Server Rules

Beginning in version 25.12, Orchid Hybrid VMS supports server tag rules. This allows Administrators to define conditions under which the system will automatically assign server tags. Once rules are established, any time a new server is added to the system, all of the applicable rules and tags will be applied automatically.

Each time a rule is created, it will be added to the Recorder Directives. The directives ensure that all of the rules are distributed to all of the Recorder servers.

1. To access the Server Rules screen, go to the Server Tags screen, then click the Rules tab.

The screen above shows that no server rules have been created yet.

2. To enter your first rule, click the Create server rule link. (To add subsequent rules, click the Add Server Rule button.) The Add Server Rule screen will appear.

3. If you want to add a tag, first click into the Tag Name field. A list of existing tags, if any, will appear.
4. If you want to use an existing tag, click on a tag in the list. (Please note: If you do this, the existing tag will be overwritten.)
5. To add a new tag, type the new tag name into the Tag Name field, then click on it to select it.
6. Enter a description for the new tag in the Tag Description field.

Now you can begin defining the conditions under which the tag will be assigned to a server.

7. Using the Server Attribute drop-down list, select either Server Name or Server Tag Key.

When you select the Server Name attribute, your rule conditions will focus on the server name. When you select the Server Tag Key attribute, your rule conditions will focus on existing tags. (This allows you to create a rule that will assign a new tag to all of the servers that already contain a specific server tag.)

8. After you select an attribute, use the Operator drop-down list to begin defining which attributes you are looking for. (In this case, you will begin defining which server names you will be looking for.) Available operators include the following:
   1. Contains
   2. Does Not Contain
   3. Does Not End With
   4. Does Not Equal
   5. Does Not Start With
   6. Ends With
   7. Equals
   8. Regex (a regular expression)
   9. Starts With
9. In the Value field, enter a value to complete the condition.

Take a look at the example pictured above. With just the first condition, we instruct the system to look for server names that contain DC. If the system detects one, it will assign our new tag (midatlantic) to that server. Since we are looking in the entire mid-Atlantic area, we are going to add more conditions.

10. Click the Add Condition button. Once again, select an attribute, an operator, and a value.
11. Now, since we have more than one condition, we need to define the relationship between the conditions. (Ask this question: Do we need both of the conditions to be true in order to assign the tag, or just one of the conditions?)
    1. Click the AND button if both of the conditions must be true in order to assign the tag to the server.
    2. Click the OR button if just one of the conditions is required to assign the tag.
12. Continue adding conditions, as needed.
13. Expand the Advanced Configuration field if you need to review or revise the relationships between all of the conditions.

The system displays the Conditional Expression that results from the conditions we entered. However, you might need to modify the overall relationship. The Advanced Configuration field provides an example that illustrates how you might modify the expression. Let’s say you have added 3 conditions, with the OR expression between all of them. This would mean that the system will assign the tag to a server that meets any one of those conditions. If, instead, you need a server to meet the first condition plus one of the other two, you would modify the Conditional Expression as follows: (1 AND (2 OR 3)).

14. Click the Edit button if you need to make changes.
15. When your settings are complete, click the Next button.

This screen will give you a chance to review your rule settings.

16. If you need to make changes, click the Back button and make those changes.
17. When all of your settings are complete, click the Save button.

18. The last step is to apply the rule that you have just created.
    1. Click the Apply button to finalize the rule.
    2. Click the Abandon button to eliminate the new rule.