HP 3PAR Policy Server Administrator's Guide (QR483-96003, December 2012)

HP 3PAR Policy Server 3-2
Understanding Asset Groups
The organization of asset groups in the Policy Server database is hierarchical. By default, Policy Server
provides the Global asset group, which serves as the parent for all other asset groups. If desired, you can
change the name of this asset group, but you cannot change its place in the hierarchy. In general, every other
asset group is a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of the Global group. Depending on how you choose to
set up the asset groups, the hierarchy might have additional lower levels, but never any level higher than
Global and never more than 10 levels in all (including the Global level).
This hierarchy is important because it sets up how assets get their policies - through inheritance. Inheritance
and policies will be discussed later in this chapter. For now, you need to know that this is the reason for the
hierarchy. Next, you need to understand the two ways to create asset groups - automatic and manual.
Important!
For best performance, keep the number of asset groups that you create and use to the smallest number
possible.
The asset groups in the Policy Server database have NO relationship to the Asset Groups configured in the
HP 3PAR Enterprise Server.
As of release 6.1, Build 615257, Policy Server no longer creates asset groups automatically for each serial
number when Agent gateway or Policy Agent first registers with Policy Server. However, it does
automatically create asset groups for each model and assigns the assets to these model groups. In addition,
Policy Server no longer allows you to change the Parent asset group of a selected asset group.
Automatic Creation of Asset Groups
Suppose you have an Agent gateway running on a gateway asset that is monitoring several assets. When it
starts up, the Agent gateway sends the model and serial number of the gateway asset as well as the model
and serial numbers of each asset the Agent is monitoring (the "managed" assets). When it receives the
registration message, Policy Server creates an asset group for each model of asset. For example, the gateway
asset has the model name, Model_ABC, and its managed assets have two model names, model_123 and
model_789. The following asset groups are created based on this information:
• Model_ABC is created as an immediate child asset group of Global. If additional gateway assets of
this model register with Policy Server, they are added to this asset group.
• model_123 and model_789 are created as immediate child asset groups of Global. If additional
managed assets of either of these models register with Policy Server, they are added to the
respective asset group. In addition, Policy Server records that these two models are associated with
(managed by) Model_ABC.