Network Management

Self-Led Project Plan for Scalability Engines

This project plan provides a step-by-step guide for expanding your SolarWinds deployment using Scalability Engines, including Additional Polling Engines (APE) and Additional Web Servers (AWS). It covers installation, prerequisite validation, integration with the SolarWinds Platform, configuration of polling distribution and web access, performance tuning, and best practices to help you improve scalability, enhance monitoring capacity, and optimize user experience across large or distributed environments.

First published date

8/18/2025 4:59 PM

Last published date

8/20/2025 5:37 PM

Overview

Installation & Setup

Review Scalability Guidelines & Requirements

Verify hardware, software, and network requirements for Scalability Engines deployment.
Scalability Engine Guidelines

Assist with Installation & Configuration Wizard

Walk through the Scalability Engines installation and complete the configuration wizard to connect it to the SolarWinds Platform.
Install Scalability Engines

Node Management for Additional Polling Engines (APE)

Change Polling Engine Assignments

Reassign nodes, interfaces, and volumes to the Additional Polling Engine (APE) for load balancing or optimized performance.
Change Polling Engine Assignments

Configuration for Additional Websites (AWS)

Enable HTTPS for Secure Access

Install an SSL/TLS certificate to secure web traffic to the Additional Website.
Enable HTTPS in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console

Best Practices & Enhancements

Backup Configuration – Backup the SolarWinds Platform database before making changes to polling assignments.
Consider redundancy for your APE — deploy an Additional Polling Engine in High Availability to ensure failover protection.
- If you already have High Availability license, you can refer to Self-Led Project Plan for High Availability.
Load Balancing on AWS – Consider using a load balancer to distribute traffic between Primary and Additional Web Servers.
Validate Environment Compatibility – Ensure the Scalability Engines are compatible with your SolarWinds Platform version and installed modules.

Notes

This plan is designed for customers who prefer a self-paced onboarding experience.
- Self-Led Project Plans
For assisted onboarding, refer to SolarWinds Deployment Services.
- Deployment Scope
For troubleshooting, contact SolarWinds Support.
- Submit a Ticket

Product section

Orion Platform

Disclaimer: Please note, any content posted herein is provided as a suggestion or recommendation to you for your internal use. This is not part of the SolarWinds software or documentation that you purchased from SolarWinds, and the information set forth herein may come from third parties. Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent, if any, such custom scripts or recommendations will be incorporated into your environment. You elect to use third-party content at your own risk, and you will be solely responsible for the incorporation of the same if any.