Editing Site Properties (Site Definition)

When you create a new site, you also specify its definition. Open the Properties of a selected site in the Infrastructure view's menu to view and change the site definition on the Site Definition tab.

If you change a site definition, always ensure that the managed computers can assign themselves to any site; otherwise they will not be able to update the new configuration from the depot. For more information, refer to: Changes in the Site Structure.

Site Type

Clients may be directly connected to the LAN, access the company network via a dial-up line or may be working offline.

• LAN site
  
  Select this site type if clients are directly connected to the local network. With LAN Sites, the repositories and the package files typically reside on the network, i.e., on a depot.
• Remote site
  
  Select this site type if clients have a slow connection (for example, ISDN) to the network. With remote sites, the repositories are typically stored on the network or on CD.
• Offline site
  
  Select this site type if clients are temporarily working offline. When the managed computer is working offline, the package files and the repository are typically located on CD. An offline site can contain its own repository that is automatically updated when the managed computer connects to LAN.

Site Definition (Addresses)

You can specify here which attribute - address type or value range - is used to assign a computer to this site.

The following buttons are available:

• New displays a dialog where you can add a new address definition. Select the address type and the address range
• Edit changes the address range of the selected address definition
• Remove deletes the selected address definition
• Exclude/Include excludes or includes the selected address range
• -1/+1 moves the criteria to the previous or next site definition.

Value Ranges

For each characteristic that is used in the definition of a site, a value range must be specified in the form From ... To. The To value must be equal or greater than the From value. (If the values are the same, the value range consists of only one value)

The numbers in the Def. No. column determine the actual site definition. Site definition types with the same index are connected by AND.

A site may have several independent definitions. A computer that matches one of these definitions, is assigned to the respective site.

You can use the following characteristics:

• IP addresses: Starting with DSM 2017, the system supports both IPv4 and IPv6 address formats.
• IP names
• Name of an AD site (site in the Active Directory)
• IPX addresses
• IPX node
• MAC addresses
• Computer names
• Resource domain
• Work group
• Variables

By using variables, you can create site definitions based on registry entries or INI files, for example. This enables site assignment without the use of network-specific characteristics such as IP addresses or computer names. You can find an example in the section Site Definition with Variables below.

Mask for IP Addresses

The input mask accepts only correct IP addresses for the IP address characteristic.
Ivanti DSM evaluates the specifications in "numerical" order.

IPv4 Adress Range

You can use the full range of IPv4 addresses, for example a range between 100.100.0.0 to 100.200.255.255:

In offline sites we do not recommend using IP addresses to define sites: Only fixed IP addresses guarantee a correct site assignment if the user/computer is offline. Computers with a dynamic IP address always have the address 0.0.0.0 without a network connection!

IPv6 Adress Range

You can use the full range of IPv6 addresses, for example a range between 2001:2:3:4:5:6:7:0 and 2001:2:3:4:5:6:7:ffff. The notation can be abbreviated, for example 2000:0:0:1:2:0:3:4 becomes 2000::1:2:0:3:4.

Mask for other characteristics

For all other characteristics, the To and From values can be any string you choose.
From the strings entered under from and to, the system initially derives an "input mask": It uses the wildcard "?" for characters that are different in both strings. The value range is then determined by means of a string comparison.

Normally strings used to specify the value range must be of the same length. By placing the wildcard "*" at the end of the string, you may also permit values of different lengths.

Using Multiple Characteristics

Multiple different characteristics can be used in the site definition. These specifications are linked by a logical AND: All characteristics must "match" the client.

A client is assigned to the site defined below if:

• the IP name lies in the range LT200 ... LT 300 and also
• the resource domain is the domain Dok_Domain.
  
  
  
   

Excluding Value Ranges

You can Exclude one or more value ranges for a characteristic. These value ranges are identified by an Exclude icon and a minus sign preceding the characteristic.

• A client is assigned to the site defined below when the IP address is in the range 100.0.0.0 through 200.0.0. and not in one of the following ranges:
  
  - 101.0.0.0 bis 102.0.0.0
  
  - 150.0.0.0 bis 151.0.0.0
  
  
  
  

Specifying Multiple Value Ranges for One Characteristic

Multiple value ranges can be specified for the same characteristic. (These specifications are linked by a logical OR.)

Use multiple value ranges if:

• your characteristic contains strings of different lengths;
• the specified value range does not produce the input mask you expected.

Site Definition with Variables

In some cases, IP addresses or IP names cannot be used for a site definition. In this case, you can define the site using variables. This is also recommend­able for tests if you want to switch the site assignment of a client.

The variables need to be user-defined variables which you can create in the configuration table (on ORG level). The following variables can be used to define sites:

• Variables based on registry entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• Variables based on INI files

Examples for the Evaluation of Value Ranges

Information: Variable, values from.. to		Input mask	Possible values of variable
1	Windir from c:\winnt.tst to d:\winnt	?:\winnt.tst	c:\winnt.tst, d:\winnt.tst
2	Computer name from TEST01WS to TEST99WS	TEST??WS	TEST01WS, TEST02WS, ... TEST99WS
3	Computer name from LT001 to LT100	LT?0?	LT000, LT001, ..., LT009, LT100
4	Computer name from LT100 to LT200	LT?00	LT100, LT200

In Examples 3 and 4, the result may be different from what you expect. The intention in Example 3 may have been to use computers LT001, LT002, LT003 etc. through to LT100. To attain this, you must enter several value ranges.