7.2 Creating Closest Server Rules for a Network Environment

The Network Environment Closest Servers panel in ZENworks Control Center lets you assign ZENworks Primary Servers and Satellites to the network environment. When a device is located within the network environment, it contacts the defined servers. By defining the closest servers for the network environment, you can reduce wide area network traffic and increase ZENworks performance

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click Configuration > Locations.

  2. In the Network Environments panel, click the network environment to display its details.

  3. Click the Servers tab.

  4. Click Override to override the closest server settings from the location. The resulting list includes only the servers defined for the network environment and for the Closest Server Default Rule.

  5. (Conditional) If you do not want the Closest Server Default Rule to be used in determining closest servers, select the Exclude the Closest Server Default Rule option.

    Closest servers can also be configured on locations and in the Closest Server Default Rule. When a managed device requests its list of closest server, the ZENworks system combines the server lists from the network environment, location, and default rule (in that order) and passes the combined list to the device. The managed device contacts the first server in the list and continues down the list until it is able to connect. This option excludes the default rule from being included in the server list.

    NOTE:If you choose to exclude the Closest Server Default Rule for a network environment that does not have any closest server rule configured, then the network environment is considered as a disconnected network environment.

  6. Configure the closest servers:

    1. Manage individual servers in any of the server lists (Collection, Content, Configuration, Imaging and Authentication):

      Task

      Steps

      Additional Details

      Add a server to a list

      1. In the desired server list (Collection, Content, Configuration, or Authentication), click Add.

      2. Browse for and select one or more ZENworks Servers or Satellites.

      3. Click OK to add the selected servers to the list.

      By default, ZENworks Servers support all functions (Collection, Content, Configuration, and Authentication). Therefore, all ZENworks Servers are available for selection in any of the server lists.

      Satellites, however, can be configured for specific roles (Collection, Content, Imaging, and Authentication). This has the following implications:

      • When selecting Satellites for the Collection Server list, only those Satellites that are assigned the Collection role are available for selection.

      • When selecting Satellites for the Authentication Server list, only those Satellites that are assigned the Authentication role are available for selection.

      • When selecting Satellites for the Content Server list, only those Satellites that are assigned the Content role or Imaging role are available for selection.

      • Satellites do not fulfill the Configuration role. Therefore, they cannot be added to the Configuration Server list.

      Satellite roles are configured in the Server Hierarchy panel on the Configuration tab.

      Reorder the list

      1. In the desired server list, select the check box for the server, group, or L4 switch you want to move.

      2. Click Move Up or Move Down as necessary to change its order in the list.

      3. Repeat as necessary to order the list.

      Placement in the list determines the order in which servers are contacted. The first list item (server, group, or L4 switch) is contacted first, then the second, and so forth.

      You can order the items in the lists differently. This allows you to spread the workload initiated by devices by placing different servers higher in one list than in the other lists. For example:

      • Collection Servers: Server1, Group1, Server3, L4Switch5

      • Content Servers: L4Switch5

      • Configuration Servers: Server3, Server2, Group1

      • Authentication Servers: Server1, Server2

      Remove a server from a list

      1. In the server list, select the check box for the server you want to remove.

      2. Click Remove.

       

    2. Manage server groups in any of the server lists (Collection, Content, Configuration, and Authentication).

      You can use a group to randomize connections to servers. Each time the server list is sent to a device, it is randomized so that not all devices receive the same ordered list.

      For example, assume the server list contains the following:

      • Server 1

      • Group 1 (Server 2, Server 3, Server 4)

      • Server 5

      One device might receive the following list: Server 1, Server 3, Server 2, Server 4, Server 5.

      Another device might receive a different list: Server 1, Server 4, Server 3, Server 2, Server 5.

      In all cases, Server 1 is listed first and Server 5 is listed last, but the order of the servers in Group 1 is randomized.

      Task

      Steps

      Additional Details

      Create a server group

      1. In the desired server list, select the check boxes for the servers you want to include in the group, then click Groups > Create Group from Selection.

        or

        If you want to create an empty group, click Groups > Create Empty Group.

        You can add servers to the empty group later using the Groups > Add to Group option.

      2. Specify a name for the group, then click OK to add the group to the list.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Add servers to a group

      1. In the desired server list, select the check boxes for the servers you want to add to the group.

      2. Click Groups > Add to Group.

      3. Do one of the following:

        • To add the selected servers to a new group, select Create New , specify a group name, then click OK.

        • To add the selected servers to an existing group, select a group from the list in the Select Existing field, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Reorder the list

      1. In the server list, select the check box for the server, group, or L4 switch you want to move.

      2. Click Move Up or Move Down as necessary to change its order in the list.

      3. Repeat as necessary to order the list.

      Placement in the list determines the order in which servers are contacted. The first list item (server, group, or L4 switch) is contacted first, then the second, and so forth.

      You can order the items in the lists differently. This allows you to spread the workload initiated by devices by placing different servers higher in one list than in the other lists. For example:

      • Collection Servers: Server1, Group1, Server3, L4Switch5

      • Content Servers: L4Switch5, Server2, Server3, Server1

      • Configuration Servers: Server3, Server2, Group1

      • Authentication Servers: Group1, L4Switch5, Server1, Server2

      Copy a group from one list to another list

      1. In the server list to which you want to copy a group, click Groups > Copy Existing Group.

        For example, to copy a group from the Collection Servers list to the Content Servers list, click Groups > Copy Existing Group in the Content Servers list.

      2. Select the desired group from the list, then click OK to copy the group.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      If you copy a group to a list that does not already contain the group’s servers, the unlisted servers are removed from the group. For example, if Group1 includes Server1 and Server2 and you copy Group1 to a list that does not include Server1, Server1 is removed from the group.

      Remove servers from a group

      1. In the server list, expand the group to display its servers.

      2. Select the check boxes for the servers that you want to remove from the group.

      3. Click Groups > Remove from Group, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The servers are not removed from the server list, only from the group.

      Remove a group

      1. In the server list, select the check box for the group you want to remove.

      2. Click Groups > Remove Group, then click OK.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The group’s servers are not removed, only the group.

    3. If you have ZENworks Servers that are clustered behind an L4 switch, you can define the L4 switch and add the servers to the definition. This enables the L4 switch to continue to balance the traffic among those servers.

      Manage L4 switches in any of the server lists (Collection, Content, Configuration, and Authentication):

      Task

      Steps

      Additional Details

      Create an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, select the check boxes for the servers to include in the L4 switch definition, then click L4 Switch > Create L4 Switch Definition from Selection.

        or

        If you want to create an empty L4 switch definition, click L4 Switch > Create Empty.

        You can add servers to the empty definition later using the L4 Switch > Add to L4 Switch Definition option.

      2. Specify the DNS name or the IP address of the L4 switch, then click OK to add the L4 switch to the list.

      3. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Add servers to an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, select the check boxes for the servers you want to add to the L4 switch definition.

      2. Click L4 Switch > Add to L4 Switch Definition.

      3. Do one of the following:

        • To add the selected servers to a new L4 switch definition, select Create New and specify the DNS name or IP address of the L4 switch, then click OK.

        • To add the selected servers to an existing L4 switch definition, select an L4 switch definition from the list in the Select Existing field, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

       

      Reorder the list

      1. In the desired server list, select the check box for the server, group, or L4 switch you want to move.

      2. Click Move Up or Move Down as necessary to change its order in the list.

      3. Repeat as necessary to order the list.

      Placement in the list determines the order in which servers are contacted. The first list item (server, group, or L4 switch) is contacted first, then the second, and so forth.

      You can order the items in the lists differently. This allows you to spread the workload initiated by devices by placing different servers higher in one list than in the other lists. For example:

      • Collection Servers: Server1, Group1, Server3, L4Switch5

      • Content Servers: L4Switch5, Server2, Server3, Server1

      • Configuration Servers: Server3, Server2, Group1

      • Authentication Servers: Group1, L4Switch5, Server1, Server2

      Remove servers from an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, expand the L4 switch definition to display its servers.

      2. Select the check boxes for the servers that you want to remove from the L4 switch definition.

      3. Click L4 Switch > Remove from L4 Switch Definition, then click OK.

      4. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The servers are not removed from the server list, only from the L4 switch definition.

      Remove an L4 switch definition

      1. In the server list, click L4 Switch > Remove L4 Switch Definition, then click OK.

      2. Click Apply to make the change effective.

      The L4 switch definition's servers are not removed, only the definition.

  7. Click Apply to save your changes.