Fixlets

Fixlet Explorer enables users to view and manage Fixlets, which are sets of instructions for the BigFix agent to execute on devices. Users can filter and deploy Fixlets, access detailed information on CVEs, and navigate through a data table displaying relevant Fixlet details.

BigFix data is based upon Fixlets. A fixlet is a set of instructions that the BigFix agent executes on an enrolled or onboarded device. Examples include updating installed software, remediating particular CVEs, or removing malware. These are only a very small sample of BigFix’s capabilities. BigFix customers benefit from end-to-end security, protection, monitoring, and management delivered through this out-of-the-box content.

Besides using out-of-the-box content, you can create your own custom Fixlets with your own detection rules and actions. For more information, see Managing custom Fixlets.

Fixlets are lines of code that contain instructions to perform a set of actions on relevant devices. A Fixlet will also define what those actions are and specify the criteria that determine whether those actions are relevant for a specific device.

After installation, BigFix agents continuously evaluate the relevance criteria on the enrolled device. They then determine whether a Fixlet is relevant to that device, e.g., whether it is relevant or not.

Before you begin

Access to this application is controlled by the role that your administrator assigns to you. If your role does not grant the application, it does not appear in the side navigation, and the actions described in this topic are unavailable or dimmed.

  • Your role must grant access to this application. Fixlet Explorer is a default application, so every role has at least view access to it. See Managing Roles.
  • Your role also defines the sites and devices that you can work with, which determines the Fixlets that you see. See Managing Roles.
  • Your operator permissions determine which actions you can complete, such as deploying a Fixlet or creating custom content. For a description of each permission, see Permissions reference.

Fixlet Explorer – Overview

The Fixlet Explorer – Overview page provides a consolidated view of all Fixlets in your BigFix environment. At a glance, you can see the patch landscape through summary pallets and detailed charts. From here, you can also drill down into individual Fixlets, view their details, and deploy them directly.

To access the Fixlet Explorer app, expand Explore from the side navigation, and then select Fixlets.

The Overview page is organized into three main areas to help you manage your inventory:

View and utility bar:

Located at the top right, this bar contains Export report icon to manage the overall page. Also, you can toggle between the List view and Chart view.

Quick links:

The Quick links section presents key Fixlet counts as clickable tiles — total, applicable, CVE-related, high-severity, and recently released Fixlets — each linking to the matching filtered list.

  • Total Fixlets – Displays the total number of Fixlets available in the environment.
  • Fixlets applicable to one or more devices – Shows the number of Fixlets that apply to at least one device.
  • Applicable Fixlets that address at least one vulnerability (CVE) – Displays the number of applicable Fixlets associated with one or more CVEs.
  • Applicable High Severity Fixlets – Shows the number of applicable Fixlets with high severity.
  • Relevant Fixlets released in the past 7 days – Displays recently released Fixlets from the last 7 days.
  • Relevant Fixlets released in the past 30 days – Displays recently released Fixlets from the last 30 days.

Charts:

The Charts section gives visual summaries of applicable Fixlets — by severity, category, and source — and each chart can show its data as a table you can copy or export.

  • Applicable Fixlets by severity (top 4 by count) – Shows applicable Fixlets grouped by severity levels such as Critical, High, Medium, and Low.
  • Applicable Fixlet categories (top 5 by count) – Displays the top five Fixlet categories based on the number of applicable Fixlets.
  • Applicable Fixlets by source (top 5 by count) – Shows the top Fixlet sources or vendors that contribute the most applicable Fixlets.
    Note:
    Each chart has an icon in its top-right corner that opens the chart's data as a table, with options to copy or export it. For more information, see Viewing chart data in a table.

Fixlet Explorer – List View

The Fixlet Explorer – List View page displays Fixlets in a tabular format, allowing you to review, filter, and manage Fixlets from a single location. This view is designed to help administrators quickly identify Fixlets, examine their properties, and create charts for visual analysis.

The page is organized into four main areas to help you manage your inventory:

  • View and utility bar: Located at the top right, this bar contains Export report, Prescriptive Guidance, Filter, and Manage report tools to manage the overall page. Also, you can toggle between the List view and Chart view.
  • Charts section: Use this collapsible area to create and view visual data summaries.
  • Device list table: The table displays the available Fixlets in a customizable grid.
  • Command bar: The command bar is located directly above the Fixlet list. It contains tools to act on selected Fixlets.

View and utility bar

Located at the top right of the Fixlet explorer - List view page, this bar contains buttons that manage the overall display and reporting features.

  • Prescriptive Guidance (three vertical dots) provides actionable recommendations to users based on best practices, industry standards, and specific organizational policies. For detailed steps, see Prescriptive Guidance.
  • Export report (three vertical dots): this export data option used to download tabular report information from list view pages for offline analysis or record-keeping. For detailed steps to export report, see Common functionalities.
  • The Filter icon brings up the filter sidebar. In this sidebar, users can narrow down the displayed Fixlets using a variety of parameters. You can also save a filter, mark it as a favourite, and apply it again later. For more information, see Global filter.

  • Create Fixlet: Select the Create Fixlet icon (+ icon) to open the Create fixlet wizard and create a custom Fixlet. For more information, see Managing custom Fixlets.

  • The Manage Reports feature allows users to save, load, and organize custom reports generated within the BigFix UI. For detailed steps, see Manage Reports.

Filter

The Filter icon (funnel) in the view and utility bar opens the global filter for the page. The global filter narrows the Fixlet table to the Fixlets that match the conditions you define, and it also drives the chart interactions described in Filtering Fixlets from a chart.

You can save the filters that you build, so that you can reuse them without defining the same conditions again. From the Filter panel, you can save a filter under a name of your choice, list your saved filters, mark the ones you use most as favourites, apply a saved filter to the current view, and delete the filters that you no longer need. Saved filters are private to your account, and the filters that you save here apply to Fixlets only.

For the steps to build, save, apply, and manage your filters, see Global filter.

Charts

The collapsible Charts section creates visual summaries of Fixlet data. You can define charts based on properties such as Source Severity, Category, or Source Release Date to identify high-priority vulnerabilities at a glance. For the steps to create a chart and to edit, delete, or export the charts you build, see Configuring and managing Fixlet charts.

Charts are interactive and work together with the Global Filter and the Fixlet table. For the steps to filter the Fixlet table from a chart, see Filtering Fixlets from a chart.

Fixlet List table

When accessing the Fixlet Explorer app, a data table with 100 Fixlets is displayed. Click More button to display more fixlets.

There can be thousands of Fixlets relevant to the devices associated with an account. The design focuses on filtering to enable customers to explore the Fixlets relevant to their account and specific associated devices.

Columns in the List View data table:

Table 1. Columns in the Fixlet Explorer – List View data table
Column Description
Name The title of the Fixlet. The name is a link; select it to open the Fixlet detail page. This is the primary column and is always shown.
Category The classification of the Fixlet, such as Update, Security Update, or Configuration.
CVE The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifiers associated with the Fixlet. Each CVE ID is a link to its vulnerability details.
Deployed Action Count The number of deployed actions that originate from this Fixlet.
Download Size The size of the patch or update file associated with the Fixlet.
ID The unique numeric identifier assigned to the Fixlet.
Open Action Count The number of currently open, active actions for this Fixlet.
Progress The remediation progress for the Fixlet across its relevant devices.
Relevant Devices Count The number of devices for which the Fixlet is currently relevant.
Remediated Devices Count The number of relevant devices on which the Fixlet has been successfully applied.
SANS The SANS security classification associated with the Fixlet.
Site Name The name of the site that provides the Fixlet.
Source The origin or vendor of the Fixlet, such as Microsoft, HCL, or BigFix.
Source ID The vendor-specific reference identifier for the Fixlet.
Source Release Date The date the Fixlet was released by its source.
Source Severity The severity level assigned by the source, such as Critical, Important, or Unspecified.
Tags The tags assigned to the Fixlet. Shows the tag name when one tag is assigned, a count link (for example, 2 tags) when more than one tag is assigned, or No data when no tag is assigned. Select a count link to open the tag drawer, where you can select one or more tags and remove them. After you remove tags, the drawer closes and the table refreshes automatically. For more information, see Managing Tags.
Type The Fixlet type or content type.
Unlocked Devices Count The number of unlocked devices among those relevant to the Fixlet.

Working with the Fixlet List Table

  • The Fixlet Data table only shows a summary of the Fixlet. Click on the Fixlet name to bring up a more focused Fixlet detail page with additional details for the Fixlet. For more information, see Fixlet Explorer Details page.
  • Select Fixlets: Select the checkbox next to a Fixlet name to prepare it for deployment. For more information, see Deploying Fixlets.
  • Sort fixlet list: Each column in the fixlet list table includes a Sort icon (double arrows) that allows you to organize your data alphabetically or numerically. for more information, see Sorting Data.
  • Column: Use the column chooser to choose which columns appear in the Fixlet list view and in what combination, showing up to 16 columns at a time. For more information, see Columns.
  • Density: Use the density control to set the row spacing of the Fixlet list view — Compact, Standard, or Comfortable. For more information, see Density.

Working with Fixlet List table Command bar

The command bar is located directly above the Fixlet list. It contains tools to act on selected Fixlets:

  • Deploy: Select this button to start the deployment process for the selected Fixlets. This button is disabled until you select at least one Fixlet. For users whose local administrators have not granted deployment rights, the Deploy button may remain permanently disabled.

    • The number of Fixlets that have been selected in the data table. The Deploy button brings up the deployment menu, which enables users to turn Fixlets into deployments that will be run on relevant devices. Users must select Fixlets by checking the box next to the Fixlet name in order to access the deployment menu. For detailed steps, see Deploying Fixlets.

  • Select action: Choose a bulk action to run on the Fixlets that you selected. Select Manage tags to open the Manage tags drawer, where you choose or create the tags to apply. The drawer footer confirms how many Fixlets receive the tags, for example 4 Fixlets selected. This list is unavailable until you select at least one Fixlet. When the assignment finishes, the drawer closes and the table reloads automatically. For the full procedure, see Assigning tags to Fixlets in bulk.

  • Search: Enter keywords, such as a Fixlet name, ID, or CVE number, into the Search box to filter the list in real time.