12.4 Configuring the Closest Server Default Rule

The Closest Server Default rule lets you define the rule that is used by a device to determine the closest authentication, collection, content, and configuration servers when no Closest Server rules have been defined or when none apply. This rule is simply a listing of the servers in the order you want devices to contact them. You cannot add or remove servers from the lists.

The Closest Server Default rule is applicable for ZENworks Configuration Management 10.2.x/10.3.x and ZENworks 11 devices. If you do not want the Closest Server Default Rule to be used to determine the closest servers for devices, you can create customized Closest Server rules. You can create the Closest Server rules for ZENworks Configuration 10.2.x/10.3.x devices at three levels: Management zone, device folder, and device. These settings are disabled when you baseline your Management Zone to ZENworks 11. For a ZENworks 11 device, the customized closest servers are configured on locations. For detailed information, see Section 12.0, Location Awareness.

For Closest Server Default rules, devices that are Satellites are considered as servers and can be listed for selection in the appropriate lists.

By default, all ZENworks Servers function as authentication, collection, content, and configuration servers and are displayed in the appropriate lists. In addition, any devices that are defined with the Content or Imaging roles are also displayed in the Content Servers list, any devices that are defined with the Collection role are also displayed in the Collection Servers list, and any devices that are defined with the Authentication role are also displayed in the Authentication Servers list.

To configure a Closest Server Default rule:

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click the Configuration tab, click Infrastructure Management (in the Management Zone Settings panel), then click Closest Server Default Rule.

    Closest Server Default Rule panel

  2. To configure the servers listed in the any section, do any of the following:

    1. (Conditional) You can perform the following tasks to manage individual servers in any of the server lists (Collection, Content, Configuration, and Authentication):

      Task

      Steps

      Additional Details

      Reorder the list

      1. In the desired server list, select the check box for the server, group, or L4 switch you want to move.

      2. Click Move Up or Move Down as necessary to change its order in the list.

      3. Repeat as necessary to order the list.

      Placement in the list determines the order in which servers are contacted. The first list item (server, group, or L4 switch) is contacted first, then the second, and so forth.

      You can order the items in the lists differently. This allows you to spread the workload initiated by devices by placing different servers higher in one list than in the other lists. For example:

      • Collection Servers: Server1, Group1, Server3, L4Switch5

      • Content Servers: L4Switch5

      • Configuration Servers: Server3, Server2, Group1

      • Authentication Servers: Server1, Server2

    2. (Conditional) You can use a group to randomize connections to servers. Each time the server list is sent to a device, it is randomized so that not all devices receive the same ordered list.

      For example, assume the server list contains the following:

      • Server 1

      • Group 1 (Server 2, Server 3, Server 4)

      • Server 5

      One device might receive the following list: Server 1, Server 3, Server 2, Server 4, Server 5.

      Another device might receive a different list: Server 1, Server 4, Server 3, Server 2, Server 5.

      In all cases, Server 1 is listed first and Server 5 is listed last, but the order of the servers in Group 1 is randomized.

      You can perform the following tasks to manage server groups in any of the server lists (Collection, Content, Configuration, and Authentication):

      Task

      Steps

      Additional Details

      Create a server group

      1. In the desired server list, select the check boxes for the servers you want to include in the group, then click Groups > Create Group from Selection.

        or

        If you want to create an empty group, click Groups > Create Empty Group.

        You can add servers to the empty group later using the Groups > Add to Group option.

      2. Specify a name for the group, then click OK to add the group to the list.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Add servers to a group

      1. In the desired server list, select the check boxes for the servers you want to add to the group.

      2. Click Groups > Add to Group.

      3. Do one of the following:

        • To add the selected servers to a new group, select Create New , specify a group name, then click OK.

        • To add the selected servers to an existing group, select a group from the list in the Select Existing field, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Reorder the list

      1. In the server list, select the check box for the server, group, or L4 switch you want to move.

      2. Click Move Up or Move Down as necessary to change its order in the list.

      3. Repeat as necessary to order the list.

      Placement in the list determines the order in which servers are contacted. The first list item (server, group, or L4 switch) is contacted first, then the second, and so forth.

      You can order the items in the lists differently. This allows you to spread the workload initiated by devices by placing different servers higher in one list than in the other lists. For example:

      • Collection Servers: Server1, Group1, Server3, L4Switch5

      • Content Servers: L4Switch5, Server2, Server3, Server1

      • Configuration Servers: Server3, Server2, Group1

      • Authentication Servers: Group1, L4Switch5, Server1, Server2

      Copy a group from one list to another list

      1. In the server list to which you want to copy a group, click Groups > Copy Existing Group.

        For example, to copy a group from the Collection Servers list to the Content Servers list, click Groups > Copy Existing Group in the Content Servers list.

      2. Select the desired group from the list, then click OK to copy the group.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      If you copy a group to a list that does not already contain the group’s servers, the unlisted servers are removed from the group. For example, if Group1 includes Server1 and Server2 and you copy Group1 to a list that does not include Server1, Server1 is removed from the group.

      Remove servers from a group

      1. In the server list, expand the group to display its servers.

      2. Select the check boxes for the servers that you want to remove from the group.

      3. Click Groups > Remove from Group, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The servers are not removed from the server list, only from the group.

      Remove a group

      1. In the server list, select the check box for the group you want to remove.

      2. Click Groups > Remove Group, then click OK.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The group’s servers are not removed, only the group.

    3. (Conditional) If you have ZENworks Servers that are clustered behind an L4 switch, you can define the L4 switch and add the servers to the definition. This enables the L4 switch to continue to balance the traffic among those servers.

      Task

      Steps

      Additional Details

      Create an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, select the check boxes for the servers to include in the L4 switch definition, then click L4 Switch > Create L4 Switch Definition from Selection.

        or

        If you want to create an empty L4 switch definition, click L4 Switch > Create Empty.

        You can add servers to the empty definition later using the L4 Switch > Add to L4 Switch Definition option.

      2. Specify the DNS name or the IP address of the L4 switch, then click OK to add the L4 switch to the list.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Add servers to an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, select the check boxes for the servers you want to add to the L4 switch definition.

      2. Click L4 Switch > Add to L4 Switch Definition.

      3. Do one of the following:

        • To add the selected servers to a new L4 switch definition, select Create New and specify the DNS name or IP address of the L4 switch, then click OK.

        • To add the selected servers to an existing L4 switch definition, select an L4 switch definition from the list in the Select Existing field, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Reorder the list

      1. In the desired server list, select the check box for the server, group, or L4 switch you want to move.

      2. Click Move Up or Move Down as necessary to change its order in the list.

      3. Repeat as necessary to order the list.

      Placement in the list determines the order in which servers are contacted. The first list item (server, group, or L4 switch) is contacted first, then the second, and so forth.

      You can order the items in the lists differently. This allows you to spread the workload initiated by devices by placing different servers higher in one list than in the other lists. For example:

      • Collection Servers: Server1, Group1, Server3, L4Switch5

      • Content Servers: L4Switch5, Server2, Server3, Server1

      • Configuration Servers: Server3, Server2, Group1

      • Authentication Servers: Group1, L4Switch5, Server1, Server2

      Remove servers from an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, expand the L4 switch definition to display its servers.

      2. Select the check boxes for the servers that you want to remove from the L4 switch definition.

      3. Click L4 Switch > Remove from L4 Switch Definition, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The servers are not removed from the server list, only from the L4 switch definition.

      Remove an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, click L4 Switch > Remove L4 Switch Definition, then click OK.

      2. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The L4 switch definition's servers are not removed, only the definition.

  3. Click OK or Apply to save the changes.