JP1/Software Distribution enables you to assign clients to groups and execute jobs by group, independently of the physical network configuration.

The following example shows the difference in job execution when 30 clients are grouped compared to when the same clients are not grouped.

Figure 3-4 Difference in job execution depending on whether clients are grouped

In the example in the figure, if the clients are not grouped, to execute a job you need to individually specify each of the 30 clients as job destinations. If the clients are grouped, to execute a job you need to specify only one group (containing the 30 clients) as the job destination.

You can execute jobs efficiently by grouping clients.

You can group job destinations by using any of the following methods:

• Grouping by host
  This method groups clients in the managing server. It classifies clients into hierarchical groups according to some criterion, such as by department, project, or OS. The groups are managed in the managing server.
  
• Grouping by ID
  This method enables each client to select the group it wishes to belong to. The ID groups are created in the managing server, then each client selects the ID group it wishes to belong to and registers itself into that ID group.
  
• Grouping by directory information
  This method groups clients by the organizational units managed in Active Directory. When computers and users are managed in Active Directory, you can execute jobs according to the organizational hierarchy used in Active Directory.
  

For details about creating and maintaining host groups, ID groups, and directory information, see the appropriate chapters indicated in the following table.

Task	Manual	See	Chapter title
Creating host groups and ID groups	Setup Guide	Chapter 8	Creating System Configuration Information and Destination Groups
Maintaining host groups and ID groups	Setup Guide	Chapter 9	Maintaining System Configuration Information and Destination Groups
Acquiring and maintaining directory information	Administrator's Guide Volume 1	3.4	Acquiring directory information