Closest Server Rules
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Closest Server Rules
When you have multiple ZENworks Servers (Primary Servers and Satellites) in your environment,
you can use Closest Server rules to determine which ZENworks Server a managed device contacts
to perform the following functions:
Collection
Content
Configuration
Authentication
Closest Server rules help you improve load balancing between ZENworks Servers, perform failover,
and improve performance when there is a slow link between the managed devices and Servers.
The Closest Server rules let you map devices to ZENworks Servers based on network addresses
(DNS names and IP addresses).
For example, you can create a rule that maps all devices to Server1 that fall within the IP address
range of 123.45.67.1 to 123.45.67.100.
The following sections provide information and instructions for setting up Closest Server rules:
Section 9.1, “Understanding Closest Server Rules,” on page 99
Section 9.2, “Configuring the Closest Server Default Rule,” on page 101
Section 9.3, “Creating Closest Server Rules,” on page 108
Section 9.4, “Backing Up Closest Server Rules,” on page 117
9.1 Understanding Closest Server Rules
When your ZENworks Management Zone includes more than one server (Primary Servers and
Satellites), devices need to know which server to contact. The Closest Server Rules panel lets you
create rules to determine which servers a device contacts.
With respect to Closest Server rules, devices that are configured as Satellites are considered as
servers and can be listed for selection in the
Collection Servers
,
Content Servers
and
Authentication
Servers
lists.
The following sections provide information you should understand before you start creating Closest
Server rules:
Section 9.1.1, “ZENworks Server Functions,” on page 100
Section 9.1.2, “Mapping Devices to Servers,” on page 100
Section 9.1.3, “Effective Rules,” on page 100
