Organizing Devices: Folders and Groups

Using ZENworks Control Center, you can manage devices by performing tasks directly on individual device objects. However, this approach is not very efficient unless you have only a few devices to manage. To optimize management of a large number of devices, ZENworks lets you organize devices into folders and groups; you can then perform tasks on a folder or group to manage its devices.

You can create folders and groups at any time. However, the best practice is to create folders and groups before you register devices in your zone. This allows you to use registration keys and rules to automatically add devices to the appropriate folders and groups when they register (see Registering Devices).

Folders

Folders are a great tool to help you organize devices in order to simplify management of those devices. You can apply configuration settings, assign content, and perform tasks on any folder. When you do so, the folder’s devices inherit those settings, assignments, and tasks.

For best results, you should place devices with similar configuration setting requirements in the same folder. If all devices in the folder require the same content, you can also make content assignments on the folder. More than likely, however, all devices in the folder might not have the same content requirements. Therefore, you can organize the devices into groups and assign the appropriate content to each groups (see Groups below).

For example, assume that you have workstations at three different sites. You want to apply different configuration settings to the workstations at the three sites, so you create three folders (/Workstations/Site1, /Workstations/Site2, and /Workstations/Site3) and place the appropriate workstations in each folder. You decide that most of the configuration settings apply to all workstations, so you configure those settings at the Management Zone. However, you want to perform a weekly collection of software and hardware inventory at Site1 and Site2 and a monthly inventory collection at Site3. You configure a weekly inventory collection at the Management Zone and then override the setting on the Site3 folder to apply a monthly schedule. Site1 and Site2 collect inventory weekly, while Site3 collects inventory monthly.

Creating a Folder

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click the Devices tab.

  2. Click the Workstations folder.

  3. Click New > Folder to display the New Folder dialog box.

  4. In the name field, type a name for the new folder, then click OK.

    When you name an object in the ZENworks Control Center, ensure that the name adheres to the following conventions:

    • The name must be unique in the folder.

    • Depending on the database being used for the ZENworks database, uppercase and lowercase letters might not create uniqueness for the same name. The embedded database included with ZENworks Configuration Management is case insensitive, so Folder 1 and FOLDER 1 are the same name and cannot be used in the same folder. If you use an external database that is case-sensitive, Folder 1 and FOLDER 1 are unique.

    • If you use spaces, you must enclose the name in quotes when entering it on the command line. For example, you must enclose Folder 1 in quotes (“Folder 1”) when entering it in the zman utility.

    • The following characters are invalid and cannot be used: / \ * ? : " ' < > | ` % ~

Groups

As with folders, you can assign content and perform tasks on device groups. When you do so, the group’s devices inherit those assignments and tasks. Unlike with folders, you cannot apply configuration settings to groups.

Groups provide an additional layer of flexibility for content assignments and tasks. In some cases, you might not want to assign the same content to all devices in a folder. Or, you might want to assign the same content to one or more devices in different folders. To do so, you can add the devices to a group (regardless of which folders contain the devices) and then assign the content to the group.

For example, let’s revisit the example of the workstations at three different sites (see Folders). Assume that some of the workstations at each site need the same accounting software. Because groups can be assigned software, you could create an Accounting group, add the target workstations to the group, and then assign the appropriate accounting software to the group.

The advantage to making an assignment to a group or performing a task on a group is that all devices contained in that group receive the assignment or task, yet you only need to make the assignment or perform the task one time. In addition, a device can belong to any number of unique groups, and the assignments from multiple groups are additive. For example, if you add a device to group A and B, it inherits the content assigned to both groups.

ZENworks provides both groups and dynamic groups. From the perspective of content assignments, groups and dynamic groups function exactly the same. The only difference between the two types of groups is the way that devices are added to the group. With a group, you must manually add devices. With a dynamic group, you define criteria that a device must meet to be a member of the group, and then devices that meet the criteria are automatically added.

ZENworks include several predefined dynamic server groups (Windows 2000 Servers, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008) and dynamic workstation groups (Windows XP Workstation, Windows 2000 Workstation, and Windows Vista Workstations). Any devices that have these operating systems are automatically added to the appropriate dynamic group.

Creating a Group

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click the Devices tab.

  2. If you want to create a group for servers, click the Servers folder.

    or

    If you want to create a group for workstations, click the Workstations folder.

  3. Click New > Server Group (or New > Workstation Group for workstations) to launch the Create New Group Wizard.

  4. On the Basic Information page, type a name for the new group in the Group Name field, then click Next.

    The group name must follow the naming conventions.

  5. On the Summary page, click Finish to create the group without adding members.

    or

    Click Next if you want to add members to the group, then continue with the next steps.

  6. On the Add Group Members page, click Add to add devices to the group, then click Next when finished adding devices.

  7. On the Summary page, click Finish to create the group.

Creating a Dynamic Group

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click the Devices tab.

  2. If you want to create a group for servers, click the Servers folder.

    or

    If you want to create a group for workstations, click the Workstations folder.

  3. Click New > Dynamic Server Group (or New > Dynamic Workstation Group for workstations) to launch the Create New Group Wizard.

  4. On the Basic Information page, type a name for the new group in the Group Name field, then click Next.

    The group name must follow the naming conventions.

  5. On the Define Filter for Group Members page, define the criteria that a device must meet to become a member of the group, then click Next. Click the Help button for details about creating the criteria.

  6. On the Summary page, click Finish to create the group.

Where to Find More Information

For more information about using folders and groups to organize devices, see the ZENworks 10 Configuration Management System Administration Reference.

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