Auto-Configurators

An Auto-Configurator is a configurable object that automatically configures servers and workstations found in Active Directory. Auto-Configurators are used by network administrators to:

• Assign the same set of Templates and Reports to multiple machines.
• Re-assign a new set of Templates and Reports to multiple machines previously configured.
• Remove de-commissioned machines no longer found in Active Directory from the software while continuing to maintain logs in the Log Database.

How it works:

Auto-Configurators can be run on demand or they can be scheduled. Once triggered to execute, an Auto-Configurator connects to an Active Directory Organizational Unit. Once connected, the OU is scanned. For each host that is discovered, the host is filtered, then added to Server Manager. The host can be added to multiple Host Groups, Template Groups and Report Groups. Once added to the configured groups, configured Templates and Reports are directly assigned to the host.

Optionally, de-commissioned machines can be removed from the software. When a host is added by the Auto-Configurator, the Auto-Configurator responsible for adding the host is linked to the host. Later, if the host cannot be found in the OU, the host is removed from the software.

When hosts are moved from the software, saved log entries and file backups are left intact for compliance and are NOT deleted.

How to create a new Auto-Configurator

• From the Menu Bar, select File | New. The Create New Object View displays.
• From the Create New Object View, select Auto-Configurator. The New Auto-Configurator View displays.
• The Auto-Configurator Properties view contains 4 tabs.
  • General
  • Options
  • Assignments
  • Actions

The Options Tab

• Use the Path controls to select the Directory Service and Organizational Unit to scan. Click the Browse button to browse your Directory Service connections then select the target OU.
• Use the Recursively scan check box to recursively scan the OU.
• Use the Manage hosts drop-down to select an Active Directory Filter. Once selected, hosts that pass through the filter are added to the software while hosts that do not pass through the filter are ignored.
• Use the Remove hosts check box to remove hosts that do not pass the filter or are not found in the OU.

  Hosts are only removed that were previously added by this Auto-Configurator

• Use the Append the following domain text box to append a domain name to each newly discovered host's name (e.g. yourdomain.com).

The Assignments Tab

• Use the Ignore the following hosts drop-down to blacklist and ignore specific hosts.
• Use the Host Groups drop-down to select the host groups you would like to assign each host.
• Use the Template Groups drop-down to select the template groups you would like to assign each host.
• Use the Report Groups drop-down to select the report groups you would like to assign each host.
• Use the Templates drop-down to select the templates you would like to assign each host.
• Use the Reports drop-down to select the templates you would like to assign each host.

How to un-associate a host with an Auto-Configurator

• From the Explorer View, expand the root Hosts node then navigate through the tree to the target host.
• Right click on the target host then select Host Properties. The Host Properties View displays.
• From the Host Properties View, select General Tab then de-select the Is managed by Auto-Configurator check box.

  Once no longer managed by the Auto-Configurator, the Auto-Configurator will ignore this host neither adding nor removing assignments.

Related Topics

Adding Hosts

Assignments

Directory Services

Filters

Reports

Templates