Updating Agent Attributes

Purpose

This document describes how to update the user defined attributes in agents.

Introduction

Agents in Outpost24 can carry custom metadata called attributes, such as numeric values, text tags, or status flags that help describe or classify what each agent represents. The Updating Agent Attributes feature governs how these attribute values are kept current: either by automatically pulling in data from agent discovery or by using explicitly set override values. This lets you maintain accurate metadata for filtering, reporting, and grouping of agents based on what their environment actually reports or what they represent, ensuring the agent inventory reflects real-world conditions.

Schedule Setting

To activate the Attribute settings:

1. Go to the Main Menu > Netsec > Scan Scheduling > Edit a schedule.

2. Select the Discovery Settings tab.

3. Select the Agent Discovery check box.

4. Select the Add Found Targets To Target Group check box.

   

To verify the settings:

1. Go to the Main Menu > Netsec > Manage Targets

   

   
   
   

2. We can see the Target attributes with their values: Checkbox Attribute, Text Attribute, Number Attribute

Configuring the Agent Attributes

There are two places for updating targets' attributes, Agent Attribute Updates and Customize Targets.

Agent Attribute Updates

The Will be changed checkbox can now be checked/unchecked.

• If checked, the selected Target attributes are updated by the discovery result from Agent discovery.
  

  

• If unchecked, the attribute sub-checkboxes are greyed out and disabled. It means no Target attributes are updated by the Agent discovery result.

  

Customize Targets

The Update Attributes checkbox can be checked/unchecked.

• If checked, the relevant Target attributes are updated by values of the below attributes (for example, Number Attribute value is 1337).

• If unchecked, no Target attributes will be updated by values of the below attributes.

If there is no custom attribute or no custom attribute for type Target, the Agent Attribute Updates section and Update Attributes checkbox in Customize Targets are hidden.

Attribute Function Examples

Both Will be changed and Update Attributes are checked

If both Will be changed and Update Attributes are checked:

• In Agent Update Attributes, only Number Attribute is checked, this means the Number Attribute Target attribute will be updated by the Agent discovery result, regardless of the setting in Customize Targets.

• For other unchecked attributes, Text Attribute and Number Attribute in Agent Attributes Updates, and the Update Attributes in Customize Targets checked, then the relevant Target attribute will be updated by the value of attributes in Customize Targets.
  For example, the value Text Override Value of Text Attribute and the value 1337 of Number Attribute will be updated to relevant Target attributes.

Both Will be changed and Update Attributes are unchecked

In case both Will be changed and Update Attributes are unchecked, no Target attribute will be updated.

Only Will be changed is checked

In case only Will be changed in Agent Attribute Updates is checked, the Target attributes' value totally depends on the Agent discovery result whether the attribute is checked or not.
For example, Number Attribute is checked, then Number Attribute of Target attribute will be updated only.

Only Update Attributes are checked

In case only Update Attributes of Customize Targets is checked, the Target attributes' value totally depends on the value of relevant attributes in Customize Targets.

For example, according to the value of the attribute in Customize Targets, the Target attributes will be updated as follows:

• Checkbox Attribute will be updated to No

• Text Attribute will be updated to Text Override Value

• Number Attribute will be updated to 1337

References

Attributes