Potential Sources for the Display Name 

Using SNMP SysName 

During discovery, WhatsUp Gold provides an option to prefer the SNMP SysName as the device Display Name. When this option is enabled and the device returns a usable SNMP SysName, that value is used as the preferred name. 

This is useful in environments where network devices are configured with meaningful SNMP system names that may be different from DNS hostnames or fully qualified domain names. 

DNS and Hostname Resolution 

If SNMP SysName is not preferred or is unavailable, WhatsUp Gold may use information gathered through DNS lookup, hostname resolution, or management protocols such as WMI. Depending on what is returned, the resulting hostname or fully qualified domain name may be used as the device Display Name. 

Accurate DNS records and working device credentials help ensure that WhatsUp Gold can collect reliable naming information during discovery. 

VMware Virtual Machines 

For virtual machines discovered through VMware integration, WhatsUp Gold can obtain identifying information from vCenter or ESXi. In VMware environments, the Display Name commonly reflects the virtual machine name maintained in VMware inventory, although other naming sources may also be available depending on the discovery results. 

This is important because VMware administrators may maintain VM names that differ from guest operating system hostnames, DNS names, or other device names returned by monitoring protocols. 

Display Name Changes After Discovery 

Once a device has been added as a monitored device, its Display Name is generally preserved and will not automatically change simply because a later discovery scan identifies a different name for the same device. 

A subsequent discovery scan may identify the device using a DNS name, SNMP SysName, VMware virtual machine name, or another naming source that differs from the current monitored device Display Name. When this occurs, the newly discovered name may appear in the Discovered Devices list, while the existing Display Name remains unchanged in Monitored Devices. 

This can result in the same device showing one name in Discovered Devices and a different name in Monitored Devices. This is expected behavior and helps preserve continuity in maps, dashboards, reports, alerts, and operational procedures. 

The primary exception is when the monitored device Display Name is still an IP address. In that scenario, WhatsUp Gold may update the monitored device Display Name to a more descriptive name if one becomes available. 

Verifying the Relationship Between a Discovered Device and a Monitored Device 

When reviewing a device in the Discovered Devices list, administrators can use the Monitored Device Properties option to view the monitored device that is linked to that discovered device record. 

This is useful when the name displayed in Discovered Devices differs from the name shown in Monitored Devices. Opening Monitored Device Properties confirms which monitored device is associated with the discovery record and shows the Display Name currently being used on the monitored side. 

Example 

Assume a device is originally discovered and added to monitoring using the Display Name NYC-SW-01. 

At a later date, a discovery scan runs again and identifies the same device as nyc-sw-01.company.com. 

Because the device is already monitored, WhatsUp Gold continues to use NYC-SW-01 as the monitored device Display Name. However, the Discovered Devices list may show the newly discovered name nyc-sw-01.company.com.