> This page is for Itential Platform On-Prem, version 6 (default). > For other versions, use one of these documentation indexes: > - 6 (default): https://docs.itential.com/itential-platform/6/llms.txt > - 2023.2: https://docs.itential.com/itential-platform/2023-2/llms.txt > For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.itential.com/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.itential.com/_mcp/server. # Manage device groups > Create device groups from device names or Inventory Manager tags, add and remove devices, and track golden configuration and compliance plan activity for each group. Platform 6.7+ A device group is a named set of devices that golden configuration trees, compliance plans, and Studio workflow tasks target as a single unit. In Platform 6.7, you can build a group from Inventory Manager tags as well as from device names. You can also see which trees and plans use each group and how its devices performed in their latest compliance checks. This page is for network operators and auditors who build device groups and run compliance against them. ## How device groups work Keep these behaviors in mind when you build and maintain a device group: * **Membership is a snapshot**: A group contains the devices you selected when you saved it. If tags or inventory change later in Inventory Manager, the group doesn't update. To bring a group up to date, add devices to it again. * **Devices can come from more than one source**: One group can hold devices you selected by name and devices you selected by Inventory Manager tag, including devices from more than one inventory. * **Access control applies**: You can only see and select the inventories, tags, and devices that your Inventory Manager permissions allow. * **Consumers don't change**: Golden configuration trees, compliance plans, and Studio tasks use a tag-built group the same way they use any other device group. ## Before you begin Before you work with device groups, confirm that: * You have access to Configuration Manager. * To build groups from tags, the devices you want are in an inventory in Inventory Manager and have tags applied. See [Tags and organization](../inventory-manager/inventory-manager-tags). * Your Inventory Manager permissions give you access to the inventories and tags you want to use. See [Security and access control](../inventory-manager/security-access-control). ## View device groups To see all device groups, select **Device Groups** in the Configuration Manager left navigation. The **Device groups** page lists every group you can access. | Column | Description | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Name** | The group name. Select it to open the group's details. | | **Status** | The group's compliance status from its most recent run, such as **Non-Compliant**. Groups that haven't been checked show **Not Run**. | | **Description** | The group description, if one was added. | | **OS Mix** | The device operating systems in the group, such as Cisco IOS and Cisco NX. | | **Tags** | The Inventory Manager tags associated with the group's devices. | | **Last Run** | How long ago a compliance check last ran against the group, such as **Last run 3d ago**. | Use the search box to find a group by name, description, OS mix, or tag. You can sort by **Name**, **Status**, and **Last Run**, and filter by **Status**, **OS Mix**, **Tags**, and **Last Run**. The **Last Run** filter offers the last 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 3 months, or 6 months, or groups that have never run. ## Create a device group You create a device group in the **Create Device Group** panel. The panel has two tabs for finding devices: **Name** and **Inventory Tags**. On the **Device groups** page, select **New Device Group**. Enter a **Group Name**. Optionally, enter a **Description**. Select devices using one or both tabs: * **Name**: Lists every device available to you, with its **Device OS** and **Source**. Search the list, or filter and sort by name, device OS, or source. Select the checkbox for each device you want to add. * **Inventory Tags**: Select an **Inventory**, then select one or more **Tags**. The table lists the devices in that inventory that match the selected tags. To narrow the results, filter by **Device Name** or **Device OS**. Select the checkbox for each device you want to add, or select the checkbox in the header row to select every device in the list. To add devices from another inventory, select a different **Inventory** and repeat. Devices you've already selected stay selected when you switch inventories. The **Devices Selected** count shows how many devices you've chosen across all inventories. Select **Create**. The new group appears on the **Device groups** page with a status of **Not Run**. ## Add devices to a group Open the group from the **Device groups** page. Select **Add Devices**. The **Add Devices to Group** panel opens. Select devices on the **Name** tab, the **Inventory Tags** tab, or both. These tabs work the same way as they do when you [create a group](#create-a-device-group). Confirm your selection to add the devices to the group. A confirmation message shows how many devices were added to the group. ## View group details To open a group, select its name on the **Device groups** page. The top of the details page summarizes the group: | Field | Description | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Status** | The group's compliance status from its most recent run. | | **Description** | The group description, if one was added. | | **OS / Vendor Mix** | The device operating systems in the group. | | **Tags** | The Inventory Manager tags associated with the group's devices. | | **Devices** | The number of devices in the group. | Below the summary, the **Devices** and **Recent activity** tabs show the group's members and its compliance history. ### Devices tab The **Devices** tab lists every device in the group. | Column | Description | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Name** | The device name, which links to the device's details page. Devices from Inventory Manager use the format `::`. | | **Device OS** | The device operating system. | | **Source** | Where the device comes from, such as **Inventory Manager**, **Automation Gateway**, or an NSO instance. | | **Actions** | **Remove** takes the device out of the group. | Search by name, device OS, or source, and sort or filter any column. The table shows 25 devices per page. ### Recent activity tab The **Recent activity** tab lists each golden configuration tree and compliance plan that uses the group. A row appears as soon as you add the group to a tree or plan, before any compliance check runs. > **Note** > > Golden configuration trees and compliance plans are part of Configuration Manager Enterprise. Without it, the **Recent activity** tab has no entries. | Column | Description | | ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Type** | The type and name of the tree or plan, in the format `Golden Configuration: ` or `Compliance Plan: `. Each entry links to the golden configuration tree's details page or the compliance plan's details page. | | **Status** | **Non-Compliant** if at least one device in the group failed the most recent check. **Not Run** if no check has run yet. | | **Last Run** | How long ago the most recent check ran, such as **Last run today**. | | **Result** | The number of non-compliant devices from the most recent check, such as **10 devices non-compliant**. Devices that failed to connect during the check count as non-compliant. | The **Recent activity** tab gives a summary only. To see which devices failed compliance and which failed to connect, select the tree or plan and open its compliance report. You can filter each column: * **Type**: Golden Configuration, Compliance Plan, or both. * **Status**: The compliance status of the most recent check. * **Last Run**: 24h, 7d, 30d, 60d, or 90d. * **Result**: Number of non-compliant devices that's at least, at most, or between the values you enter. Use the search box to find a row by type or status. Because the **Type** column includes the tree or plan name, you can also search by name. ## Remove devices from a group Removing a device takes it out of the group only. The device stays in its inventory or source system. * **Remove one device**: On the **Devices** tab, select **Remove** in the device's row. * **Remove several devices**: Select the checkbox for each device, then select the delete icon above the table. ## Delete a device group You can't delete a device group while a golden configuration tree or compliance plan uses it. Configuration Manager returns an error if you try. Remove the group from each tree and plan listed on its **Recent activity** tab first. To delete a group, open it and select **Delete**. Deleting a group doesn't delete its devices. ## Inventory tags on device details The **Device Details** card for a device from Inventory Manager includes an **Inventory Tags** field that lists the tags applied to the device. You can use it to check how a device is categorized without leaving Configuration Manager. For the other fields on this page, see [View and manage devices](./manage-devices). ## Device groups in golden configuration trees and compliance plans You add a device group to a golden configuration tree or a compliance plan the same way you did before Platform 6.7: * **Golden configuration tree**: Select a node, open the **Devices & Groups** tab, select **Device Groups**, and then select **Add Device Groups**. * **Compliance plan**: When you select nodes for a golden configuration tree in the plan, use the **Device Group Selection** tab. After a compliance check runs, the results appear on the group's **Recent activity** tab. ## Device groups in Studio workflows The **Create Device Group** and **Add Devices to Group** Studio tasks have an `inventoryTags` input alongside the existing `deviceNames` input. To use it, select an **Inventory**, then select one or more tags. When the task runs, it adds the devices in that inventory that match the selected tags. Keep these behaviors in mind: * **One inventory per task**: Each task covers one inventory. To add devices from several inventories, add an **Add Devices to Group** task for each additional inventory. * **Both inputs are optional**: If you set `deviceNames`, `inventoryTags`, or both, the task adds those devices. If you leave both empty, **Create Device Group** creates a group with no devices, as it did before Platform 6.7. * **Existing workflows keep working**: Workflows that use only `deviceNames` don't need changes. > **Warning** > > If the user running the task doesn't have access to the selected inventory, the task uses a different inventory that the user can access and adds devices from it. The group can end up with devices you didn't intend to include. Make sure the account that runs the workflow has access to the inventory selected in the task. ## Groups created before Platform 6.7 After you upgrade, existing device groups keep their devices. Their OS mix and the trees and plans that use them display automatically. Compliance history from before the upgrade isn't carried over, so existing groups show **Not Run** until their first compliance check after the upgrade. ## Related resources * [View and manage devices](./manage-devices) * [Golden Configuration overview](./golden-configurations/overview) * [Create a compliance plan](./compliance-plans/create) * [Tags and organization in Inventory Manager](../inventory-manager/inventory-manager-tags)