How to Create a Custom Group of Computers That Do Not Share Common Traits (298769)

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It may sometimes be important to create a custom computer group whose member computers do not share the same function or programs--for example, if an administrator wants to deploy customized rules.

To create such a group, add a custom registry value to the registry in each of the computers that you want to include, and then use a managed computer scan to assign the member computers to the group. Follow these steps:

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

1. Create the new custom computer group:
   1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe), and then create a string data value key on one of the agents that you want to bring into this custom computer group. For convenience, create this value at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Mission_Critical_Software. (Alternatively, skip this step if there is an existing registry value that you can use.)
   2. In the Microsoft Management Console, expand Operations Manager (Default), and then expand Rules.
   3. Right-click Computer Groups, and then click Create Computer Group. Specify all computer types, and then click Next.
   4. Click All Computers, and then click Next.
   5. In the Computer Rule Properties - Formula dialog box, click Attribute. If there is no predefined computer attribute that fits your requirements, click New.
   6. Click Registry Value, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Mission_Critical_Software (or to the registry value that you want to use instead), and then click the string data value that you created.
      
      Note that you must create this same string data value on all of the computers that you want to bring into this computer group.
   7. Click Next, and then click Check registry value for existence.
   8. Type a name and description for this registry attribute, and then click Finish.
2. After you create this same value on all of the computers that you want to bring into the new group, deploy the new computer group to your agents by performing a managed computer scan.
   
   The scan allows the Agent Manager to evaluate the new computer group and assign members to it. The process may take quite a while, but even in large environments computers generally begin to appear after about three to five minutes.
3. After the scan is complete, verify that the computers that you want to associate together into a custom computer group were evaluated correctly:
   1. In the MMC, under Monitor, click All Computer Groups.
   2. Look for your new computer group. Make sure that it has registered the correct computers as members.
4. Associate this custom computer group with a Processing Rule Group (PRG) to deploy predefined or custom rules to this group.