<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Creating a Target List

Target lists are created in the Targets Editor. Target lists are optional, but they can make using the system more efficient so you don’t need to define the same targets every time you create or schedule a deployment.

The Targets Editor can be accessed from the specific Target List page on the Main Console window, the Deploy Once window, or the Schedule window.

This procedure includes the following parts:

•Part 1: New Target List

•Part 2: Link to Target Sources

•Part 3: Choosing Individual Targets

Part 1: New Target List

To create a target list:

1.Do one of the following:

•On the Main Console, click New Target List (or File > New Target List or press Ctrl+Shift+T).

•On the Schedule window, click the Targets tab, then click Choose Targets > Target List, then click New.

NOTE: To create a new private target list while using Central Server, select the Private Packages folder prior to creation. If the target list is created outside the Private Packages folder, it is available for public use. You can simply drag the new target list into the Private Packages folder to make it private and then delete the original.

2.Type a name for the target list.

It’s important to name target lists logically and consistently. Use names that make sense for the group of targets you select.

3.(Optional) Type a description for the target list.

4.(Optional) To manually add a target computer to the list, type the computer name in the Targets field, then click Add Computer. Alternately, you can also paste a target computer name (or list of names) directly into the Target area of the window. If copying a list of names, ensure that there is only one target computer name per line.

When you add a target computer manually, the name appears in the list and the system (DNS) checks to be sure it exists on the network. Targets resolved by DNS appear with a green checkmark .

NOTE: If the computer name can’t be found, a warning icon displays next to the Delete this target button. Check the name you typed and try it again. If you can’t add a computer manually, see Part 2: Link to Target Sources or Part 3: Choosing Individual Targets for alternative methods of finding and adding target computers to the list. Delete unresolved computer names from the list.

5.(Conditional) Do one of the following:

•To add target computers that are dynamically linked to groups, see Part 2: Link to Target Sources.

•To add individual target computers from groups, see Part 3: Choosing Individual Targets.

Part 2: link to Target Sources

Linking is used to select sources of computers as dynamic targets, such as Active Directory Containers, PDQ Inventory Collections, Spiceworks Groups, and Target Lists. For example, when you use select Active Directory Containers, you select the entire Accounting OU as the target, not individual computers. Each time a schedule or an auto deployment kicks off, the computers in the Accounting OU are dynamically added as target computers at the time of the deployment.

To dynamically link to sources of target computers:

1.Click Choose Targets, then select the appropriate option:

2.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Active Directory > Container.

a.Browse AD containers and groups.

To switch to a different domain, click Change Domain.

b.Select a container or group, then click OK to add it to the target list.

3.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > PDQ Inventory > Collection.

a.Browse PDQ Inventory collections.

PDQ Inventory can create default or custom collections of computers by attributes such as, installed applications, OS version, or hardware configurations.

b.Select a collection, then click OK to add it to the target list.

4.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Spiceworks > Groups.

a.Browse Spiceworks groups.

If you have not configured PDQ Deploy to work with your Spiceworks data, the PDQ Deploy Preferences window will open on the Spiceworks page. For details about configuring Spiceworks preferences, see Spiceworks Preferences.

b.Select a Spiceworks group, then click OK to add it to the target list.

5.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Target List > List.

a.Browse Targets Lists.

b.Select a Target List, then click OK to add it.

The target list is added to your new target list.

6.(Optional) To remove a target from the list, click Delete this target or select it, then press Delete.

7.(Conditional) Do one of the following:

•If you are done, click OK to save the new target list.

•To add an individual computer, see Part 3: Choosing Individual Targets.

Part 3: Choosing individual targets

Choosing individual targets selects computers by name from target sources such as Active Directory (AD), PDQ Inventory, and Spiceworks. For example, if you select target computers from an Active Directory OU (Operational Unit) called Accounting, you will be choosing the individual computers from under the Accounting OU and not selecting the entire Accounting OU as one target.

To add individual target computers:

1.Click Choose Targets (or right-click in the Targets area and click Choose Targets), then select an option:

2.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Active Directory > Computers.

a.Browse AD containers to locate target computers.

To switch to a different domain, click Change Domain.

b.Select one or more computers (Shift+click or Ctrl+click), then click Add Selected Computers to add them to the target list.

c.(Optional) To add all computers in the Computers list, click Add All Computers .

d.Click OK to add your selections to the target list.

3.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > PDQ Inventory > Computers.

a.Browse PDQ Inventory collections to locate target computers.

PDQ Inventory can create default or custom collections of computers by attributes such as installed applications, OS version, or hardware configurations. For more information about PDQ Inventory, see our website at https://www.pdq.com/pdq-inventory.

b.Select one or more computers (Shift-click or Ctrl-click), then click Add Selected Computers to add them to the target list.

c.(Optional) To add all computers in the Computers list, click Add All Computers .

d.Click OK to add your selections to the target list.

4.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Spiceworks > Computers.

a.Browse Spiceworks groups to locate target computers.

If you have not configured PDQ Deploy to work with your Spiceworks data, the PDQ Deploy Preferences window will open on Spiceworks settings. For details about configuring Spiceworks preferences, see Spiceworks Preferences.

b.Select one or more computers (Shift-click or Ctrl-click), then click Add Selected Computers to add them to the target list.

c.(Optional) To add all computers in the Computers list, click Add All Computers .

d.Click OK to add your selections to the target list.

NOTE: It may take a minute or two to sync with Spiceworks.

5.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Target Lists > Computers. then select a target list and click OK.

a.Browse Targets Lists.

b.Select a Target List, then click OK to add it.

The target computers from the selected list are added individually.

6.(Optional) Click Choose Targets > Text File.

a.Browse to the appropriate location.

b.Select a text file

c.Click OK to add it.

The target computer names listed in the file are added individually.

NOTE: You can import the target list XML files (.xml) that PDQ Deploy exports (see Exporting and Importing Target Lists) or text (.txt) and CSV files (.csv). Text files and CSV files must have one target computer name per line.

7.(Optional) To remove a target computer from the list, click Delete this target or select it, then press Delete.

8.(Conditional) Do one of the following:

•If you are done, click OK to save the new target list.

•To add targets that are dynamically linked to groups, see Part 2: Linking to Target Sources.

 

 

 

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