Tags allow users to create labels that can be applied to systems manually or automatically, based on the criteria assigned to the tag.

Similar to IP address sorting criteria, you can use tags for automated sorting into groups. Tags are used to identify systems with similar characteristics. If you organize some of your groups by such characteristics, you can create and assign tags based on such criteria. You can then use these tags as group sorting criteria to make sure that these systems are automatically placed within the appropriate groups.

Tag functions
You can do the following with tags:

• Apply one or more tags to one or more systems.
• Apply tags manually.
• Apply tags automatically, based on user-defined criteria, when the agent calls in.
• Exclude systems from tag application.
• Run queries to group systems with certain tags, then take direct actions on the resulting list of systems.
• Base System Tree sorting criteria on tags to place systems into the appropriate System Tree groups automatically.

Who can use tags?
Only global administrators can create or edit tags. But, ePO users with permissions to part of the System Tree can do the following:

• Apply and remove existing tags to systems in the groups to which they have permissions.
• Exclude systems from receiving specific tags.
• Use Queries to View, and take actions on systems with certain tags.
• Use scheduled queries with chained tag actions to maintain tags on the systems within their area of the System Tree.
• Configure sorting criteria based on tags to make sure that systems stay in the appropriate groups of the System Tree.

Types of tags
There are two types of tags:

• Tags without criteria - These tags can be applied only to selected systems in the System Tree (manually) and systems listed in the results of a query (manually or on a scheduled basis).
• Criteria-based tags - These tags are applied to all non-excluded systems at each agent-server communication. Such tags use criteria based on any properties sent by agent. They can also be applied to all non-excluded systems on-demand.

To create and apply tags in ePO:
 

1. Click Menu, Systems, Tag Catalog, New Tag.
2. On the New Tag pane, enter a name.
3. To open the Properties Catalog pane, click + in the Criteria row, or click Add below the Criteria row.
4. Click anywhere in the property row that you want to include.
5. Provide the specifications for the property on the New Tag pane to configure the criteria.
6. Expand Evaluation.
7. Identify whether systems are evaluated against the tag's criteria either only when the Run Tag Criteria action is taken, or at each agent-server communication.
   
   NOTE: The above options are unavailable if criteria isn’t configured. When systems are evaluated against a tag's criteria, the tag is applied to systems that match the criteria and haven’t been excluded from the tag.
    
8. Expand Restrictions, and then select Restrict usage to the Permission Sets below to restrict a tag to specific Permission Sets. Select the Permission Sets so that only those users belonging to the selected Permissions below:
   • Sets have access to this tag.
   • By default, Don’t restrict by Permission Sets is selected.
     
     After you save the tag, you can see the above on the Restrictions (Permission Sets) column on the Tags pane.
      
9. Expand Usage to see the Policy Assignment rules, Client Task Assignments, and Server Tasks that this tag is associated with.
10. Verify the information about this page, and then click Save.
    NOTE: If the tag has criteria, this page displays the number of systems that receive this tag when evaluated against its criteria.

1. Click Menu, Systems, System Tree, Systems, and select the group that contains the systems in the System Tree.
2. Select one or more systems in the Systems table, then click Actions, Tag, Exclude Tag.
3. In the Exclude Tag dialog box, select the tag group, select the tag to exclude, and then click OK.
   NOTE: To limit the list to specific tags, type the tag name In the text field under Tags.
    
4. Verify that the systems have been excluded from the tag:
   1. Click Menu, Systems, Tag Catalog.
   2. Select the tag, or tag group from the list of tags.
   3. Next to Systems with tag, click the link for the number of systems excluded from the criteria-based tag application.
      
      The Systems Excluded from the Tag page appears.
       
   4. Verify that the systems are in the list.

1. Click Menu, Systems, System Tree, Systems.
2. Select the group that contains the systems you want.
3. Select the systems, then click Actions, Tag, Apply Tag.
4. In the Apply Tag dialog field, select the tag group, select the tag to apply, and then click OK.
   NOTES:
   • To limit the list to specific tags, type the tag name in the text field under Tags.
   • Only those tags to which you have permission are listed in the Apply Tag dialog box.
      
5. Verify that the tags have been applied:
   1. Click Menu, Systems, Tag Catalog.
   2. Select a tag, or tag group from the list of tags.
   3. Next to Systems with tag in the details pane, click the link for the number of systems tagged manually.
      
      The 'Systems with Tag Applied Manually' page appears.
       
   4. Verify that the systems are in the list.

1. Verify that the systems have the tag applied:
   1. Click Menu, Systems, Tag Catalog.
   2. Select a tag or tag group in the list of tags.
   3. On the Tag Details pane, expand Systems.
   4. Click Apply tag now to systems that match the tag criteria.
   5. Click Save.
2. Select the tag, or tag group from the Tags list.
3. Click Actions, Run Tag Criteria.
4. On the Run Tag Criteria window, select whether to reset manually tagged and excluded systems.
   NOTE: Resetting manually tagged and excluded systems, removes the tag from systems that don't match the criteria. Then applies the tag to systems that match criteria, but were excluded from receiving the tag.
    
5. Click OK.
   
   The number of systems to which the tag is applied is displayed at the bottom of the page.

1. Open the Server Task Builder.
   1. Click Menu, Automation, Server Tasks.
   2. Click New Task.
2. On the Description page, name and describe the task, and then select whether the task is enabled after it’s created.
3. Click Next. The Actions page appears.
4. From the drop-down list, select Run Tag Criteria. Then select a tag from the Tag drop-down list.
5. Select whether to reset manually tagged and excluded systems.
6. Resetting manually tagged and excluded systems does two things:
   • Removes the tag on systems that don’t match the criteria
   • Applies the tag to systems that match the criteria but were excluded from receiving the tag
7. To open the Schedule page, click Next.
8. Schedule the task for the times you want, then click Next.
9. Review the task settings, then click Save.
   
   NOTE: The server task is added to the list on the Server Tasks page. If you selected to enable the task in the Server Task Builder wizard, it runs at the next scheduled time.