Network environment definitions are the building blocks for locations. You can define a network environment while you are creating a location, but we recommend that you define network environments first and then add them as you are creating locations.
In ZENworks Control Center, click Configuration > Locations.
In the Network Environments panel, click New to launch the Create New Network Environment Wizard.
On the Define Details page, fill in the following fields, then click Next:
Network Environment Name: Provide a name for the network environment. Users never see the name; it displays only in ZENworks Control Center. The name must conform to ZENworks object naming conventions. For details, see Section 1.8, Naming Conventions in ZENworks Control Center.
Description: Provide optional information about the new environment. This is for your benefit. This information appears only in ZENworks Control Center.
Throttle Rate: Specify the bandwidth throttle rate for distributing content to devices located in this network environment. To maximize performance of your ZENworks Servers and network system, high bandwidth environments can use one set of throttle rates and low bandwidth environments a different set of throttle rates.
For every location or network environment an effective throttle rate can be set. Content that is being downloaded to a particular location should be downloaded with the set throttle rate. However, if content is being delivered to an end point from a content distribution satellite, the throttling rate set on the location or network environment is ineffective. The full bandwidth is being used for downloading the content.
The throttle rate can be overridden in a bundle so that high-priority patch and bundle content can be deployed quickly. If you do not specify a throttle rate, the network environment inherits the throttle rate assigned to the location.
On the Network Environment Details, fill in the following fields, then click Next:
Limit to Adapter Type: By default, the network services you define on this page are evaluated against a device’s wired, wireless, and dial-up network adapters. If you want to limit the evaluation to a specific adapter type, select Wired, Wireless, or Dial Up.
Minimum Match: Specify the minimum number of defined network services that must be matched in order to select this network environment.
For example, if you define one gateway address, three DNS servers, and one DHCP server, you have a total of five services. You can specify that at least three of those services must match in order to select this network environment.
When specifying a minimum match number, keep the following in mind:
The number cannot be less than the number of services marked as Must Match.
The number should not exceed the total number of defined services. If so, the minimum match would never be reached, resulting in the network environment never being selected.
Network Services: The Network Services panel lets you define the network services that the Endpoint Security Agent evaluates to see if it’s current network environment matches this network environment. Select the tab for the network service you want to define, click Add, then fill in the required information. If a network service includes a Must Match option, select the option to require that the network service exist in order to match this network environment.
For detailed information about each service, click the Help > Current Page.
On the Summary page, click Finish to add the network environment definition to the list.
In ZENworks Control Center, click Configuration > Locations.
In the Network Environments panel, perform the following tasks to manage network environments:
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Task |
Steps |
Additional Details |
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Edit a network environment |
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If you choose to exclude the Closest Server Default Rule for a network environment that does not have any closest server rule configured, then the network environment is considered as a disconnected network environment. |
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Delete a network environment |
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You cannot delete a network environment that has ZENworks objects associated. To delete a network environment that has ZENworks objects associated, you must first remove the association and then delete the network environment. |
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Rename a network environment |
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The name must conform to the ZENworks object naming conventions. |
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View the list of locations that include a network environment |
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The Associated Locations dialog box displays all the locations to which this network environment is associated. |
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View the list of ZENworks Objects associated to a network environment |
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The Relationships page displays the ZENworks objects such as policies and bundles that are associated to the network environment. A ZENworks object such as a bundle or policy is associated with a network environment only if it contains a reference to the network environment through system requirement or policy configuration. The list displays the following information:
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You can back up the network environments by using the following zman commands:
network-environment-export-to-file (neetf): Exports a network environment’s information to an XML-formatted file.
network-environment-create (nec): Creates a network environment from the information contained in the specified XML file.
For more information about these commands and their usage, see Network Environment Commands
in the ZENworks 11 Command Line Utilities Reference.