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Automation Policies in NS7- Assign Computer to Organizational Group

Updated: 07 May 2010 | 12 comments
powellbc's picture
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This issue has been solved. See solution.

Note: This is cross posted in the Notification Server forum as well.

We are in the planning stages of a migration from NS6 to NS7. We currently have a large number of collections and secured collections which separate out our environment by department or division. Support is decentralized, with local support for each area. Since collections have become filters and have a narrower focus, we want to utilize organizational groups as the product is designed. The weakness I am seeing is that Organizational Groups seem to be managed by hand only. We are in the midst of a migration to Windows networking aservices from Novell and as such about half of our machines are joined to the AD, so we cannot rely on our AD OU structure either.

So, in order to populate our groups I want to utilize an Automation Policy to assign computers to a specific Org Group. My thinking is I can configure a rule as follows:

Looking at this particular policy, it appears I should be able to do the following:


  • Data Source: Use a resource query to find the machines I want
  • Conditions: set none, but leave at "Run for non empty data"
  • Actions: Run task assign computers to XXX Organizational group (I customized the task for the Org Group I wanted).

To me this means I should be able to use step one as an input, with those resources inserted into the org group. Is this correct? The hang up appears to be in the "Assign to Org Group" task, specifically the "Must only contain/Must at least contain" radio button. This seems to prevent the query in the automation rule from working.

Clearly I am missing something here. Has anyone tried this?

Bryan 

Comments

powellbc's picture
13
Jul
2009
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It turns out there is a KB which addresses this.

 It turns out there is a KB which addresses this.  It can be found here: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=44970&p=1

The part that was tripping me up was covered in steps 25-28

jessek's picture
15
Jul
2009
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I would like to do exactly

I would like to do exactly what that KB article shows, but I'm confused about step 15.
 
"On the server’s desktop there is a text file called query.txt. Open this file and copy the query from the text file into the Parameterized Query Pane."

Where is the text file that this article is talking about?

Jesse Kozikowski
Aspirus, Inc.

jharings's picture
15
Jul
2009
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Unless you need Nicholas Cage to find it

I don't see it either. I submited detailed feedback on the article asking just that question.

Jim Harings
HP Enterprise Services
1st Rule of Connect Club: Mark the post that helped you the most as a 'solution'. 2nd Rule of Connect Club:You must talk about Connect club.

powellbc's picture
16
Jul
2009
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I did not think to mention

I did not think to mention that step which refers to the query.txt file.  It seems a like a holdover from a class exercise or something similar.

Instead of copying and pasting, create your own query using the builder (In  step 12, choose "Resource Query" instead of Raw SQL).  If you are only importing computers, I recommend changing the base query in the query tab to Computers (highlight Base Query in the left pane list and then in the right pane choose computer from Base Resource Type).  You can then use the filter Expressions tab to set your query filter(s).  Here are some pictures.

imagebrowser image

imagebrowser image

You can then click the results tab to see if your query is working as you expect.  Hope this helps.

jessek's picture
25
Jul
2009
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I just do not get it

I created collections like this in NS 6 all the time and I thought it was simple, but here I am in NS 7 and every attempt to create a resource query for a subnet fails.  As in the screenshots above I am changing my Base Query to Computer, and I go to "Add Fields & DataClass Attributes" and select AeX AC TCPIP Subnet.  That puts the AeX AC TCPIP database on the query tab, and adds the Subnet field to the Fields tab.  Then I go to Filter Expressions and add [AeX AC TCPIP].[Subnet] Like 10.100.%.  When I click on Results I get a message that says "Resource Query is invalid: Failed to run the Resource Query as a DataSource."

I have yet to build a working query using the new query builder, and I'm feeling like I don't have the smarts to use it.

Jesse Kozikowski
Aspirus, Inc.

jessek's picture
25
Jul
2009
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Well, I just got one working

Well, I just got one working with the AddRemovePrograms data class and the Display Name field.  Still, I don't understand why I can get subnets to work.

Jesse Kozikowski
Aspirus, Inc.

powellbc's picture
26
Jul
2009
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 They updated the KB

 They updated the KB referenced above, you may want to check it out.

jessek's picture
26
Jul
2009
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Doesn't really help

Line 15 has been updated to say "Put a query that returns the resources you want to add to the organizational group into the Parameterized Query Pane."  While that is certainly accurate, I don't have a query that works.  I'll probably just work out the raw SQL, as the query builder isn't working for me in this instance.

I don't want to make a big deal out of it; it's really not.  I use Organization Views and Groups now more than I ever did collections based on subnet.

Jesse Kozikowski
Aspirus, Inc.

BobSha's picture
12
Mar
2010
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Anyone have an example of

Anyone have an example of this for Step #15

SonicGT's picture
04
May
2010
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Works for me, but does anyone

Works for me, but does anyone have a query for subnet with subnet mask tha can be done, or based off of sites and subnets?  For example I want to cover all machines that reside in a subnet/mask that is 10.4.3.0 with a mask of 255.255.254.0

Shane Faber's picture
07
May
2010
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Use this query

I have a client who thinks the new Query Builder is this dificult to use on purpose... ummmm.
Here's a simple query that is pretty easy to work with.

USE symantec_cmdb
SELECT
vc.guid,
vc.name
FROM vComputer vc
WHERE
vc.[ip address] LIKE '159.3.68.%'

If there are multiple subnets- try adding this to the WHERE clause:

WHERE
vc.[ip address] LIKE '159.3.68.%'
OR
vc.[ip address] LIKE '159.3.69.%'

For subnet/mask you'll need to join the Aex_AC_TCPIP table to the query, something like this:

USE symantec_cmdb
SELECT
vc.guid,
vc.name
FROM vComputer vc
JOIN Inv_Aex_AC_TCPIP ip
   ON vc.guid = ip._ResourceGuid
WHERE
ip.subnet = '10.4.3.0'
AND
ip.[subnet mask] = '255.255.254.0'

jharings's picture
07
May
2010
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Thanks Shane.

I closing this thread, it's getting older than Kyle's birthday cake.

Jim Harings
HP Enterprise Services
1st Rule of Connect Club: Mark the post that helped you the most as a 'solution'. 2nd Rule of Connect Club:You must talk about Connect club.