# Quick Start

> Install the collector, add your first device, and verify the collection.

Visual One Intelligence collects from your environment using VSIClient, an agent that runs on a data collection machine inside your network. VSIClient connects to each device you configure, gathers metadata over that device's own API or CLI, and uploads the result to Visual One. Nothing is installed on the devices being monitored, and no collector writes to them.

This guide takes you from nothing to a verified first collection. Plan on the configuration itself taking minutes, and the first full collection taking anywhere from minutes to several hours depending on the device.

## Before you begin

- A **data collection machine** on your network that can reach the devices you want to monitor. It runs VSIClient on a schedule through Windows Task Scheduler.
- A **service user** on that machine, which is the account the scheduled task runs as. Several administration commands must be run as this same user, because stored device credentials are held in its keyring.
- **Read-only credentials on each device** you intend to collect from. Every collector is designed to run with the least privilege that still returns data, and the exact role differs per platform.
- Access to the Visual One portal at `visual1intelligence.com`.

> **Note:** Some collectors need extra software on the collection machine before they will run, such as a vendor CLI, an ODBC driver, or a Python SDK. Check your device's entry in [Supported Devices](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/supported-devices-overview/) before you configure it, because this is the most common reason a first collection fails.

## Step 1: Confirm VSIClient is running

Before adding anything, verify the agent itself is healthy. There are two ways to check.

**Task Scheduler.** Open Task Scheduler and locate the VSIClient task. In the Status column, `Running` means a collection is in progress and `Ready` means the task is idle and waiting for its next scheduled run. Both are normal states.

**PowerShell.** Run the following. If it returns a process, VSIClient is currently running. If it returns nothing, the agent is not active at this moment, which is expected between scheduled runs.

```
Get-Process vsiclient
```

## Step 2: Add your first device

Device entries are managed in the portal at `visual1intelligence.com/user/settings/collection-devices`. Adding one means telling Visual One what kind of device it is and how to reach it.

- Choose the **device type** that matches your hardware. Where a platform lists a primary and a legacy type, choose the primary one for a new deployment.
- Enter the **connection parameters**. Most collectors need an IP address or DNS name, a user name, and a password, but many need more, and a few use those fields for something other than their obvious meaning. The [Supported Devices](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/supported-devices-overview/) reference lists the exact parameters for every device type.
- Set the **port** if your environment does not use the default.

Start with one device rather than the whole estate. A single verified collection proves the agent, the network path, and the credentials all work, which makes every subsequent device a much shorter conversation.

## Step 3: Verify the collection

After the next scheduled run, confirm the upload arrived. Go to `visual1intelligence.com/user/settings/uploads` and find the entry for your device. Each upload is downloadable as a ZIP, and inside it is a file named `collection.log` recording exactly what the collector did.

If you would rather not wait for the schedule, you can run a collection immediately from the command line. See [VSIClient Administration](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/vsiclient-administration/) for how to run one on demand and how to read the results.

## What happens next

Once a device is collecting, its data flows into the report sections of Visual One automatically. Storage arrays populate the Storage reports, hypervisors populate Virtual, cloud accounts populate Cloud, and cost data feeds the FinOps reports. There is no separate step to connect a device to a report.

## Where to go from here

- [How to Connect Devices](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/how-to-connect-devices/) explains the parameter patterns and role conventions that apply across all collectors.
- [Supported Devices](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/supported-devices-overview/) is the per-device reference: device types, roles, ports, and parameters.
- [VSIClient Administration](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/vsiclient-administration/) covers updating the agent, reading logs, and running manual collections.
- [Troubleshooting](https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/troubleshooting/) covers what to do when a collection does not appear.

---

Source: https://visualoneintelligence.com/docs/quick-start/