> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.luumen.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Defining hosts

> Tell the agent which servers to query by adding hosts in the Luumen UI — one at a time through a form, or in bulk via CSV import or paste.

Every server you want Luumen to monitor needs to be added as a **host** in the Luumen UI. Hosts live under the **Hosts** area in the sidebar. The agent reads the host list from the API on every scheduled run and connects to each one over SSH (Linux) or WinRM (Windows).

You have two ways to add hosts. Most environments use both.

## Add a host one at a time

Use the **Add host** form when you have a small number of hosts to add, or when a specific host needs its own credentials or a non-standard port.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Hosts area">
    Go to **Hosts** in the Luumen UI and click **Add host**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter connection details">
    Fill in the form fields:

    * **Name** (optional) — a human-readable label that appears in the UI. Defaults to the hostname if left blank.
    * **Hostname or IP**
    * **Connection type** — SSH (Linux) or WinRM (Windows).
    * **Port** — defaults to 22 (SSH), 5985 (WinRM HTTP), or 5986 (WinRM HTTPS) based on the connection type. Override if needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set credentials">
    Pick one of:

    * **Use default credentials** — inherits the workspace's default credential set. See [Credentials](/enterprise/connecting/credentials).
    * **Use specific credentials for this host** — enter a username and either an SSH key or password.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Add host**. The host appears in the list immediately. Data starts flowing on the next agent run, or on a manual run if you trigger one from the Patch server.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Bulk import

Use bulk import when you have dozens or hundreds of hosts to add at once. Import accepts a CSV file or pasted CSV-formatted text.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the bulk import flow">
    From the **Hosts** area, click **Bulk import**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Provide the host list">
    Upload a CSV file or paste rows directly. Each row represents one host. At minimum every row needs hostname/IP and connection type; other fields fall back to defaults.

    A typical CSV looks like:

    ```csv theme={null}
    name,host,connection_type,port,user
    prod-app-01,10.0.1.42,ssh,22,ns2reporter
    prod-app-02,10.0.1.43,ssh,22,ns2reporter
    win-file-01,10.0.2.10,winrm,5985,.\windev
    ```

    Hosts imported this way use **default credentials** unless you explicitly provide per-host credentials in the import.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and confirm">
    Luumen shows a preview of the parsed rows with any validation errors highlighted (duplicate hostname, unparsable IP, missing required field). Fix issues in your source data and re-upload, or proceed with the valid rows.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import">
    Click **Import**. The hosts appear in the list immediately. As with one-by-one additions, data starts flowing on the next agent run.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Bulk import is the simplest way to seed Luumen from an existing source of truth — a CMDB export, an Ansible inventory, or a spreadsheet your team already maintains. After the first import, you can keep using bulk import for batch additions or switch to the one-by-one form for ad-hoc changes.
</Tip>

## Editing and removing hosts

Each host in the list has a row-level menu for editing or removing it. Editing the credentials, port, or connection type applies on the next agent run. Removing a host stops it from being queried on subsequent runs — historical data and check results are retained, but the host no longer appears in active groups.

## Excluded hosts

To stop monitoring a host without deleting its history, mark it as **Excluded** from the host's detail view. Excluded hosts stay in the system (their past results are preserved and searchable) but are skipped by the agent. Useful during decommissioning windows or when a host is temporarily offline for maintenance.

## What happens after a change

When you add, edit, or remove hosts, the change is picked up on the next agent run. The agent fetches the current host list from the API, queries everything in scope, and reports back. New hosts appear on the **Hosts** page with full data after that run completes.

If you don't want to wait for the next scheduled cycle, trigger a manual run on the Patch server — see [Install the agent](/enterprise/installation/agent-install#running-the-agent-manually).

Verify new hosts captured data correctly by following [Verifying capture](/enterprise/connecting/verifying-capture).