Can NPM monitor remote sites via VPN, and what considerations apply for secure monitoring?

• A. Yes, remote sites over VPN can be monitored using SNMP/WMI/SSH; ensure VPN permits proper traffic and authentication, and consider encryption.
• B. No, VPN monitoring is not supported.
• C. Remote sites can only be monitored via SNMP with no WMI or SSH.
• D. VPN monitoring requires a NetPath license.

Answer: (A)

Remote sites can be monitored through a VPN in NPM, using the same remote-protocol methods you’d use on the local network: SNMP for network devices, WMI for Windows hosts, and SSH for Linux/Unix systems. The key is that the VPN tunnel must allow the necessary traffic and authentication to reach those devices.

For secure monitoring, ensure the VPN permits the required ports and protocols (for example, SNMP on port 161/162 with SNMPv3 for encryption, WMI/RPC/DCOM on Windows with proper credentials, or SSH on port 22 with key-based authentication). Use strong credentials and store them securely in SolarWinds. The VPN provides encryption for data in transit, and you can further protect monitoring data by using secure protocol configurations (like SNMPv3) and minimized access rights. Also verify DNS reachability, firewall rules, and potential VPN performance implications (latency, MTU) that could affect polling. NetPath licensing is not required for VPN-based remote monitoring, as it’s an additional feature rather than a prerequisite.