Administering Group Family
Most of the tasks related to Group Family administration are performed by using the Properties command on the groups used to store Group Family configurations. In the Active Roles console, such groups are marked with a special icon, to distinguish them from regular groups.
So, when you create a Group Family, a group is created to store the Group Family configuration. The group is assigned the name you have provided for the Group Family, and marked with the Group Family icon:
To facilitate Group Family administration, the Properties dialog box for a configuration storage group includes a number of Group Family-specific tabs:
- General tab Displays the name of the Group Family and allows the administrator to view or modify the description, group type, and group scope of the storage group.
- Controlled Groups tab Lists the groups that are under the control of the Group Family, and allows the administrator to view or modify the group-to-grouping links and group creation-related rules.
- Groupings tab Allows the administrator to view or modify the Group Family scope and the list of group-by properties.
- Schedule tab Displays Group Family schedule-related information, and allows the administrator to view or modify scheduling settings.
- Action Summary tab Displays information about the last run of the Group Family, and allows the administrator to view a log detailing results of the run.
These tabs are discussed in more detail later in this section.
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NOTE: Changes to the regular, group-related properties of the configuration storage group do not affect the Group Family. For example, you can rename or move the configuration storage group without any impact on the process and results of Group Family operation. Renaming the configuration storage group only changes the display name of the Group Family. |
The Action menu on each Group Family configuration storage group includes the Force Run command, so you can run the Group Family if you want to update it right away, without waiting for the scheduled run time.
Controlled groups
To help distinguish the groups that are under the control of a Group Family (controlled groups), the Active Roles console marks them with a special icon. For example, the following icon is used to indicate a global group that is under the control of a Group Family:
In addition, an explanatory text is added to the Notes field for such groups, stating that the Group Family will override any changes made directly to the group membership list.
In the Active Roles console, the Properties dialog box for controlled groups includes a Group Family-specific tab named Controlled By. From that tab, you can manage the configuration of the Group Family that controls the group.
The Controlled By tab displays the name and path of the group that stores the configuration of the Group Family. To view or change the configuration of the Group Family, click the Properties button.
So, there are two ways to access the Properties dialog box of the Group Family configuration storage group:
- On the Controlled By tab in the Properties dialog box for any group controlled by the Group Family, click Properties
- Right-click the Group Family configuration storage group, and click Properties
The following sections elaborate on the Group Family-specific tabs found in the Properties dialog box for the Group Family configuration storage group.
General tab
The General tab displays the Group Family name, and allows you to edit the description. This tab cannot be used to modify the Group Family name. You can change the name by using the Rename command on the Group Family configuration storage group.
By clicking the Storage Group Scope and Type (Advanced) button, you can view or modify the group scope and group type of the configuration storage group. Changes to these settings do not affect the Group Family. The group type and group scope are set to Security and Global by default, and normally need not be modified.
Controlled Groups tab
The Controlled Groups tab lists the groups that are controlled by this Group Family. The tab includes the following items:
Table 64: Controlled groups tab items
Controlled groups |
This is a list of all groups that are under the control of this Group Family. For each group, the list displays the name of the group along with the path and name of the container that holds the group. |
Capture Groups |
Click this button to examine the list of controlled groups in detail. For each of the controlled groups, you can identify the grouping assigned to that group. |
Manage Rules |
Click this button to view or change the Group Family settings that determine properties of the controlled groups such as the naming properties, the group type and scope, the container that holds the groups, and Exchange-related properties. |
Each of the groups listed on this tab is either created or captured by the Group Family, and linked to a certain grouping. You can view or modify those links by clicking Capture Groups.
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NOTE: For a newly created Group Family configuration, the list on this tab only includes the groups specified in the Capture Existing Groups Manually step of the New Group Family wizard. If that step was skipped, the list is empty until the Group Family has been run. |
Clicking Capture Groups displays a window where you can view the list of controlled groups in more detail. The Capture Groups window allows you to add, modify, or remove entries from that list.
The Capture Groups window lists all the controlled groups. For each group, you can see which grouping is linked to that group. As usual, groupings are identified by combinations of values of the group-by properties. Thus, each entry in the list includes the following information:
- Combination of values of the group-by properties The combination of property values that identifies a grouping.
- Group Name Identifies the group linked to the grouping.
- In Folder The canonical name of the container holding the group.
- Last Update. The date and time the group was last updated by the Group Family. The update occurs during a Group Family run, when any changes to the grouping are detected and the membership list of the group is modified so as to reflect those changes.
- Members The number of members that the group holds after the last update. Equals to the number of objects the Group Family found in the grouping as of the time of the last update.
The Capture Groups window provides these buttons for managing the list:
- Add Opens a window where you can select a group and specify a grouping to which you want to link (assign) an existing group. To specify a grouping, you need to enter a certain value of each of the group-by properties. The result is that the group you select is linked to the grouping identified by the combination of values you have entered.
- Edit Allows you to modify an entry you select from the list. Opens a window where you can select a different group, or specify a different grouping by making changes to the combination of values of the group-by properties.
- Remove Deletes the entries you select from the list. The result is that the Group Family will create new groups for the groupings you remove from the list.
- Scan Detects new combinations of values of group-by properties, and displays them in the list so that you can link existing groups to new combination manually if you do not want the Group Family to create new groups for those combinations.
When managing the list of groups in the Capture Groups window, consider the following:
- You can assign an existing group to a grouping regardless of whether the grouping actually exists in the directory. For example, you can assign a group to a grouping with a Department property value that is not encountered in the directory. Once the Department property for some users is set to that value, the Group Family will add those users to the specified group instead of creating a new group for the new Department.
- Only one group can be assigned to a grouping. If the list already includes a given grouping, you will not be allowed to add a new entry referring to that same grouping. In this case, you have the option to use the Edit button, to link a different group to the grouping.
- When you edit a list entry to link a different group to a grouping, the group that was earlier linked to the grouping remains intact. It neither is deleted nor has the membership list updated. In other words, the members of the grouping still belong to the group even though you have removed that group from the list, and thus from under the control of the Group Family.
- When you remove an entry from the list, the group that the entry refers to is not deleted. During a subsequent run, the Group Family will detect a grouping that has no group assigned and try to create a group for that grouping. This operation may fail due to a name conflict so long as there is an existing group with the same name—the group that was earlier linked to the grouping. To avoid name conflicts, rename or delete the groups you remove from under the control of the Group Family.