Profile Compliance

You can assign a profile to a managed host. You can also assign a profile to a group. Profile assignment does not limit the jobs you can run on hosts or groups. However, it does allow you to run a profile compliance check.

A profile compliance check tests whether a host complies with the requirements of its assigned profile, and to the profiles assigned to the groups to which the host belongs.

Example 4–7 Checking a Host for Profile Compliance

This example uses predefined profiles, which run tests on a complete system. Once you have created your own profiles (see Chapter 9, Profiles), that specifically define the requirements of your different machines, you can assign the appropriate profile to each host or group. In the example, you would probably change the assigned profile of the host from Check System to Web Server.

You have a host that will be a web server. You assign the Check System profile to this host. The Check System profile tests for missing or conflicting dependencies.

You assign the web server host to the test group. This group tests the integrity and stability of upgraded software. Its assigned profile is the Upgrade All Components check.

When the web server host has passed all tests, you move it to the web server production group. This group has an assigned profile of Check Security, which tests for known security holes.

At any time, you can run the profile compliance test and make sure that the web server host does not have dependency issues. While it is in the test group, you can also check, simultaneously, that all its software is upgraded. While it is in the production group, you can check (again, at the same time as you check for dependencies) that the server is secured.

To Check Profile Compliance

In this procedure, you will run a profile compliance check on a host that belongs to a group. Both the host and the group have assigned profiles. This procedure may be run by any user, of any level permissions.

1. In the Hosts list, expand a group and select a single managed host or group.

2. Do one of the following:

   • From the tool bar, click the Profile Compliance Check button.

   • Right-click the selected host and choose Profile Compliance.

   • From the Hosts menu, choose Profile Compliance Check.

   The Profile Compliance window opens.

   The Profile Compliance Check executes within seconds, resulting in compliance status for the profile attached to the host, and for the profiles attached to groups to which the host belongs.

   Select a profile in the list. Its details appear in the bottom panel.

   If the icon of a profile is marked with an exclamation mark in a red circle, the host is not compliant with that profile. Create a Complex Job to fix the issues (see Chapter 11, Complex Jobs).