Symantec Management Platform (Notification Server)

On my Altiris 6 server, I had cloned the original collection for all machines that didn't have the Altiris Agent and modified the SQL code to exclude specific computer names and those with wildcards.  What's the best way for me to replicate this same behavior on my new SMP 7.1 server?  Need to avoid installing the agent on some mission-critical machines.  Thanks!

Clint

You can modify the target.

1. Go to Settings > Agents/Plug-ins > Symantec Management Agent > Settings > Symantec Management Agent Install
2. Within the Scheduled Push to Computers area, highlight the current target and click the Edit (pencil) icon.  The default target is the Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008/7 Computers with no Symantec Management Agent Installed filter.
3. Use the target builder to modify the policy as necessary.  I would leave the current base and add/subtract from it.

For example, let's say you wanted to install to all Windows computers that the NS knows about that don't have the SMA installed, only those in Texas, except for all systems in Dallas, except for Windows Servers, but you do want to install it on TestServer-1 and TestServer-2:

1. Add rule, 'exclude all resources not in' 'Organizational Group' 'Texas' (assumes you have an AD import with a structure like United States, Texas, and then stuff like Dallas/Houston/Austin/San Antonio/Galveston).
2. Click Update Results to ensure you see the results you expected at this stage.
3. Add rule, 'exclude resources in' 'Organizational Group' 'Dallas'
4. Update results and check.
5. Add rule, 'exclude resources in' 'Filter' 'Windows Servers'
6. Update results and check.
7. Add rule, 'include computers in' 'Resource list' 'TestServer-1'
8. Update results and check.
9. Add rule, 'include computers in' 'Resource list' 'TestServer-2'
10. Update results and check.
11. Save changes

Does this make sense?  The target starts with ALL computers, and then you exclude from there.  So we started with everyone, excluded anyone who was not in 'Windows Computers with no Symantec Management Agent Installed.'  At this point all Windows PCs known to the NS appear except for those with the SMA installed, typically defined by IsManaged=1 in the database.  Then we excluded anybody not in the Texas organizational group, so we're left with Windows Computers with no Symantec Management Agent who are in Texas.  Then the next rule adds on to this sentence to say "but not those in Dallas."  And then the next rule says "And no servers."  Finally, you include a few things manually: "But I do want to specifically test on TestServer-1 and TestServer-2, even though they're Windows Servers in our Dallas data center."

Does this answer your question?  Maybe more than you needed to know, but I figure if you're rolling out agents, you're probably new to filters and policies as well.