Dividing computers between servers

Available since 9.2.1. Divide your computers between two servers by specifying unique computer settings. Based on these settings, the servers choose specific computers to import the data from. As a result, each of your servers manages a separate group of computers. Plan the division, and then mark your computers as either BFI1 or BFI2.

About this task

This procedure shows only one way of dividing your computers between two servers. You can specify also other settings, or use relevance expressions to divide the computers according to their operating systems, computer groups, or any custom criteria. For more information about creating properties and analyses that are required to retrieve them, see Creating retrieved properties and Creating analyses.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the BigFix console.
  2. Add new computer settings to your computers. Based on these settings, your computers are divided between two instances of BigFix Inventory.
    1. In the navigation tree, click Computers.
    2. Select a group of computers that you want to add to one of the servers.
    3. Right-click these computers, and then click Edit Computer Settings.
    4. Select the Custom Setting check box, and enter the following values:

      Setting Name: Instance
      Setting Value: BFI1 or BFI2

      The value, BFI1 or BFI2, depends on the instance that you want to add a specific computer to. Specify BFI1 for a group of computers, and BFI2 for another group.

    5. Click OK to save the setting. Repeat the preceding steps until all your computers have a value BFI1 or BFI2 specified.
  3. Create a custom analysis to retrieve the specified settings from your computers.
    1. To create an analysis, click Tools > Create New Analysis.
    2. Specify the name as Instance Assignment.
    3. Click the Properties tab, and then click Add Property.
    4. Specify the name of the property as Instance.
    5. In the relevance field, enter the following string: 
      value of setting "Instance" of client|""

      This relevance expression returns the value of the setting Instance that you added to your computers. It can return either BFI1 or BFI2.

    6. Click OK to save the analysis. The analysis is added to your Master Action Site.
  4. Verify that the analysis is returning correct values.
    1. Click Sites > Master Action Site.
    2. Select your custom Instance Assignment analysis.
    3. Click the Results tab. The analysis shows a property called Instance, which returns either BFI1 or BFI2. If you did not set this property for some computers, the value is empty.

Results

You divided your computers based on specific computer settings. You can now modify the data import settings in both instances of BigFix Inventory to specify whether the servers should import data about either BFI1 or BFI2 computers.