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Console Operator's Guide
Learn how to work with the BigFix Console.
Sites
Selecting Sites
Upon installation, the program is automatically set up to subscribe to certain management and maintenance sites.
Subscribing with a Masthead
To subscribe to a site using a masthead file, follow these steps.

Console Operator's Guide
Learn how to work with the BigFix Console.
- Accessing the console
  The console is the visible face of BigFix, used by the operator to monitor and repair networked computers running the BigFix client.
- Fixlets and Tasks
- Actions
  Actions are scripts that run on selected targets. They are used to fix policy violation and security exposures and to run configuration steps. Fixlet, tasks, and baselines depend on actions to run their remediation mission.
- Sites
  - Introducing Sites
    Sites are collections of Fixlet messages that are created internally by you, by HCL, or by other vendors. You subscribe to a Site and agree on a schedule for downloading the latest batch of Fixlet messages.
  - Selecting Sites
    Upon installation, the program is automatically set up to subscribe to certain management and maintenance sites.
    - Subscribing with a Masthead
      To subscribe to a site using a masthead file, follow these steps.
    - Subscribing with the Licensing Dashboard
      You can also subscribe to a Fixlet Site by using the Licensing Dashboard in BigFix Management.
  - Viewing Site Properties
    After initiating a subscription, you can inspect its properties and signing authorities.
  - Restricting Computers
    There might be occasions where a BigFix Client or a group of Clients is storing redundant Fixlet messages, typically due to an overlap in site content.
  - Restricting Readers
    Restrictions can be placed on Sites to limit access.
  - Creating Custom Sites
    You can create a Custom Site to host your own Fixlet messages that are pertinent to your network.
  - Canceling a Subscription
    You can try out different Site subscriptions for your organization, because no actions are ever taken without your approval.
  - Adding Files to Sites
    You can add files to a Site. These can be as simple as text and utility files or as powerful as Dashboards and Domains.
  - Viewing and Deleting Site Files
    After adding files to a site as described in Adding Files to Sites, you can view or delete these files.
- Domains
- Roles
- Client Computers
- Computer Groups
- Analyses
- Baselines
- Relays and Servers
- Activating the license counting process
  How to activate the license counting process.
- Displays and Reports
- Menus
- The Dialogs
- Disabling local operators on BigFix Console
  Starting from BigFix Version 10.0.8, you can decide to disable the local operators from logging into the BigFix Console, to use LDAP operators instead.

Subscribing with a Masthead

To subscribe to a site using a masthead file, follow these steps.

First, find an appropriate Site masthead file, which has an extension of .efxm. There are several ways to do this:
- Fixlet Sites: HCL might post links list to new Sites as they become available.
- Fixlet Subscriptions: Sometimes a Fixlet message might offer a subscription. Just click the Fixlet action to initiate the subscription.
- Download Mastheads: You can also subscribe to a Site by downloading a masthead file from a vendor's website.
When the masthead is saved to your computer, you can activate it in one of two ways.
- Double-click the masthead, or
- Select Add External Site Masthead from the Tools menu, browse to the folder containing the masthead, and click Open.
You are prompted for your private key password. Type it in and click OK.

The masthead is propagated to all Clients, which immediately begin to evaluate the Fixlet messages from the new site.