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"Scope" answers the question who... (e.g. Who will this action apply to? Who is a member of this group?) As mentioned previously on the Smart Groups page, Smart Groups operate on the idea of "criteria". Criteria defines the what/which... (e.g. What application? Which version? Which static group?) Scope is based upon criteria. Both pieces are necessary in order for us to build workflows to manage computers.

Casper Admin Guide Says...

"Scope gives you granular control over which computers, mobile devices, and users receive remote management tasks." —Casper Suite Administrators Guide, p. 134

Examples of Criteria

In Duke's Casper environment, some examples of criteria you can use as part of scope include:

  • Static Groups (e.g. Smart Groups can be based upon single/combination of static groups)
  • Smart Groups (e.g. Smart Groups can be based upon other Smart Groups – "nested")
  • Application Title/Version
  • Presence/Absence of an Application
  • Computer Model
  • Active Directory (AD) Status(viz. bound/unbound)
  • IP Address
  • ...and more!

NOTE: For a full list of current criteria, attempt to create a new Smart Group and click on the Criteria tab > Add button > choose the "All Criteria" option at the bottom.

Refining your Scope

Scope should be as specific as possible! Most actions run amok are the result of failure to properly limit the scope, or to account for all possible variables in the environment.

Let's consider the example of wanting to update Microsoft Office for Mac 2016. How would you define your population? As specifically as possible! Here's the task: Deploy a patch that updates Office 2016 to 15.19.0, making sure to properly define who receives the patch.

Suggested Scope:

  • Make a Smart Group: "Who needs Office 2016 update?", defined by:
    • Criteria #1: "Who has Office for Mac 2016?" > Lists computers only those computers who have this application installed in the first place
    • --AND-- Criteria #2: "Who does NOT have version 15.19.0" > Checks for those who have a version earlier that is not equal to 15.19.0.

Would this have worked if you omitted Criteria #2? Perhaps, but you may have updated computers that were already up to date. Remember, be as specific as possible!

For more information...

If you want to learn more about Scope, refer to the Casper Suite Administrators Guide, pp. 134-138.

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