How to Add a Server
Register a Linux server with Pinguzo to monitor its CPU, memory, disk, and processes in real time.
Overview
Adding a server is a two-step process. First, you create the server record in Pinguzo to generate a unique Agent Key. Then you install the lightweight Pinguzo Agent on the target machine using that key. Once installed, the agent reports metrics every minute to the nearest edge server, which stores the data securely.
Step-by-step: Adding a Server
Open the Servers page
Click Servers in the left sidebar. The table shows all registered servers with their status, OS, and last-seen timestamp.
Click "Add Server"
The button is in the top-right corner of the Servers page. A form will open.
Enter a Server Name
Give the server a descriptive name (e.g., "web-prod-01" or "EU Database Primary"). This name appears in dashboards, incidents, and alerts. It does not need to match the actual hostname — it's just a human-friendly label.
Optionally, add Tags to group this server with others (e.g., production, database, eu-west).
Save and get the installation command
Click Save Server. A modal appears containing a one-liner installation command pre-filled with your new server's Agent Key. Copy it to your clipboard.
Run the installation command on the target server
SSH into the target machine and paste the command. It must be run as root or with sudo:
curl -fsSL https://api.pinguzo.com/files/install-agent.sh | \
sudo bash -s -- --agent-key=YOUR_64_CHARACTER_KEY
The installer downloads the agent, installs it to /usr/local/pinguzo/, sets up a cron job, and sends the first metrics payload immediately.
Confirm the server appears Online
Return to the Servers page in Pinguzo. Within 1–2 minutes the server's status will change from Pending to Online, and the OS, kernel version, IP address, and CPU model will be populated automatically.
Form Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Server Name | Yes | Friendly label shown in dashboards and alerts (1–100 characters, unique per account) |
| Tags | No | Comma-separated labels for grouping and filtering (e.g., production, api) |
Agent Key
Each server gets a unique 64-character hexadecimal Agent Key. This key:
- Authenticates the agent to the Pinguzo edge server
- Is displayed masked in the server list (first 6 characters are visible)
- Can be copied in full at any time via the Copy Full Key button on the server row
- Cannot be changed after creation — if compromised, delete the server and re-add it
What Gets Collected (auto-populated by agent)
Once the agent is installed, the following information is automatically discovered and shown on the server detail page:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Hostname | System hostname reported by the OS |
| IP Address | Primary IP address of the machine |
| OS | Linux distribution and version (e.g., Ubuntu 22.04 LTS) |
| Kernel | Kernel version string |
| Architecture | CPU architecture (x86_64, arm64, etc.) |
| SMART Health | Disk health status (Passed / Failed / N/A) |
| Agent Version | Installed agent version string |
| Last Seen | Timestamp of most recent agent check-in |
Server Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Online | Agent reported in within the last few minutes |
| Offline | Agent has not reported in; an incident may be open |
| Pending | Server created but agent has not checked in yet |
Editing a Server
Click the Edit (pencil) icon to update the server's name or tags. The agent key cannot be changed. Changes take effect immediately in the dashboard.
Deleting a Server
Click the Delete (trash) icon on the server row and confirm. Deleting a server:
- Removes all historical metric data
- Closes any open incidents for that server
- Revokes the Agent Key (any running agent will stop being able to report)
After deletion, Pinguzo displays an Uninstall command to cleanly remove the agent from the machine:
/usr/local/pinguzo/bin/pinguzo-agent.sh --uninstall
Bulk Actions
Use the checkboxes in the server list to select multiple servers, then use the bulk toolbar to Delete them all at once. This is useful for decommissioning several servers simultaneously.
Next Steps
- Install Pinguzo Agent — detailed agent installation and configuration guide
- View Server Metrics — explore CPU, memory, disk, and process charts
- Configure Alerts — get notified when CPU, memory, or disk exceeds a threshold
- Import / Export Servers — bulk-register multiple servers at once