Native Git Integration for SolarWinds SAM Templates

soheilamiri

I propose adding native Git repository integration to the SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) module to enable dynamic, version-controlled script execution. This feature would significantly improve maintainability, collaboration, and automation for teams using SAM for custom monitoring.

Proposed Functional Design

1. Template Definition within SolarWinds
   • Administrators create a SAM template as usual, but with an option to link the template to a Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket, or private Git server).
   • OAuth2, PAT (Personal Access Token), or SSH key authentication should be supported.
2. Add Git Repository as a Component Source
   • In “Add Component Monitor,” provide an option:
     Source Type → Script from Git Repository
   • Admin specifies:
     • Git URL
     • Branch
     • Directory path
     • Optional tag/commit pinning for deterministic execution
3. Repository File Browser
   • SolarWinds loads the selected repository tree via API and displays available files.
   • Admin selects the exact script file to run (PS1, PY, SH, BAT, custom executables).
   • Provide syntax highlighting and read-only preview inside the SAM UI.
4. Local Caching and Execution
   • The selected script is cloned or pulled into a secure local execution sandbox on the SolarWinds polling engine.
   • Script execution follows existing SAM mechanisms (with elevated permissions settings preserved).
   • SolarWinds stores a local cached copy to ensure execution continues even if Git is temporarily unreachable.
5. Automated Sync (“Pull Interval”)
   • Admin can define a custom pull interval (e.g., every 1 min, 5 min, hourly, daily).
   • System checks for:
     • New commits
     • File updates
     • Branch changes
   • On change detection, SAM automatically updates the local cached script and logs version metadata.
6. Version Metadata Tracking
   • SolarWinds should record:
     • Repo URL
     • Branch
     • File path
     • Commit hash executed
   • Display this in the component monitor history for full auditability.
7. Rollback Capability (Optional)
   • Allow admins to select and run a previous commit for testing or emergency fallback.
8. Security Considerations
   • Repository credentials stored using SolarWinds secure credential store.
   • Execution sandbox isolates scripts per polling engine.
   • Enable code-signing validation (optional policy).