Table Of Contents

Managing RME Device, Port and Module Groups Using Group Administration

Using RME Group Administration

Device Group Administration

Creating a User-defined Group

Entering the Group Properties Details in Properties: Create Dialog Box

Defining the Group Rules in the Rules: Create Dialog Box

Assigning Group Membership in the Membership: Create Dialog Box

Understanding the Summary: Create Dialog Box

Editing a User-defined Group

Viewing Group Details

Viewing Membership Details

Refreshing Membership

Deleting Groups

Understanding the Grouping Rules

Port and Module Group Administration

Creating Port and Module Groups

Entering the Port and Module Group Properties Details

Selecting Group Source

Defining Rule Expression

Understanding the Summary

Editing Port and Module Groups

Viewing Port and Module Group Details

Deleting Port and Module Groups

RME Group Administration Process

Managing RME Device, Port and Module Groups Using Group Administration

---

Grouping devices, ports, modules and working with groups provides convenience to you in selecting required devices. You can define several groups of devices, ports and modules based on a set of criteria and manage the same.

RME provides an easy way of grouping devices, port and modules.

There are two types of groups:

•System-defined Groups—The default grouping of devices in RME. This is a read-only group. You cannot create groups under System-defined Groups.

For the list of System-defined Device groups, see Types of System-defined Device Groups in RME.

For the list of System-defined Port groups, see Types of System-defined Port Groups in RME.

•User-defined Groups—Groups that you create to reflect the way you manage the network. You can create user-defined groups for RME (but not for Common Services).

For Device groups, the User-defined groups can be either dynamic or static groups with private or public access privileges. You can also create subgroups under groups. Hence, each child group is a subgroup of a parent group.

RME manages device groups in a hierarchical fashion that supports sub-grouping. Each child group is a subgroup of a parent group; in order to belong to a child group, a device must belong to the parent group. For an device to belong to a group, it must satisfy the child group rules and the parent group rules.

For Port and Module groups, the User-defined groups are dynamic and you cannot create subgroups under port and module groups.

The features of grouping services are:

•The application groups are created by their respective grouping services.

For example, RME groups are created by RME Grouping Services.

•The devices added to the applications are evaluated according to their respective group rules.

For example, devices added to the RME are listed in appropriate device group based on the RME group rules.

•Based on the applications that are installed on the CiscoWorks server, you can view other applications' System-defined groups in RME user interface. The other applications User-defined groups are displayed in the RME user interface based on the Visibility Scope (public or private) for the group that you define at the time of device group creation.

For example, you can view DFM System-defined groups in RME device selector.

•Based on the applications that are installed on the CiscoWorks server, you can view other applications' System-defined groups in RME user interface. However, only the RME devices are listed in the other application's System-defined groups.

For example, you can view only RME devices in the DFM System-defined groups.

Types of System-defined Device Groups in RME

The available RME System Groups are:

•All Devices—Contains all devices in RME. This a dynamic read-only group.

•Normal Devices—Contains all devices that have been successfully contacted by RME or the device has contacted RME at least once (Inventory polling, successful job completion, Syslog receipt etc.). This indicates that this is a real device in the network (at one point in time). This a dynamic read-only group.

•Pre-deployed—Contains all devices that are not reachable by RME. This a dynamic read-only group.

•Previous selection—Contains devices that are selected in previous RME task in the same session. This group is provided for your convenience in case you need to do different RME tasks on same set of devices. This a static read-only group.

•Saved device list—Contains all devices that are saved explicitly by you while generating the Inventory Reports (Reports > Generator). This group is provided for your convenience in case you need to do different RME tasks on same set of devices. This a static read-only group.

The Previous selection and Saved device groups are RME-specific groups and must be used only when you are working on a RME application. You cannot use these device groups when you are working on another CiscoWorks application. That is, if you are working on the Campus Manager application, these groups must not be used.

See Understanding the RME Device States for more details to understand how the devices are grouped based on RME System-defined rules.

Types of System-defined Port Groups in RME

The available System-defined Port Groups are:

•1 Gbps Ethernet Ports—Contains all 1 Gbps Ethernet ports in the network.

•10 Gbps Ethernet Ports—Contains all 10 Gbps Ethernet ports in the network.

•10 Mbps Ethernet Ports—Contains all 10 Mbps Ethernet ports in the network.

•100 Mbps Ethernet Ports—Contains all 100 Mbps Ethernet ports in the network.

•End Hosts—Contains all ports connected to End Hosts.

•IP Phones—Contains all ports connected to IP Phones.

•Link Ports—Contains all ports connected to other devices.

Using RME Group Administration

The Group Administration page is where all group management activities take place. To open the Group Administration page from RME, select Devices > Group Administration.

The RME Group Administration window appears and contains TOC entries to the following Group Administrations:

•Device Group Administration

•Port and Module Group Administration

Device Group Administration

The RME Device Group Administration window contains these fields. (See Table 4-1):

Table 4-1 Fields on Group Administration and Configuration Page 

Field/Button	Description
Device Group Administration (TOC entry)	Allows you to manage and administer Device Groups.
Port-Module Group Administration (TOC entry)	Allows you to manage and administer Port and Module Groups. See Port and Module Group Administration.
Group Selector	Hierarchical display of all available groups.
Group Info	When you select an item from the Group Selector, the Group Info pane displays the following information: •Group Name—The name of the group you selected. •Type—The type of objects in the selected group. •Description—A text description of the group. •Created By—The user who created the group. •Last Modified By—The user who last modified the group settings.
Create	Starts the Group Creation Wizard for creating a group, as described in the Creating a User-defined Group.
Edit	Starts the Group Edit Wizard for editing an existing group, as described in the Editing a User-defined Group.
Details	Opens the Properties: Details page, as described in the Viewing Group Details and Viewing Membership Details.
Refresh	Refreshes a group's membership, as described in the Refreshing Membership.
Delete	Deletes a group, as described in the Deleting Groups.

You can do the following tasks from the RME Device Group Administration window:

•Creating a User-defined Group

•Editing a User-defined Group

•Viewing Group Details

•Viewing Membership Details

•Refreshing Membership

•Deleting Groups

Creating a User-defined Group

Creating an User-defined Group involves the four steps:

1. Entering the Group Properties Details in Properties: Create Dialog Box

2. Defining the Group Rules in the Rules: Create Dialog Box

3. Assigning Group Membership in the Membership: Create Dialog Box

4. Understanding the Summary: Create Dialog Box

You must complete all the four tasks in this sequence to create a group. If you exit the wizard at any stage using Cancel, the details you have specified will be lost and the group will not be created.

Entering the Group Properties Details in Properties: Create Dialog Box

In this step, you will enter the properties such as name and description, and modify the parent group and membership update method, if required.

The Properties:Create Dialog box contains the following fields. (Table 4-2):

Table 4-2 Fields on the Properties:Create Dialog Box 

Field	Description
Group Name	Name of the group you are creating.
Copy Attributes from Group	Copy the attributes of an existing group to your new group using the button Select Group. You can select either RME System-defined or User-defined groups.
Parent Group	The parent group of the group you are creating. You can change the parent group using the Change Parent button. You can select only RME User-defined groups.
Description	Text description of the group.
Membership Update	How group membership is updated. Membership updates can be automatic (updated every time the group is accessed) or can be upon user request only (updated only when you click the Refresh button).
Visibility Scope	Describes if the group is visible for public (all users) or private (only for the group owner).

To enter the values in Properties:Create dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears. This dialog box contains two panes.

•Group Selector—Lists all the System-defined Group and User-defined Group.

•Group Info—Contains the device group description.

Step 2 Select a User Defined Groups under which you want to create a new group from the Group Selector pane.

The Group Info pane displays detail of the selected user defined group.

The group that you have selected is the parent group for the new group you are about to create. You can change the parent group later, if required.

Step 3 Click Create.

The Properties:Create dialog box appears.

Step 4 Enter a name for the group in Group Name field of the Properties:Create dialog box.

The Group Name must be unique within the parent group. However, you can specify the same name in some other groups.

For example, if you already have a group named 'MyGroup' in a group named Views under User Defined Groups, you cannot use the same name for another sub-group in the group Views. However, you can use the name 'MyGroup' for the sub- group of another group in User Defined Groups.

If you do not want to copy the attributes of an existing group to your new group, proceed to Step 5. If you want to copy the attributes of an existing group to the new group, do the following:

All attributes except the group name are copied to the new group.

a. Click Select Group.

The Replicate Attributes dialog box appears.

b. Select a group.

You can select either RME System-defined or RME User-defined groups.

c. Click OK.

The parent group you have selected for the group does not change even if you are copying attributes from a group that belongs to a different parent group.

To change the parent group, do the following:

a. Click Change Parent.

The Select Parent dialog box appears.

b. Select the group.

---

Note You can select only RME User-defined groups.

---

c. Click OK.

The RME Group Administration changes the parent group to the one you selected, and returns to the Properties:Create dialog box.

Step 5 Enter a description for the group.

Step 6 Select the Membership Update mode for the group:

•Automatic (Dynamic)—The membership of the group is recomputed each time the group is invoked.

•Only upon user request (Static)—The membership of the group is recomputed only when an explicit request is made, using the Refresh option (Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration).

Step 7 Select the Visibility Scope for the group:

•Private

•Public

Step 8 Click Next.

The Rules:Create dialog box appears.

---

Defining the Group Rules in the Rules: Create Dialog Box

In this step, you will define the rules for the group. The rules you define in this phase determine the contents of the group. The rules you specify here determine the devices to be included in the group.

If you have created the group copying the attributes of another group, the rules specified for that group appears in the Rule Text field. You can retain these and add more rules, or delete these rules and create a new set of rules.

---

Note All rules assigned to a parent group also apply to any of its subgroups.

---

In the Rules:Create dialog box, you can either enter the rules directly in the Rule Text field, or select the components of the rule from the Rule Expression fields, and form a rule.

The Rules:Create dialog box has the following fields:

Field/Buttons	Description
OR, AND, EXCLUDE	Logical operators. •OR—Include objects that fulfill the requirements of either rule. •AND—Include only objects that fulfill the requirements of both rules. •EXCLUDE—Do not include these objects. This field appears only after a rule expression is added in the Rule Text box.
Object Type	Type of object (device) that is used to form a group. All RME rule expressions begin with the same Object Type, RME:INVENTORY:Device.
Variable	Device attributes, based on which you can define the group. See Group Attributes.
Operator	Operator to be used in the rule. The list of possible operators changes based on the Variable selected. When using the equals operator the rule is case-sensitive.
Value	Value of the rule expression. The possible values depend upon the variable and operator selected. Depending on the operator selected, the value may be free-form text or a list of values. The wildcard characters are not supported.
Add Rule Expression	Used to add the rule expression to the group rules.
Rule Text	Displays the rule.
Check Syntax	Verifies that the rule syntax is correct. Use this button if you have entered the rules manually.
View Parent Rules	Used to view the parent group rules. All parent group rules apply to the subgroups.

See Understanding the Grouping Rules for group rule restrictions and examples.

To create a new set of rules:

---

Step 1 Select the boolean operator field in the Rules:Create dialog box.

Step 2 Select the parameters for Object Type, Variable, and Operator.

Step 3 Enter the desired value for the Variable you have selected.

Step 4 Click Add Rule Expression.

The RME Group Administration creates the rule based on the parameters you specified and adds it to the rules already present in the Rules Text field. You can use the same procedure to add more rules.

You can manually add or change any of the text in the Rule Text box. If you enter a single backslash (\), an error is displayed.

To enter a single backslash in the Rule Text box, you must type two backslashes (\\) in place of the single backslash. You should always check the syntax after changing a rule expression.

You can delete the rules displayed in the Rule Text field by selecting the complete rule expression.

For example, if the Rule expression is,

:RME:INVENTORY:Device.Chassis.Port_Count > "3" OR

If you want to delete a rule expression, you have to select the complete expression including the logical operator and press the delete key on your keyboard.

Step 5 Click Check Syntax to validate the rules expression syntax.

•If the Syntax is correct, an information box appears with a message, The rule syntax is valid.

•If the Syntax is incorrect, an error box appears with a message, You have entered an invalid rule. Enter a valid rule. See the Help for examples of valid rules.

Step 6 Click Next.

The Membership:Create dialog box appears.

---

Assigning Group Membership in the Membership: Create Dialog Box

In this step, you will select devices to create a highly customized User Defined Group.

The RME Group Administration uses the details you have already specified while setting the group properties and group rules to decide the devices available to the group.

The Membership:Create dialog box contains two panes:

•Available Objects From Parent Group—Lists the devices that are available in the Parent Group.

•Objects Matching Membership Criteria—Lists the devices that match the membership criteria.

You can add or remove the devices from Objects Matching Membership Criteria list.

To add devices to the group:

---

Step 1 Select devices from Available Objects From Parent Group pane.

You can select multiple devices using Ctrl or Shift keys.

Step 2 Click Add.

The selected devices are removed from Available Objects From Parent Group pane to Objects Matching Membership Criteria pane.

Do not click the Refresh button on your browser after adding the devices. If you accidently do so, the device at the top of the Available Object From Parent Group pane gets added to list of the devices in the Objects Matching Membership Criteria pane.

Step 3 Click Next.

The Summary: Create dialog box appears with the group properties.

---

To remove devices to the group:

---

Step 1 Select devices from Objects Matching Membership Criteria pane.

You can select multiple devices using Ctrl or Shift keys.

Step 2 Click Remove.

The selected devices are removed from Objects Matching Membership Criteria pane to Available Objects From Parent Group pane.

Step 3 Click Next.

The Summary: Create dialog box appears with the User Defined Group properties.

---

Understanding the Summary: Create Dialog Box

The final step in the Create Group is a summary page that displays the new group's definition.

The Summary: Create dialog box contains the following information. (See Table 4-3):

Table 4-3 Fields on the Summary:Create Dialog Box 

Field	Description
Group Name	Name of the group you are creating.
Parent Group	Parent group of the group you are creating.
Description	A text description of the group.
Membership Update	How group membership is updated. Membership updates can be automatic (updated every time the group is accessed) or can be upon user request only (updated only when you click the Refresh button).
Rules	Rules used to filter group membership.
Visibility Scope	Whether the group is visible for public (all users) or private (only for the group owner).

After reviewing the group summary, either:

---

Step 1 Click Finish to complete the procedure for Creating Groups.

A confirmation box appears.

Step 2 Click OK.

You can view the newly created User Defined Group in the Group Selector pane.

Or

Click Back to change the group properties.

---

Editing a User-defined Group

You can edit all attributes that are defined while creating a group except for the Parent Group attribute.

The workflow for editing a User-defined group is:

1. Entering the Group Properties Details in Properties:Edit Dialog Box. You cannot modify the Parent Group.

See Entering the Group Properties Details in Properties: Create Dialog Box.

2. Defining the Group Rules in the Rules:Edit Dialog Box

See Defining the Group Rules in the Rules: Create Dialog Box.

3. Assigning Group Membership in the Membership:Edit Dialog Box

See Assigning Group Membership in the Membership: Create Dialog Box.

4. Understanding the Summary:Edit Dialog Box

See Understanding the Summary: Create Dialog Box.

---

Note You can click Finish at any point in the workflow.

---

Viewing Group Details

A group's information is displayed on the Properties: Details page.

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Select the group for which you want to view details from the Group Selector pane.

Step 3 Click Details.

The Properties: Details dialog box appears with the following information (See Table 4-4)

Table 4-4 Fields on the Properties: Details Dialog Box 

Field/Button	Description
Group Name	Name of the group you are viewing.
Parent Group	Parent group of the group you are viewing.
Type	Type of the objects that belong to the group.
Description	Text description of the group.
Membership Update	How group membership is updated. Membership updates can be automatic (updated every time the group is accessed) or can be upon user request only (updated only when you click the Refresh button).
Created By	User who created the group. This also displays the time when the group was created.
Last Modified By	User who last modified the group. This also displays the time when the group was modified.
Rules	Rules used to filter group membership.
Visibility Scope	Describes if the group is visible for public (all users) or private (only for the group owner).
View Parent Rules This is a button.	Used to view the parent group rules. All parent group rules apply to the subgroups.
Membership Details This is a button.	Used to view the list of devices that belong to the group. See Viewing Membership Details.
Cancel	Closes the page and takes you back to the Group Administration and Configuration page.

---

Viewing Membership Details

You can view a list of the objects that belong to a group by accessing the Properties: Details page.

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Select the group for which you want to view details from the Group Selector pane.

Step 3 Click Details.

The Properties: Details dialog box appears.

Step 4 Click Membership Details.

The Membership Details dialog box appears with the following information (See Table 4-5).

Table 4-5 Fields on the Membership: Details Dialog Box 

Heading/Button	Description
Name	Name of the device.
Object Type	Type of object.
Property Details	Takes you back to the Properties: Details page.
Cancel	Closes the page and takes you back to the Group Administration and Configuration page.

---

Refreshing Membership

Refreshing a group's membership forces the group to recompute its membership by reevaluating its rules and obtaining membership information from the data collectors.

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Select the group for which you want to view details from the Group Selector pane.

Step 3 Click Refresh.

A confirmation dialog box dialog shows that the group membership will be recomputed.

Step 4 Click Yes.

A confirmation dialog box shows that the group membership is recomputed.

Step 5 Click OK.

---

Deleting Groups

You can only delete User-defined groups that are not one of the System-defined groups.

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Select the group for which you want to view details from the Group Selector pane.

Step 3 Click Delete.

A confirmation dialog box shows that the group will be deleted.

Step 4 Click OK.

---

Understanding the Grouping Rules

Every group is defined by a set of rules. A rule set contains a Boolean combination of individual rule expressions.

Rules are created to filter in the devices that you want to include to the group, and to filter out those that you do not want in the group.

When determining which devices belong to a group, Group Management compares device information to the rule. If the information on a device satisfies all the requirements of the rule then it is placed in the group.

The devices are filtered based on the data present in the RME Inventory database.

One or more rule expressions can be applied to form a rule.

Each rule expression contains the following:

<object type>.<variable> <operator> <value>

For examples on creating rules, see Examples for Grouping Rules.

Field/Buttons	Description
OR, AND, EXCLUDE	Logical operators. •OR—Include objects that fulfill the requirements of either rule. •AND—Include only objects that fulfill the requirements of both rules. •EXCLUDE—Do not include these objects. This field appears only after a rule expression is added in the Rule Text box.
Object Type	The type of object (device) that is used to form a group. All RME rule expressions begin with the same Object Type, :Device.
Variable	Device attributes, based on which you can define the group. See Group Attributes.
Operator	Operator to be used in the rule. The list of possible operators changes based on the Variable selected. When using the equals operator the rule is case-sensitive.
Value	Value of the rule expression. The possible values depend upon the variable and operator selected. Depending on the operator selected, the value may be free-form text or a list of values. The wildcard characters are not supported.
Add Rule Expression	Used to add the rule expression to the group rules.
Rule Text	Displays the rule.
Check Syntax	Verifies that the rule syntax is correct. Use this button to verify the syntax of the rule created before proceeding to the next step.
View Parent Rules	Used to view the parent group rules. All parent group rules apply to the subgroups.

RME Group Attributes

The following table lists the available group attributes that you can use for defining the User Defined groups.

Table 4-6 Group Attributes 

Attribute Group	Attribute Type	Description
Asset	Asset.CLE_Identifier	CLE identifier of the asset.
	Asset.Part_Number	Orderable part number of the asset.
	Asset.User_Defined_Identifier	User-defined identifier of the asset
Chassis	Chassis.Model_Name	Name of the model.
	Chassis.Number_Of_Slots	Number of slots in that chassis.
	Chassis.Port_Count	Total port count of the chassis.
	Chassis.Serial_Number	Serial number of the chassis.
	Chassis.Vendor_Type	Vendor type of the chassis.
	Chassis.Version	Version number of the chassis.
Flash	Flash.File_Name	Location of flash file.
	Flash.File_Size	Flash file size in MB.
	Flash.Model_Name	Model name of the flash device.
	Flash.Partition_Free	Free space in MB.
	Flash.Partition_Name	Flash partition name.
	Flash.Partition_Size	Flash partition size in MB.
	Flash.Size	Total flash device size in MB.
Image	Image.ROM_Sys_Version	System ROM software version
	Image.ROM_Version	Version of ROM.
	Image.Sys_Description	Image system description
	Image.Version	Running Device image version.
IP Address	IP.Address	Device IP address.
	IP.Address_Type	Version of IP, IPv4 or IPv6
	IP.Network_Mask	Network Mask address
Memory	Memory.Free	Free memory in MB.
	Memory.Name	Name of the memory.
	Memory.Size	Total RAM size in MB.
	Memory.Type	Memory type.
	Memory.Used	Used memory in MB.
Module	Module.HW_Version	Module hardware version.
	Module.Model_Name	Name of the model.
	Module.Port_Count	Total ports on that module.
	Module.Serail_Number	Serial number of the module.
	Module.Vendor_Type	Vendor type of the module.
Processor	Processor.Model_Name	Name of the model.
	Processor.NVRAM_Size	Size of the processor NVRAM in MB.
	Processor.NVRAM_Used	Size of the processor NVRAM that has been utilized, in MB.
	Processor.Port_Count	Total port count of the processor
	Processor.RAM_Size	Size of the processor RAM in MB.
	Processor.Serial_Number	Serial number of the processor.
	Processor.Vendor_Type	Vendor type of the processor.
State	State	RME device state such as Normal, Alias, etc.
System	System.Contact	Device contact person name.
	System.Description	Description of the system.
	System.DomainName	Device domain name.
	System.Location	Device location information.
	System.SystemOID	System Object ID of the device (sysObjectID).

Examples for Grouping Rules

The following are some examples for grouping tasks:

•Rule to select all devices in Pending state

•Rule to select devices whose System Description contains the string: Cisco Internetwork Operating System

•Rule to select devices whose contact person name consists of the word: Davis

•Rule to select devices whose location name equals: San Jose

•Rule with OR Operator

•Rule with AND Operator

Rule to select all devices in Pending state

This rule filters all devices in Pending state.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select State from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select = from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Select Pending from the Value drop down listbox

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Device.State = "Pending"

---

Rule to select devices whose System Description contains the string: Cisco Internetwork Operating System

This rule filters all devices whose System description consists of the string Cisco Internetwork Operating System.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select System.Description from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select contains from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Enter Cisco Internetwork Operating System in the Value textbox

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Device.System.Description contains "Cisco Internetwork Operating System"

---

Rule to select devices whose contact person name consists of the word: Davis

This rule filters all devices whose contact person name consists of the word Davis.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select System.Contact from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select contains from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Enter Davis in the Value textbox

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Device.System.Contact equals "Davis"

---

Rule to select devices whose location name equals: San Jose

This rule filters all devices whose location equals to San Jose.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select System.Location from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select equals from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Enter San Jose in the Value textbox

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Device.System.Location equals "San Jose"

---

Rule with OR Operator

Rule to list all devices in normal state and/or the devices whose domain names contain the word cisco.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

---

Step 1 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select State from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select = from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Select Normal from the Value drop down listbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Device.State = "Normal"

Step 2 Select the OR option from the logical operator list box.

Step 3 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select System.DomainName from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select contains from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Enter cisco in the Value textbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets appended to the Rule Text:

Device.State = "Pending" OR

Device.System.DomainName contains "cisco"

The OR logical operator evaluates if either or both of the conditions are satisfied. The devices are selected based on either or both of the matching criteria.

---

Rule with AND Operator

Rule to list all the devices in Normal state with occurences of 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1 in the System Object ID.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

---

Step 1 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select State from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select = from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Select Normal from the Value drop down listbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Device.State = "Normal"

Step 2 Select the AND option from the logical operator list box.

Step 3 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Device from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select System.SystemOID from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select contains from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Enter 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1 in the Value textbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets appended to the Rule Text:

Device.State = "Normal" AND

Device.System.SystemOID contains "1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1"

The AND logical operator evaluates if both the criterias are satisfied. Only devices that satisfy both the criteria are selected.

---

Use Group Administration under Common Services (Common Services > Groups > Group Admin), to create groups with other device attributes such as, display name, user defined attributes, management address in DCR. For more information see Common Services Online Help.

Port and Module Group Administration

RME allows you to create groups based on ports and modules for a selected set of devices or device groups using Port and Module Group Administration.

Notes for Port and Module Configuration

1. Port and Module configuration highly depends on the data collected by RME Inventory. For the Port and Module configuration to work properly, the inventory collection for the devices must be successful.

2. When you upgrade to RME 4.3, port attributes (Flexlink and SpanEnabled) and all Module attributes will not be updated.

In this case, you must trigger a fresh inventory collection to update all the port and module attributes.

3. For the attributes provided by CiscoWorks Campus Manager to work properly, the data collection for CM attributes must be successful. If Campus Manager is not installed in the CiscoWorks Server, then data will not be available for these attributes.

4. The following are the recommended number of ports in RME:

1. The maximum number of ports supported in RME is 500,000 ports.

2. The maximum number of ports supported in a port group is 100,000 ports.

3. The maximum number of ports supported in a RME job is 250,000 ports.

4. In some devices, duplicate entries are returned for the ifName MIB. In such cases, only one entry for the ifName will be considered and the other duplicate entries will be dropped.

5. The port information is fetched from the ifXtension MIB. If the ifXtension MIB is not supported in the device, then port configuration for the device will not work.

For example, if a device supports only SNMPv1, then ifXtension MIB will not be supported in the device. In this case, the port configuration for the device will not work.

The RME Port and Module Group Browser window contains these fields. (See Table 4-7)

Table 4-7 Fields on Port and Module Group Browser

Field/Button	Description
Group Name	Name of the group created. By default, the following System-defined groups are displayed: •1 Gbps Ethernet Ports •10 Gbps Ethernet Ports •10 Mbps Ethernet Ports •100 Mbps Ethernet Ports •End Hosts •IP Phones •Link Ports For more information, see Types of System-defined Port Groups in RME.
Description	Description of the group created.
Group Type	Type of the group created. For example, Port or Module.
Created By	User who created the group.
Last Modification Time.	Time when the group settings were last modified.
Rows per page	This page displays the number of rows you have set for display in the Rows per page field. You can increase the rows to 500 for each page by selecting the Rows per Page drop-down list. You can navigate through the pages of the report using the navigation icons at the bottom right of this table.
Create	Starts the Group Creation Wizard for creating a group, as described in the Creating Port and Module Groups.
Edit	Starts the Group Edit Wizard for editing an existing group, as described in the Editing Port and Module Groups.
View	Allows you to view the group details, as described in the Viewing Port and Module Group Details.
Delete	Deletes the group, as described in the Deleting Port and Module Groups.

You can perform the following tasks from the RME Port and Module Group Browser window:

•Creating Port and Module Groups

•Editing Port and Module Groups

•Viewing Port and Module Group Details

•Deleting Port and Module Groups

Creating Port and Module Groups

Creating a Port and Module Group involves the following steps:

1. Entering the Port and Module Group Properties Details

2. Selecting Group Source

3. Defining Rule Expression

4. Understanding the Summary

You must complete all tasks in this sequence to create a group. If you exit the wizard at any stage using Cancel, the details you have specified will be lost and the group will not be created.

---

Note Port and Module configuration highly depends on the data collected by the RME Inventory. For the Port and Module configuration to work properly, the inventory collection for the devices must be successful.

---

Entering the Port and Module Group Properties Details

In this step, you will enter the name and description for the group.

The Port and Module Group Properties dialog box contains the following fields. (See Table 4-8)

Table 4-8 Fields on the Port and Module Group Properties dialog box

Field	Description
Group Name	Name of the group you are creating.
Description	Text description of the group.

To enter the values in Port and Module Group Properties dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Click Port and Module Group Administration from the TOC.

The Port and Module Group Browser page appears, displaying the list of groups.

Step 3 Click Create.

The Port and Module Group Properties dialog box appears.

Step 4 Enter a unique name for the group in the Group Name field.

Step 5 Enter a description for the group in the Description field (optional).

Step 6 Click Next.

The Select Group Source page appears, displaying the Device Selection dialog box.

---

Selecting Group Source

In this step, you need to select the Group source. This can be either devices or groups (System-defined or User-defined).

The Select Group Source page displays the Device Selection and Group Selection dialog box. The Device Selection and Group Selection dialog box contains the following fields. (See Table 4-9)

You must mandatorily select either devices or device groups from Device Selector or Group Selector, respectively.

Table 4-9 Fields on the Device Selection dialog box

Fields	Description
Device Selector	Displays all RME devices in the group.
Search Input	Enter the search expression in this field. You can enter single device names or multiple device names. If you are entering multiple device names, separate them with a comma. You can also enter the wildcard characters "*" and "?". For example: 192.168.10.1*, 192.168.20.*
Search	Use this icon to perform a simple search of devices based on the search criteria you have specified in the Search Input text field. For information on Search, see Using Simple Search.
Advanced Search	Use this icon to perform an advanced search of devices based on the search criteria you have specified in the Search Input text field. For information on Advanced Search, see Using Advanced Search.
All	Lists all User-defined and System-defined groups for all applications that are installed on CiscoWorks server. For more information, see Using the All Tab.
Search Results	Displays all the search results from Search or Advanced Search. For more information, see Using the Search Results Tab.
Selection	Lists all the devices that you have selected in the Search Results or All tab. Using this tab, you can deselect devices from the list. For more information, see Using the Selection Tab.
Group Selector	Displays all groups in RME.

To select the group source:

---

Step 1 Either:

•Select Device Selector.

•Select the devices.

or

•Select Group Selector.

•Select the groups.

Step 2 Click Next.

The Rule Express page appears.

---

Defining Rule Expression

In this step, you will define the rules for creating port or module groups. The rules you define in this phase, determine the contents of the group. The rules you specify here, determine the ports and modules to be included in the group.

You can either enter the rules directly in the Rule Text field, or select the components of the rule from the Rule Expression fields, and form a rule.

The Rules Expression page contains the following fields:

Field/Buttons	Description
Object Type	Select the following object types to form a group: •Module •Port
Variable	Object type attributes, based on which you can define the group. See Rule Attributes for Port and Module Creation.
Operator	Operator to be used in the rule. The list of possible operators change, based on the variable selected. When using the equals operator the rule is case-sensitive.
Value	Value of the rule expression. The possible values depend upon the variable and operator that you select. Depending on the operator selected, the value may be free-form text or a list of values. Wildcard characters are not supported.
Add Rule Expression (Button)	Adds the rule expression to the group rules.
Rule Text	Displays the rule.
Check Syntax (Button)	Verifies that the rule syntax is correct. Use this button to verify the syntax of the rule that you have created before proceeding to the next step.
Include (Button)	Include List pop-up opens and lists all the modules or ports from the selected devices that do not match the rule. You can choose to include those modules or ports for group creation. The Include List pop-up will also list the modules or ports that match the rule but will not be enabled for selection. Click Include to launch the Include List window. See Table 4-10 for descriptions of the fields in the Include List window. You can also include modules or ports for the selected devices, without specifying a rule, by clicking Include.
Exclude (Button)	Exclude List pop-up opens and lists all the modules or ports from the selected devices that match the rule. You can choose to exclude those modules or ports for group creation. The Exclude List pop-up will also list the modules or ports that do not match the rule but will not be enabled for selection. Click Exclude to launch the Exclude List window. See Table 4-10 for descriptions of the fields in the Exclude List window.

To define the group rule:

---

Step 1 Go to the Rules Expression page.

Step 2 Set the parameters for Object Type, Variable and Operator.

Step 3 Enter the desired value for the Variable you have selected.

Step 4 Click Add Rule Expression.

The RME Port and Module Group Administration creates the rule based on the parameters you have specified and adds it to the rules already present in the Rules Text field. You can use the same procedure to add more rules.

You can manually add or change any of the text in the Rule Text box.

Step 5 Click Include or Exclude.

•Include—A pop-up window appears, allowing you to include ports or modules for the group. See Table 4-10 for the descriptions of the fields in the Include List window.

•Exclude—A pop-up window appears, allowing you to exclude ports or modules for the group. See Table 4-10 for the descriptions of the fields in the Exclude List window.

Step 6 Click Check Syntax to validate the rules expression syntax.

•If the syntax is correct, an information box appears with a message, The rule syntax is valid.

•If the syntax is incorrect, an error box appears with a message, You have entered an invalid rule. Enter a valid rule. See the Help for examples of valid rules.

For examples on defining valid rules, see Examples for Port and Module Groups.

Step 7 Click Next.

The Summary page appears, displaying the group properties. See Understanding the Summary.

---

---

Note You can also include modules or ports for the selected devices, without specifying a rule, by clicking Include.
If you include the ports or modules for the selected devices, and also exclude the same ports or modules, the exclude option will have the highest priority.

---

Rule Attributes for Port and Module Creation

The following table lists the available attributes that you can use to define rules to create port and module groups.

Object Type	Attribute	Description
Module	AdminStatus	Administrative status of the module. For example, Enabled/Commissioned.
	FW_Version	Firmware version of the module. For example, 12.1(27b)E1
	ModuleName	Name of the module. For example, Linecard
	OperStatus	Operational status of the module. For example, Dormant
	SlotNumber	Slot number of the module. For example, 6
	SW_Version	Software version of the module. For example, 12.1(27b)E1
	VendorType	Vendor type of the module. For example, cevAS53004ct1
Port	AdminStatus	Administrative status of the port. For example, Disabled/Decommissioned
	CM.AccessStatus	Whether the port is an Access port or not.
	CM.Channel	Whether the port is a channel port.
	CM.Duplex	The duplex mode of the port. The values could be unknown-duplex, full-duplex, half-duplex, default, disagree, auto-duplex.
	CM.JumboFrameEnabled	Whether the port is JumboFrame enabled or disabled.
	CM.L2L3	Whether the port is in switched or routed mode.
	CM.LinkStatus	Link status of the port. Whether the link is up or down.
	CM.Neighbor	Whether the port is connected to a device, IP Phone, or End Host.
	CM.TrunkStatus	Whether the port is a Trunk port. If trunk is configured in the port, then it is a trunk port.
	CM.VLAN_ID	The vlan index of the VLAN configured on the port.
	CM.VLAN_NAME	Name of the VLAN configured on the port.
	CM.VTP_DOMAIN	Name of the VTP Domain that the port is associated with.
	FlexLink	Whether the FlexLink status of the port is enabled or disabled.
	IFIndex	IFIndex of the port. For example, 10
	OperStatus	Operational Status of the port. For example, Stopped/Suspended
	PortDescription	Description of the port. For example, FastEthernet0/1
	PortName	Name of the port. For example, Fa0/1
	SpanEnabled	Whether the port is Span enabled.
	Speed	Speed of the port. For example, 10000000 (for 10 Mbps)
	Type	Enter the value for the port type. For example, if you want to define a rule for the port type ethernetCsmacd, you need to enter 6 as the value. For information on the port type values, see http://tools.cisco.com/Support/SNMP/do/BrowseOID.do?objectInput=iftype&translate=Translate&submitValue=SUBMIT&submitClicked=true

---

Note The port attributes that starts with name "CM." are attributes provided by CiscoWorks Campus Manager. For example, CM.TrunkStatus.
The value for these attributes is available only if CiscoWorks Campus Manager is installed in the CiscoWorks Server.
For the CM attributes to work properly, the data collection for the attributes must be successful.

---

Examples for Port and Module Groups

This section shows examples to define a valid rule.

The following are some examples for grouping tasks:

•Rule to select all the Ports whose Port Description contains the string: Ethernet

•Rule to select all the Ports that are connected to another device

•Rule to select all the Modules whose Slot number is 1

•Rule with OR Operator

•Rule with AND Operator

Rule to select all the Ports whose Port Description contains the string: Ethernet

This rule filters all ports whose Port description consists of the string Ethernet.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Port from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select PortDescription from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select contains from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Enter Ethernet in the Value textbox

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Port.PortDescription contains "Ethernet"

---

Rule to select all the Ports that are connected to another device

This rule filters all Ports that are connected to another device.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Port from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select CM.LinkStatus from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select = from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Select Configured in the Value drop down list box.

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Port.CM.LinkStatus = "Configured"

---

Rule to select all the Modules whose Slot number is 1

This rule filters all the modules that are placed in slot number 1.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

From the Create Rules dialog box:

---

Step 1 Select Module from the Object Type drop down listbox

Step 2 Select SlotNumber from the Variable drop down listbox

Step 3 Select = from the Operator drop down listbox

Step 4 Enter 1 in the Value textbox

Step 5 Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Module.SlotNumber = "1"

---

Rule with OR Operator

Rule to list all ports whose Port description contains the string as either Ethernet or FastEthernet.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

---

Step 1 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Port from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select PortDescription from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select StartsWith from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Enter Ethernet from the Value drop down listbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Port.PortDescription StartsWith "Ethernet"

Step 2 Select the OR option from the logical operator list box.

Step 3 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Port from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select PortDescription from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select StartsWith from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Enter FastEthernet in the Value textbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets appended to the Rule Text:

Port.PortDescription StartsWith "Ethernet" OR

Port.PortDescription StartsWith "FastEthernet"

The OR logical operator evaluates if either or both of the conditions are satisfied. The ports are selected based on either or both of the matching criteria.

---

Rule with AND Operator

Rule to select all the FastEthernet Ports whose Operational status is up.

To provide rule expression for this scenario:

---

Step 1 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Ports from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select OperStatus from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select = from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Select OK from the Value drop down listbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets added to the Rule Text:

Port.OperStatus = "OK"

Step 2 Select the AND option from the logical operator list box.

Step 3 From the Create Rules dialog box:

a. Select Ports from the Object Type drop down listbox

b. Select PortDescription from the Variable drop down listbox

c. Select StartsWith from the Operator drop down listbox

d. Enter FastEthernet in the Value textbox

e. Click Add Rule Expression

The following rule gets appended to the Rule Text:

Port.OperStatus = "OK" AND

Port.PortDescription StartsWith "FastEthernet"

The AND logical operator evaluates if both the criterias are satisfied. Only devices that satisfy both the criteria are selected.

---

Include and Exclude

Table 4-10 describes the Include and Excludes window fields in the Rule Expression page of Port and Module Group Administration.

Table 4-10 Include and Exclude Window Fields Description

Window	Fields/Buttons	Description
Include List	Device Selector	Devices selected for group creation.
	Port Name/Module Name	Name of the port or module in the device. For some of the devices, if ports or module names are not available in the device, the message Not Available will be shown.
	Description/Vendor Type	Description of the port or module. For some of the devices, if ports description or module vendor type are not available in the device, the message Not Available will be shown.
	Slot Number	Slot number of the module. This field is available only for modules.
	Include (Button)	The selected ports or modules are included for group creation.
	Filter by Port/Module Name	Enter the filter expression and click Filter to filter the port or modules in the device.
Exclude List	Device Selector	Devices selected for group creation.
	Port Name/Module Name	Name of the port or module in the device. For some of the devices, if ports or module names are not available in the device, the message Not Available will be shown.
	Description/Vendor Type	Description of the port or module. For some of the devices, if ports description or module vendor type are not available in the device, the message Not Available will be shown.
	Slot Number	Slot number of the module. This field is available only for modules.
	Exclude (Button)	The selected ports or modules are excluded for group creation.
	Filter by Port/Module Name	Enter the filter expression and click Filter to filter the port or modules in the device.

Understanding the Summary

The final step in creating the port or module group is a summary page that displays the new group's definition.

The Summary page contains the following information. (See Table 4-11):

Table 4-11 Fields on the Summary page.

Field	Description
Group Name	Name of the group you are creating.
Description	Text description of the group.
Rule	Rules used to filter the group.
Devices/Groups in Rule	Displays the list of devices or groups to which the rule will be applied.

After reviewing the group summary, either:

---

Step 1 Click Finish to complete the procedure for Creating Groups.

A confirmation box appears.

Step 2 Click OK.

You can view the newly created group in the Port and Module Group Browser page.

Or

Click Back to change the group properties.

---

Editing Port and Module Groups

You can edit all attributes that are defined while creating a group, except Group Name.

To edit a port and module group:

---

Step 1 Go to Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Click Port and Module Group Administration from the TOC.

The Port and Module Group Browser page appears, displaying the list of groups. (See Table 4-7)

Step 3 Select the group by checking the checkbox.

Step 4 Click Edit.

The Group Properties page appears, displaying Port and Module Group Properties dialog box. See Entering the Port and Module Group Properties Details.

You cannot:

•Modify the Group Name field.

•Click Finish to complete the edit flow.

Step 5 Click Next.

The Select Group Source page appears, displaying either Device Selection or Group Selection dialog box.

•Device Selection

–If you have selected devices using Device Selector in the Create flow.

–If you have created the group by including the ports or modules without specifying the rule in the Create flow. In this case, only the devices for which the ports or modules selected are displayed.

Or

•Group Selection—If you have selected device groups using Group Selector in the Create flow.

You can modify the devices or groups that you have selected, based on your requirement.

Step 6 Click Next.

The Rules Expression page appears, displaying the rule previously set. See Defining Rule Expression.

You can modify and define new rules.

If you include the ports or modules for the selected devices, and also exclude the same ports or modules, the exclude option will have the highest priority.

Step 7 Click Next.

The Summary page appears, displaying the group details. Understanding the Summary.

Step 8 Either:

Click Finish to complete the editing procedure for the group.

Or

Click Back to change the group properties.

---

---

Note You can click Finish at any point in the workflow.

---

Viewing Port and Module Group Details

To view the existing port or module group details:

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Click Port and Module Group Administration from the TOC.

The Port and Module Group Browser page appears, displaying the list of groups.

Step 3 Select the group name and click View.

The View Group Details page appears, displaying Group: Details dialog box with the following details:

Field/Button	Description
Group Name	Name of the group you are viewing.
Parent Group	Parent group of the group you are viewing.
Type	Type of the objects that belong to the group.
Description	Text description of the group.
Rule	Rules used to create the group.
Created By	User who created the group. This also displays the time when the group was created.
Last Modified By	User who last modified the group. This also displays the time when the group was last modified.
Devices/Groups	Devices or Device Groups that are part of the port or module group.
Membership Details (Button)	Used to view the list of devices that belong to the group. See Viewing Membership Details.
Cancel (Button)	Closes the page and takes you back to the Port and Module Group Browser page.

---

Viewing Membership Details

You can view a list of the objects that belong to a group by accessing the Group: Details dialog box.

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Click Port and Module Group Administration from the TOC.

The Port and Module Group Browser page appears, displaying the list of groups.

Step 3 Select the group name for which you want to view the membership details and click View.

The Group: Details dialog box appears.

Step 4 Click Membership Details.

The View Group Members dialog box appears with the following information:

Field/Button	Description
Device Selector	Devices selected for group creation.
Port Name/Module Name	Name of the port or module in the device that are part of the group.
Description	Description of the port or module in the device that are part of the group.
Filter by Port/Module Name	Enter the filter expression and click Filter to filter the port or modules in the device that are part of the group.
Close (Button)	To close the View Group Members dialog box.

---

Deleting Port and Module Groups

To remove an existing port or module group:

---

Step 1 Select Resource Manager Essentials > Devices > Group Administration.

The Group Administration and Configuration dialog box appears.

Step 2 Click Port and Module Group Administration from the TOC.

The Port and Module Group Browser page appears, displaying the list of groups.

Step 3 Select the group to remove from the Port and Module Group Browser dialog box.

Step 4 Click Delete.

A confirmation dialog box shows that the group will be deleted.

Step 5 Click OK.

---

RME Group Administration Process

The RME Device Group Administration depends on the RMEOGSServer process. If this process is not running, then an error message appears:

Error in communicating with Group Administration Server.

It may be down or not yet up. Make sure that the Group Administration Server is up and running.

You can resolve this error by starting the RMEOGSServer process.

You can start this process using Common Services > Server > Admin > Processes. In the Process Management page, select the RMEOGSServer and click Start.

The RME Port and Module Group Administration depends on the PMCOGSServer process. If this process is not running, then an error message appears:

Error in communicating with Group Administration Server.

It may be down or not yet up. Make sure that the Group Administration Server is up and running.

You can resolve this error by starting the PMCOGSServer process.

You can start this process using Common Services > Server > Admin > Processes. In the Process Management page, select the PMCOGSServer and click Start.