When you register an instance, you define certain credentials, or if you have the auto-registration option enabled, IDERA SQL Inventory Manager registers your instances using the SQL Inventory Manager service account as the default connection credentials.

If you need to change these credentials for several instances, you can change them directly by clicking Edit Credentials on the Managed by Instances section or SQL Licensing by Instance section of the Instances view. Note that to have this option enabled, you must select those instances whose credentials you want to change. 

IDERA SQL Inventory Manager opens the Edit Credentials window where you can change your:

• SQL Connection Credentials
• WMI Connection Credentials
• Linux Credentials

SQL Connection Credentials

These credentials allow you to connect to SQL Server instances to collect availability, capacity, and configuration data. To change these credentials, follow these steps:

• Go to the SQL Connection Credentials section.
• Choose between the IDERA SQL Inventory Manager service account, User account, or SQL Server login account. The last two options require that you provide the respective login and password.
• After you define your SQL Connection Credentials, you can click TEST CREDENTIALS to make sure IDERA SQL Inventory Manager can use these credentials to gather data.

Connection Credentials

These credentials allow you to connect to the computer that hosts the SQL Server instance in order to collect its performance and computer details. To change these credentials, follow these steps:

• Go to the Connection Credentials section.
• You can choose between the IDERA SQL Inventory Manager service account or User account. If you choose the latter, you need to provide a login and password.
• After you define your Connection Credentials, you can click TEST CREDENTIALS to make sure IDERA SQL Inventory Manager can use these credentials to gather data from host computers.

For Linux Instances

SQL Server connection credentials

These credentials allow you to connect to SQL Server instances to collect availability, capacity, and configuration data. When you register an instance, you define these credentials; however, you can change them later on the Edit Instance Properties window. 

For Linux, you need to use a  user domain account with SQL access when the instance is on a domain, or a SQL Server login account when the instance is not on a domain. This options require that you provide the respective login and password. 

Connection Credentials

These credentials allow you to connect to Linux  systems that host SQL Server for Linux instances in order to collect their performance and computer details, specify a user or domain user account that can connect to Linux server. To change these credentials, follow these steps:

• Go to the Connection Credentials section and choose User Credentials.
• Provide a valid login and password.
• After you define your Credentials, you can click Test Credentials to make sure IDERA SQL Inventory Manager can use these credentials to gather data from host computers.

Querying information from Linux

To query a Linux host for CPU, server and disk information, it is required to have credentials to SSH to that server.

Certain information may be found querying SQL Server:

• Hardware cores
• VM cores
• OS (eg: Ubuntu)
• OS Version (eg: 14.2)

Querying Linux requires several commands be issued to obtain:

• CPU Make, Model & Speed
• Server manufacturer
• Disks

Those commands include:

• $ dmidecode (board related data)
• $ lscpu (more specific CPU data)
• $ df or other (disks)
• $ uname to return OS

SIM sysadmins must provide one or more users (either Linux or AD) to query Linux. These users need only login and read rights.

You can also change credentials by accessing the Edit Instance Properties window. Keep in mind that the Edit Instance Properties window allows you to change credentials only for a specific instance. If you want to change connection credentials for several instances at once, use the Edit credentials option explained in this section. For more information about editing instance properties, see How to edit instance properties.