How to Install a Second Collection Server for a Separate Network
A Collection Server coordinates network discovery on a network segment. The default installation uses the application server itself as the Collection Server. When you have separate network segments (e.g., a remote office, a data centre on a different VLAN, or a DMZ), you can install additional Collection Servers to discover those segments without routing discovery traffic across your WAN.
When You Need a Second Collection Server
- You have a remote office or data centre on a separate network that cannot be scanned efficiently from the main site.
- Firewall rules prevent direct WMI, SNMP, or SSH connections from the main Collection Server to the target subnet.
- You want to reduce WAN bandwidth usage by collecting discovery data locally and sending only the results back to the application server.
Prerequisites
- A Windows server at the remote site that can reach the target machines on the local network.
- Network connectivity from the remote server back to the xAssets application server (HTTPS).
- The xAssets Collection Server installer (available from your xAssets installation media or download area).
- Administrator access on the remote server.
Step 1: Install the Collection Server Software
Log on to the remote Windows server with an administrator account.
Run the Collection Server Setup installer.
During installation, you will be prompted for:
- The URL of the xAssets application server (e.g.,
https://xassets.yourcompany.com). - Credentials for the xAssets API (an API key and secret, or a service account).
- The local folder path for the PCAnalyser file share where discovery data will be stored temporarily.
- The URL of the xAssets application server (e.g.,
Complete the installation wizard. The installer sets up the Discovery Service as a Windows service on the remote server.
Verify that the xAssets Discovery Service is running in Windows Services (services.msc).
Step 2: Configure IP Range Mappings
In the xAssets web interface, navigate to Discover > Prepare > Manage IP Ranges and Locations.
Create IP range mappings for the subnets at the remote site (e.g.,
10.20.30.*).For each IP range, select the new Collection Server from the Collection Server drop-down. This tells xAssets to route discovery requests for those IP ranges to the remote Collection Server instead of the default.
Select the appropriate Location for each IP range.
If the remote network requires different credentials, create and assign a Credential Pack. See Credential Packs.
Step 3: Test Discovery
From the xAssets web interface, select Discover > Discover a Location and choose one of the remote locations.
Verify that the discovery job is dispatched to the remote Collection Server (check the batch job details).
After the scan completes, verify that discovered assets appear in the asset database with the correct location.
Step 4: Schedule Regular Discovery
Once the remote Collection Server is working:
Set up a discovery schedule for the remote locations, just as you would for locally scanned subnets.
See Scheduling Discovery Scripts for instructions.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery jobs are not dispatched to the remote server | IP range not mapped to the correct Collection Server | Check the Collection Server field on the IP range mapping |
| Remote server cannot connect to the application server | Firewall blocking HTTPS from remote to main server | Open the required port (typically 443) in the firewall |
| Discovery returns no results from the remote site | Credentials lack admin access on remote machines | Verify the Credential Pack or service account has admin rights on target machines; check firewall rules for WMI/SNMP/SSH |
Related Articles
- How to Set Up Network Discovery — First-time discovery configuration
- Discovery Architecture Overview — How the discovery system is structured
- Discovering a Network — Running a discovery scan
- Choosing a Discovery Strategy — Selecting the right discovery approach