Managing Locations

Avalanche uses regions and folders to organize devices, console users, and settings. Regions relate to device servers and contain the folders associated with the server. You can create folders to group together devices that are at the same physical location, or devices that require similar management. Regions and folders are organized in the Navigation Tree, which is on the left of the Console:

When a region or parent folder is selected, the devices or profiles associated with any sub-folders are displayed in the main area of the console, depending on which tab is selected. Profiles that are applied at regions or parent folders are inherited by any sub-folders. For example, if Jan's iPhone is in Folder B, it is also displayed in the inventory for Folder 1, and profiles applied at Folder 1 are applied to the iPhone. (Profiles inherited from other folders can be excluded so that they are not applied, however.)

To view the details about a region or folder, select it and click View at the top of the Navigation Tree. The details appear in the main page.

Regions

Each Avalanche device server is associated with exactly one region. Devices that connect to the server are placed in folders that are in the same region as the server.

Devices do not belong directly to a region. Instead, the inventory panel for a region displays the devices associated with its folders. In the example tree above, the inventory panel for Region 1 would display the devices in Folder 1, Folder 2, and all their sub-folders.

A region can be created inside another region, but not inside a folder.

Folders

When devices enroll, they are assigned to a folder. The way they are assigned depends on the type of device.

•Smart devices. Avalanche uses enrollment rules to determine which devices belong to each folder. When you create an enrollment rule, you associate the rule with a specific folder. Each smart device that connects using that enrollment rule is assigned to that folder, and the settings for that folder are applied on the device. Devices can be moved to different folders after they are enrolled.

•AIDC devices. Avalanche uses selection criteria to determine which devices belong to a folder. For example, if Folder 1 has the selection criterion: ModelName = ITCCK30, Intermec CK30 devices that connect to Avalanche automatically appear in the folder's inventory. It is best to use the most specific criteria on the folders deepest in the tree, and use more general criteria for parent folders. If a device meets the criteria for more than one folder, it is placed in the highest priority folder with matching criteria.

•Printer devices. Avalanche uses selection criteria to determine which devices belong to a folder. For example, if Folder 1 has the selection criterion: Manufacturer = Zebra, Zebra printer devices that connect to Avalanche automatically appear in the folder's inventory. It is best to use the most specific criteria on the folders deepest in the tree, and use more general criteria for parent folders. If a device meets the criteria for more than one folder, it is placed in the highest priority folder with matching criteria.

Folders display only the devices that have connected to the associated server. Regardless of what the selection criteria for a folder are, a folder cannot display devices that connect to the server in a different region than the folder.

The Unassigned Devices folder is a unique folder that is designed to contain devices that are unassociated with any other folder. For example, if a folder is deleted, the devices associated with that folder are moved to the Unassigned Devices folder. You cannot apply profiles to the Unassigned Devices folder. Move devices to a different folder in order to manage them. To move devices automatically into folders that have matching selection criteria, click the Apply criteria to all button at the top of the panel.

Folder priority

Folder priority is determined by where a folder is in the tree: sub-folders have higher priority than parent folders, and folders that are closer to the top of the tree have higher priority.

Moving a folder in the tree changes its priority.

To move a folder in the tree, select the folder and use the Up and Down arrows at the top of the Navigation Tree or click View > Move.

For more information about managing locations in Avalanche, see the following sections: