Data Source Presets
What it is: A Data Source Preset is a reusable template that defines how Discovery collects data from a group of servers. Each preset stores the schedule, credentials, and site so you do not repeat these settings for every server.
Why it matters: Large environments often have hundreds of servers. Creating each data source by hand is slow and error-prone. Presets let you define the settings once and then bulk-import an entire server list in a single CSV upload.
How It Works
Create a Data Source Preset
Purpose: Define reusable collection settings for a group of servers, like Linux and Windows RPC.
Navigate to Configuration | Settings.
Select Data Source Presets.
Click + Add Preset.
Enter a Name.
From the Schedule drop-down, select the schedule frequency for the job.
From the Credentials drop-down, select the credential for running the job.
Specify a Site. Usually a site already defined in a Client Template.
Click Add.
Result: The preset appears in the Data Source Presets list and is ready for bulk import.
Import a Bulk List of Data Sources
Purpose: Upload many servers at once instead of adding them one at a time.
Before you begin:
- You need an existing Data Source Preset for a Linux or Windows server type.
- Your CSV file must follow the required format described below.
Steps
Open the Data Source Preset you created and click the Import action.
On the Import Data Sources modal, select the servers' operating system. For Linux, enable Elevate with Sudo if your credentials require it.
Upload a CSV file or paste CSV content directly into the text area. Follow the format in CSV File Format below.
Use the checkboxes to control duplicate handling:
- Allow duplicate Name — Creates a new data source even if a source with the same name exists.
- Allow duplicate Hostname — Creates a new data source even if a source with the same hostname exists.
If both checkboxes are cleared, the system skips any row that matches an existing name or hostname.
Click Import to finish the upload.
Result: Discovery creates one data source for each valid row. The import summary shows counts for created, updated, restored, and failed entries.
CSV File Format
The CSV file uses a comma-separated format. The first row must contain column headers.
| Column | Required | Accepted header names | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes* | Name, name | Display name for the data source |
| Hostname | Yes* | Hostname, hostname, Target, target, Address, address | Server address — IP or FQDN |
| Custom args | No | Any custom header | Extra key-value pairs stored as custom arguments, for example Vaulted Credentials. |
* At least one of Name or Hostname is required per row. If you omit one, Discovery uses the other value for both fields.
Example CSV File
The following example imports three Linux servers with an optional sudoshell argument:
Name,Hostname,sudoshell
web-prod-01,192.168.1.10,true
db-prod-01,db.internal.example.com,false
app-staging-01,10.0.2.15,trueA minimal CSV with only hostnames:
Hostname
192.168.1.10
192.168.1.11
192.168.1.12A CSV with custom arguments for Windows servers:
Name,Hostname,port,account,safe
geo-east-01,10.10.1.5,5985,admin,ca-bu-uk
geo-west-01,10.20.1.5,5985,admin,ca-bu-uk
file-srv-01,10.10.1.20,5985,audit,ca-bu-nyTIP
Save your file as UTF-8. Discovery removes a UTF-8 byte order mark (BOM) automatically if present.
WARNING
Empty rows and rows missing both Name and Hostname are rejected. Check the import summary for failed entries.
Assign the Preset to a Data Source
After you import servers, create a Windows or Linux data source under Discover | Data Sources. Select the Data Source Preset from the drop-down on the add or edit data source modal. Discovery applies the preset settings to every imported server.
For details, refer to Data Source Overview and the specific server configuration topics.