Table of Contents
Action Filters
Empirum Action Filters are filters on whose elements (computers, handhelds, unknown devices) specific actions can be executed at definable intervals.
The service Empirum Policy is responsible for executing Empirum Action Filters. This service continually checks whether a programmed action is to be executed. The service writes the tasks in the table of the Empirum database for the EAI (Empirum Automation Interface) and the EAI executes the action.
Four Empirum Action Filters are available which you can use for one filter.
Empirum Action Filters cannot be applied to standard filters!
It's only possible to create Empirum Action filter with the policy EMP_M_DYNFILTER.
If a user create a custom filter, the administrator with the right EMP_M_DYNFILTER can change this filter to a action filter. The user has no possibility to change his filter. To work with the filter, he must save the filter under a new name.
Alarm for New Filter Devices
Example: You wish to receive an alarm notification when new devices appear in the filter.
For this action, there is a Filter category at the alarm management; it contains two entries, Computers and Miscellaneous Devices.
The user must define the type of alarm in Alarm Management.
Only the time of the alarm is defined the actual Empirum Action Filter.
How to configure the action filter:
- Right-click a filter, which you have created. Click Filter Actions... in the context menu.
The filter actions you create will be displayed in the Filter Actions window.
- Clicking on the New and then Edit buttons starts the Empirum Action Filter Wizard for creating or amending a new Empirum Action Filter.
- Enter a Name and a Description for the action.
- Click on Next.
- Select the Empirum Action type Alarm.
You also have the option of only executing this filter on new devices that meet the filter criteria.
Select the optional check box Only for new devices. As a further option you can choose to execute this filter on all current devices in your filter on first execution or after making changes to the filter. To do so, select the check box Include all devices on first execution. - Confirm the Empirum Action Filter Wizard window by clicking on Next.
- Now you can specify the time / schedule for your alarm.
- Confirm the Scheduler dialog with OK.
After you have entered all of the settings, these are displayed for you as a summary so that you can check them once more.
- Clicking on Finish accepts all the data in the summary window.
- Clicking on OK confirms that the data is to be written to the database.
How to Change an Empirum Action Filter?
To do this, select the relevant item in the summary window and then click on Edit.
The Empirum Action Filter Wizard is started again and you can make any necessary changes.
How to Delete an Empirum Action Filter?
To delete an Empirum Action Filter, select the relevant item and click on Delete. A popup window will appear to warn you that the selected Empirum Action Filter will now be deleted. To confirm, click on Yes.
The Empirum Action Filter is now deleted from the summary window and the database.
Software Distribution via Configuration/Assignment groups
Example: You want to assign software automatically to specific devices. The previous method (dragging & dropping software in a filter) now occurs automatically through the Empirum Action Filter at a specified time (or interval).
If filters and configuration/assignment groups have the same name, the configuration properties of the action filter are also applied to the configuration/assignment group.
To assigned computers, software is added under Software Packages in their respective configuration/assignment group.
How to configure the action filter:
- Click New in the Filter Actions overview.
- Enter a Name and Description for the action.
- Confirm the dialog window by clicking on Next.
- Select the Empirum Action Filter for software distribution via configuration/assignment groups.
You also have the option of only executing this filter on new devices which meet the filter criteria. - Select the optional check box Only for new devices. As a further option you can choose to execute this filter on all current devices in your filter on first execution or after making changes to the filter. For this, select the check box Include all devices on first execution.
- Click on Next to carry out the software distribution.
The next window displays the software selection, from which you can choose software and assign it to your new devices.
You can also choose to activate the software. - Confirm the dialog window by clicking on Next.
- To set the activation, click on PULL via DDS / DDC. As an additional, option you can enable Wake on LAN functionality through the check box Use WOL.
When using WOL in the offline case, activation via the Matrix42 Management Console can be used.
Starting with Empirum version v22.0.1, the WakeOnLan service has been extended to send the "Magic Packet" to all existing network cards.
A "Directed Broadcast" is sent if the IP address and the subnet mask are known in addition to the MAC address. If only the MAC address is known, a broadcast is sent to the subnet 255.255.255.255.
The following requirements must be met for WOL to be functional in the offline case:
1. The installation server must be entered directly on the client to be woken up (Properties > Empirum Server > Assigned Empirum Servers).
2. In the status of the client to be woken up (right mouse button > Show Status), at least one package is displayed in yellow.
3. When activating via the EMC in the middle tree, "Create operating system configuration (Os.ini)" must also be activated.
4. WOL must be enabled in the Bios / EFI setup.
- Confirm the settings by clicking on Next.
Under Distribution options you can specify the type of distribution.
- Click on Next.
- Specify the time / schedule for when the activation is to take place as described above.
- After you have entered all of the settings, these are displayed for you as a summary so that you can check them.
- Clicking on Finish writes the data to the database.
Assigning Non-Assigned Computers to a Configuration/Assignment Group
Example: You wish to assign unassigned computers automatically to a configuration/assignment group. Newly discovered devices which match the filter can then have software installed on them automatically.
For this Empirum Action Filter, a configuration/assignment group must have been created beforehand in the administration menu.
To configure the action filter:
- Click New in the Filter Actions overview window.
- Enter a Name and Description for this action.
- Confirm the dialog window by clicking on Next.
- Select the Empirum Action Filter Assign non-assigned computers to a configuration/assignment group.
You also have the option of only executing this filter on new devices which meet the filter criteria.
Select the optional check box Only for new devices. As a further option you can choose to execute this filter on all current devices in your filter on first execution or after making changes to the filter. To do this, select the check box Include all devices on first execution. - Confirm the Action Filter Wizard window by clicking on Next.
- In the next window select your configuration/assignment group.
Additionally, you have the option of activating the configuration/assignment group at the same time using the Activate option. - To carry out the activation, you have to select the activation command in the next step.
- In this case select PULL via DDS / DDC. As a further option you can also assign the Wake on LAN command.
In this procedure, the option Operating System (Os.ini and/or PXE) can also be enabled. - Confirm the dialog by clicking on Next.
- Specify the time / schedule for when the activation is to take place as described above.
- After you have entered all of the settings, these are displayed for you as a summary so that you can check them once more.
- Clicking on Finish confirms the settings and displays the data in a summary window.