Lesson 1 (Optional): Creating a site, a computer group, and an operator dedicated to each customer

Available from 9.2.2. If you grant your customers access to the BigFix console to allow them to run scans and perform other actions on computers, create a site, a computer group, and an operator that is dedicated to each customer. Then, provide the customer with credentials for the dedicated operator. This way, you ensure that each customer has access only to computers on which the software that he uses is installed.

About this task

Important: This lesson is optional. If you do not grant you customers access to the BigFix console, you can skip this entire lesson and move to the next one. You can also create only computer groups to facilitate infrastructure and scan management as described in step 3. However, it is also optional.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the BigFix console.
  2. Create a custom site that is dedicated to Bank ABC.
    1. In the top navigation bar, click Tools > Create Custom Site.
    2. Provide the name of the custom site. For example, Bank ABC. Then, click OK.
    3. Optional: On the Details tab, provide the description of the site.
    4. On the Computer Subscriptions tab, select Computers which match the condition below. Specify the condition that must be met by the computers that belong to this group.
      For example, choose all computers whose subnet address contains a particular string.

      Computer Subscriptions tab
    5. Click Save Changes.
  3. Create a computer group that contains the same computers as the site that you created in the previous step.
    1. In the top navigation bar, click Tools > Create New Automatic Computer Group.
    2. Provide the name of the computer group.
      For example, Bank ABC.
    3. From the Create in site drop-down list, select the site that you created in the previous step. In this case, select Bank ABC.
    4. Specify criteria that must be met by the computers that belong to this group. Choose the same criteria that you specified when you were creating the custom site.

      Create Automatic Computer Group window
    5. Click Create.
  4. Create a BigFix operator that is dedicated to Bank ABC. The operator has access only to computers on which the software that is used by this customer is installed.
    1. In the top navigation bar, click Tools > Create Operator.
    2. Provide the user name.
      For example, Bank ABC.
    3. Provide a password and confirm it. Then, click OK.
    4. On the Sites tab, click Assign Site, and choose the custom site that is dedicated to this customer. In this case, choose Bank ABC. Then, click Add.

      Add Site To User window
    5. To make operator the owner of the site, select the site and click Owner.

      Assigning permissions
    6. Ensure that the customer does not have access to the sites dedicated to other customers. To remove access to a site, select the site and click Remove Site. Each customer should have access to his dedicated site, the BES Support site, and the BigFix Inventory site.

      Sites tab
      Tip: If you cannot remove a site from the list of sites to which an operator has access, the site might have the read permission granted globally. To change the setting, open the site, go to the Operator Permissions tab, and clear the Grant read permission globally check box. Then, click Save Changes.
    7. On the Computer Assignments tab, click Add. Expand the By Group section, and select the computer group that is dedicated to Bank ABC. Then, click OK.

      Add Management Rights window
    8. Click Save Changes.

Results

You created a site, a computer group, and an operator dedicated to Bank ABC. You can now provide the customer with operator credentials. The customer can perform actions only against computers on which the software that he uses is installed.

What to do next

Create sites, computer groups, and operators for the remaining customers.