Host-Type Attributes

A host type is distinguished by its name and its attributes. An attribute is a name-value pair.

Host-Type Attribute Characteristics

• Each attribute can have a default value.

• Attributes names must begin with a letter and cannot include spaces.

• Attribute names must be unique within a particular host type.

• Adding new attributes to the host type results in the attributes and their defaults being added to every host of that type.

• Removing attributes from a host type permanently deletes those attributes from every host of that type.

• Attributes cannot be renamed. Attributes can only be deleted and added again with a new name, which results in the attribute value being reset to the default on all hosts of that type.

• Attribute values can be literal values or can represent variables determined by your configuration.

  These variables are called substitution variables. One of the most common substitution variables is :[container:installPath].

When you define a host, you can selectively override the host type's default attribute values. Default values that are not overwritten will be applied to the host. If a host-type attribute's default value is changed after hosts are created, all hosts that did not override the default value are updated to reflect the new attribute value.