Computer Groups and Filter Groups

Computers with the SmartDeploy Client installed will communicate with the SmartDeploy console and appear in the Computer Management view. By default, computers will appear in a single group called All Computers, but it is possible to add computers to one or more additional groups for organizational purposes.

There are two types of Groups available in Computer Management:

Computer Group

A user-defined group of one or more specific computers.

Filter Group

A dynamic group which updates its member computers automatically based on one or more user-defined criteria (available in 3.0.1090+) 

Computer Groups

Create a Computer Group using Right-click | Create:

1. In the Computer Management workspace of the SmartDeploy Console, select one or more computers that you want to add to a group.
   
   To multi-select computers, click on the first computer you wish to select. Then use Ctrl-Click (for multiple, specific computers), Shift-Click (for a range of computers), or Ctrl-A (to Select All).
2. Right-click the selected computer(s), mouse over Computer Group, and then click Create.
   
   
   

Create a Computer Group using the New Group wizard

1. In the Computer Management view, click the Create + button in the lower-left corner.
   
2. In the New Group wizard, select Computer Group, and click Next.
   
3. Select one or more computers, enter a Group Name, and then click Finish.
   

Edit or Delete a Computer Group:

In Computer Management, you can select an existing Computer Group and then click the Edit or Delete buttons.


If you Edit an existing group, you will launch the Edit Group wizard, which is identical to the final page of the New Group wizard above, allowing you to change the name of the group, add/remove computers from the group, and click OK to save your changes.

Filter Groups

Create a Filter Group using the New Group wizard

1. In the Computer Management view, click the Create + button in the lower-left corner.
   
2. In the New Group wizard, select Computer Group, and click Next.
3. Enter a Group Name, and then click the + icon to add your first filter:
   
4. In the Add/Edit Filter wizard, click the Column dropdown to select which column filter you wish to apply. In this example, we will select all computers with an Operating System containing 21H2.
   
   Note that every column that appears (or can appear) in Computer Management is an attribute that can be used to create a Filter Group:
   
   There are many options for what condition or comparison is made for the attribute that you have selected. You can perform exact or approximate matches, use comparisons (for all numerical values), and configure filters which are inclusive or exclusive of the text you provide.
   
   
   
5. After you have selected your Column, Condition, and Value, click OK to complete the filter.
   
6. If you wish, you may add additional filters by repeating 3-5 above.
   
   If you add multiple filters, you must choose a Criteria operator.
   If you set the Criteria value to AND, then computers which meet all specified filters will be included in the Filter Group.
   
   If you set the Criteria value to OR, then computers which meet any one of the specified filters will be included in the Filter Group.
   
   
7. If you wish to remove a filter you have created, left-click the filter, and then click the Minus (-) icon.
   
8. Click Finish to complete your Filter Group.
   
   Note: As with Computer Groups above, you may click the name of a Filter Group and click Edit to launch a version of this same wizard, which will allow you to change your Filters, Criteria, or the Group Name as needed.