Lesson 2: Creating computer groups that define the scope of reports

Available from 9.2.2. To manage software and generate audit snapshots for subsets of computers, divide the computers in your infrastructure into groups in BigFix Inventory.

Before you begin

If you created computer groups in the BigFix console, run an import to ensure that information about these groups is available in BigFix Inventory.

Procedure

  1. Log in to BigFix Inventory.
  2. Create a computer group that contains all computers that are in the first BigFix subcapacity region: North and South America.
    1. In the top navigation bar, click Management > Computer Groups.
    2. To create a computer group, click New.
    3. Provide the name of the computer group.
      Americas.
    4. Optional: Provide a description of the computer group.
    5. Specify criteria that must be met by the computers that belong to this group.
      To reuse the computer group that you created in the BigFix console, select Data Source Groups, in set, and select the proper BigFix computer group. In this case, select Americas.

      Create Computer Groups window
    6. 9.2.8 From the Type section, select Reporting.
    7. Select Enable license usage calculations to calculate utilization in this computer group.
    8. Specify the number of days for which the data is to be calculated.This number defines the default period for which the data that is show on the All Metrics report is calculated and up-to-date.
      This number defines the default period for which the data that is show on the All Metrics report is calculated and up-to-date.


      For example, when you set the value to 30 days, and then display a report for the last 90 days, the report shows the following data:
      • If you display the report for a newly created computer group, the report shows values for the last 30 days and is empty for the rest of the period.
      • If you display the report for an existing group, the values might be outdated.
      In both cases, recalculate the data.
    9. To save the group, click Create.
  3. Create computer groups for the remaining BigFix subcapacity regions in which you have computers.
  4. Optional: If you do not need a collective snapshot for all computers, but separate audit snapshots for each computer group, open the All Computers group, and clear PVU and RVU MAPC. Then, click Save.
    Important: Perform this step if you are creating computer groups to report PVU usage for BigFix software that is installed in multiple IBM subcapacity regions. If you choose to calculate subcapacity data for the All Computers group, see: BigFix subcapacity regions to understand what is the difference between reports generated for each region separately and the report generated for the All Computers group.

    Do not perform this step if you are creating computer groups to manage software that is installed in multiple business units. When you do not calculate subcapacity data for the All Computers group, you will not be able to generate audit snapshots for the entire environment.

  5. To make the computer groups available in BigFix Inventory, wait for the scheduled import or run it manually.
  6. Optional: If software in each computer group is managed by a separate person, create dedicated users, each with access to one computer group.

    Users who are dedicated for the computer groups.

Results

You created computer groups for which you can manage software and generate audit snapshots and dedicated users who can access these groups.