, you will learn:
- What to capture about servers
- Why the OS mix matters for Discovery
- SNWR’s server numbers
🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Sites, Network Zones and Subnets. You learned how to capture every zone and subnet with an owner.
1 The Problem: ‘About 62 Servers’ Isn’t a Number
When asked how many servers SNWR has, Priya said ‘about 62’. But:
- The spreadsheet is months old.
- AWS servers aren’t on it.
- Nobody knows which OS versions are running.
👉 The fix: Count servers by site and OS from real exports, and treat the count as a starting estimate.
2 What to capture
- Count by site and zone.
- OS name and version.
- Physical or virtual.
- Who looks after them.
- Any servers that must not be touched.
Use real exports: from vCenter, AWS, or the server team’s tools. Don’t rely on memory.
3 Why the OS mix matters
| If the client has… | Then you need… |
|---|---|
| Linux servers | An SSH credential and a sudo list. |
| Windows servers | A Windows credential and a Windows MID Server. |
| Old OS versions | To check pattern support before scanning. |
💡 Good to know: The count will change once Discovery runs. That’s normal. The first scan becomes the real count.
4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It
📍 Situation: Priya’s ‘about 62’ came from the old spreadsheet.
🧭 Decision: Build the count from exports, by site and OS.
🛠️ Steps we took:
- Asked Priya for an export from vCenter and her server tools.
- Asked Kenji for the list of EC2 instances.
- Counted 67 servers: 43 Linux and 24 Windows.
- Noted the OS versions: RHEL 8 and 9, Ubuntu 22.04, Windows Server 2019 and 2022.
✅ What we verified:
- Priya confirmed the 67.
- All OS versions are supported by current patterns.
📁 Evidence: The server section of the requirements, with the 67-server count.
5 Quick recap
- Count servers from exports, not memory.
- Record site, OS, version and who looks after them.
- Linux needs SSH credentials. Windows needs a Windows MID Server.
- The first scan becomes the real count.
6 Check yourself
Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.
1 Why not accept ‘about 62 servers’? Show answer
It’s a guess from an old list. Count from real exports.
2 What does a large Windows estate mean for Discovery? Show answer
You need Windows credentials and Windows MID Servers.
3 How many servers does SNWR really have? Show answer
67: 43 Linux and 24 Windows.
Nice work! SNWR’s servers are counted properly. 🎉
Next up: Network Devices and Appliances
Was this lesson helpful?
Please log in to share lesson feedback.
Have a question or doubt?
Ask here and get help from instructors and fellow learners.
Only logged-in learners can post.
