To register the client into the ID group, use the Register in ID Group dialog box, which is displayed by choosing the Register in ID Group menu item.

Registration into the ID group is processed when the client connects to the relay managing the ID. However, you can still set the wait status for registration into or deletion from the ID group even if the client is not connected to the relay managing the ID. Then, after the client connects to the relay managing the ID, the client reports the actual registration or deletion to the relay managing the ID when the user logs on or chooses the Register in ID Group menu item. You can thus register a client into an ID group even during the pre-installation and system construction stages. While a client is executing remote installation, it is connected to the relay managing the ID via a different facility and is regarded as not being connected from the relay managing the ID.

For details about the method for registering a client into an ID group from the client, see 11.2.1 Registering into an ID group in the manual Administrator's Guide Volume 1.

In a system consisting of JP1/Software Distribution Manager and JP1/Software Distribution Client (relay system) with version 05-20 or later, you can use a file to register clients into an ID group on the managing server. This method is particularly convenient when for registering a large number of clients into an ID group, such as when you first install the system. In the file, set the ID group registration information of multiple clients. This file is called the ID group file. The following explains how to use a file to register clients into an ID group.

(a) Creating an ID group file

In the ID group file, specify the host name, host ID, ID group name, and the name of the relay managing the ID for each host.

The is a text file. In this file, a line whose first column is a single quotation mark (') or a pound sign (#) is treated as a comment line.

Format

host-name HID=host-ID,MAC=MAC-address,ID=ID-group-name, MASTER=name-of-relay-managing-the-ID

Description

host-name (required)

Specify either the host name or the IP address of the client to be added to the ID group. You can specify up to 64 bytes.

HID=host-ID

Specify a host ID that uniquely identifies the host. If you chose File and then Save ID Hosts to File to save the ID group information to a file and a host ID was set for the ID group, be sure to specify the host ID even if you plan to register clients into the ID group using Use File for ID Registration. If no host ID was set for the ID group in the file that you produced using Save ID Hosts to File, or if you are adding a new host, do not specify this operand.

MAC=MAC-address

Specify the MAC address of the host. Basically, do not change this operand because MAC addresses are related to facilities such as Wake on LAN. If you change the operand, the related facilities may not function.

ID=ID-group-name (required)

Specify the name of the ID group to be added. You can specify up to 32 bytes.

MASTER=name-of-relay-managing-the-ID

Specify the name of the relay system or relay manager containing the ID group to be added. For a relay system, specify the host name, IP address, or host ID. For a relay manager, specify the host name or host ID. If you used Save ID Hosts to File to save the ID group to a file and a host ID was set, be sure to specify that host ID.

You can specify up to 64 bytes. If you omit this parameter in a managing server or a relay manager, clients will be registered into the ID group in the managing system. If you specify this parameter in a relay system, it is ignored; in such a case, clients are registered into the ID group in the relay system.

(b) Registering clients into an ID group from a file

To register clients into an ID group from the created ID group file, in the Destination window of the managing server, from the File menu, choose Use File for ID Registration, and then select the ID group file to be used.

In a system consisting of JP1/Software Distribution Manager or JP1/Software Distribution SubManager with version earlier than 05-20, clients cannot be registered from a file into a selected ID group. If an attempt is made to do so, a client in the Registering status remains in the Destination window. Delete such a client. Additionally, in the Job Status window, an Add entry job remains in the folder with the ID group name under the Edit ID Group folder. Also delete such a job.

(c) Saving ID group information to a file

To output the information about ID groups specified by the managing server and the information about hosts registered into the ID groups, choose File and then Save ID Hosts to File in the Destination window. Note that before you perform this operation, you should choose Refresh to update the system configuration information. If you do not manually update the displayed system configuration information, the correct information might not be output because a mismatch occurs between the displayed information and the internal data due to automatic registration of system configuration information.

The following shows an output example of a file of ID group information.

Figure 8-18 Output example of a file of ID group information

If you are using a PC on which JP1/Software Distribution SubManager is installed as the relay managing the ID, you can register clients that are connected to that relay (local system) into an ID group by using the Destination window. If you need to register many clients into an ID group, you can do so from the relay managing the ID in a batch operation and eliminate the effort of registering them individually.

When you perform registration into an ID group from a relay managing the ID, make sure that the connection destination of the clients is the local system (the relay managing the ID).

You can register into an ID group by using a menu or by using drag-and-drop.

(a) Using a menu

To register into an ID group:

1. In the Destination window of Remote Installation Manager, select the ID group to which the client is to be added.
2. Choose File, and then Add Host to ID Group.
   The Add Host to ID Group dialog box appears.
   

   Figure 8-19 Add Host to ID Group dialog box

   

   ID group name

   This item displays the name of the ID group that you selected in the Destination window.

   Host added to ID group

   Specify the host name or IP address of the client to be added to the ID group.

   Note that you can add to the ID group only those clients that have set the local system as their connection destination. Make sure that the local system is the connection destination of the client.

3. Click the Add button.
   The system registers the client into the ID group you specified.
   

(b) Using drag-and-drop

1. In the Destination window of Remote Installation Manager, select the client to be registered into the ID group.
   You cannot select a host group, ID group, or host that belongs to an ID group.
   
2. Drag the client to the ID group in which it is to be registered and drop it.
   The system registers the client into the ID group.
   

You can use the automatic ID group maintenance function to automatically register into an ID group the clients that satisfy specific conditions.

For details about how to register clients into an ID group using automatic maintenance of ID groups, see 9.4 Automatic maintenance of ID groups.