Creating Sites and Subnets Manually

If it is not possible to import sites and subnets from Active Directory, you can create records manually. You may also need this manual process to subdivide subnets with too many devices for efficient management.

An inventory beacon will directly collect FlexNet inventory only from sites and subnets that have been assigned to it. Sites usefully group subnets, making it easier to target devices in several subnets with a single rule for inventory gathering. The subnet details must be accurate, as the inventory beacon will only apply rules to subnets it can access correctly.

To create sites and subnets manually:

1. Navigate to the All Subnets page (Network Discovery > All Subnets > All Subnets (in the Network group).

The All Subnets page lists any sites and subnets already recorded in your compliance database. They are grouped, and by default display any available sites, with the subnets hidden in groups. The first row is always Sites, which you can use to create a new site.

2. To create a new site, in the first row of the list of sites, in the Actions column, click + (Add).

A new blank entry is inserted in the second row of the list.

3. Complete the following information in this new blank row:

Column

Description

Site/Subnet

Enter a useful name for the site that you will recognize later in lists and reports. (Do not include any subnet details in this name. Subnets will be added as children of this site.)

Update automatically

If you are creating sites and subnets manually, make sure that this column shows No.

• When this column shows Yes, information about this site is updated by any future imports from Active Directory on your beacon. This includes deleting the site record if it is absent from an Active Directory import. Therefore if you manually create a site or subnet record that is not imported from Active Directory but make this column show Yes, your work is automatically deleted on the next import, in accordance with your setting.
• Choose the No option to prevent this site record being updated by Active Directory, or deleted if the record is not collected in an Active Directory import.

Note:After saving this site record, this column will be automatically be set to No if you add any child subset with a No value: manually managed subnets require that their parent site cannot be removed by an Active Directory import.
4. Click the save (diskette) icon on the right of this row (or press the Enter or Return key).

The row displays in (case-sensitive) alphabetical order within the list of sites.

5. To add a subnet record to a site, locate the site record in the list, and in the Actions column, click + (Add).

A new row appears below the site header, in edit mode.

6. Complete the following information in this new blank row:

Column

Description

Site/Subnet

Type in the IP address in IPv4 CIDR notation (for example, 192.168.100.0/24).

Note:The entire IP address (base address and subnet mask) must be unique through your enterprise. Each unique subnet may be assigned to exactly one site.

Beacon name

Either:

• Choose an inventory beacon name from the pull-down list
• Leave the value Unassigned, if you wish to assign this subnet in a later process. (Keep in mind that no inventory can be gathered from computers in this subnet until it has been assigned to an appropriate beacon.)

Status

Either:

• Leave the default value of Enabled to allow inventory collection from this subnet
• Switch to Disabled to prevent inventory collection from this subnet, even when it is targeted by inventory collection rules.

Update automatically

Typically, choose the Yes option for this column.

• When this column shows Yes, information about this subnet is updated by any future imports from Active Directory on your beacon. This includes deleting the subnet record if it is absent from an Active Directory import.
• Choose the No option to prevent this subnet record being updated (or deleted) by Active Directory. This may be useful, for example, if this is a special subnet for a test environment that may not be reported by Active Directory.
7. Click the save (diskette) icon on the right of this row.

You may repeat this process as often as required for your data entry.

Note:About deleting sites or subnets:

• Any subnet that has Automatically managed set, and which disappears from an Active Directory import, will be deleted automatically.
• Any site with Automatically managed set, which disappears from an Active Directory import, or which has all its child sites deleted, will be deleted automatically.
• If you delete any site or subnet record that is imported from Active Directory, it will be restored as soon as it appears in another import from Active Directory.

It is best practice to delete only manually-created (not imported) records that you no longer require.