Performing Network Actions

A network action is similar to a network query, except that instead of gathering information, you specify an action to perform on one or more remote agents.

The action can be any task a microagent method of type IMPACT_ACTION or IMPACT_ACTION_INFO can perform. Examples of tasks you might perform as a network action include loading rulebases, starting and stopping processes, or executing custom scripts.


	Since performing a single network action can have a widespread effect, use this feature with caution.

To perform a network action:

Follow the steps specified in Performing Network Queries section for accessing the Network Query screen and specifying a list of target agents.

Click Set Targets to add agents that tested true during the network query to the target list for a network action.

Click the Invoke an action radio button from the Choose Microagent and Method panel title bar. The Microagent-Method tab lists only methods that perform an action (IMPACT_ACTION and IMPACT_ACTION_INFO).

Click the Custom microagent and the executeForNumber() method.

Type the full path of a script to execute, such as cleanup.bat, in the Command field. This might be a script that deletes core and temporary files on the local machine.

Click

. The results screen details are same as Invoke a method results.

Click the

icon for any agent in the list to view action results.

Network query and action are interactive tools, so conditions you identify and solve in this manner might return without warning. If a particular network query repeatedly yields a true result, you should consider formalizing query and action steps in a rulebase. The rulebase could contain a single rule to check for disk space usage greater than 90 percent, then call the cleanup script. A second action could notify you by email that the script was run. You could distribute this rulebase to all agents, or just agents with a pattern of high disk space usage. For more information, see Working with Rulebases.