Configure Endpoint Agent Labels
Last updated
Last updated
In contrast to tests run on Cloud and Enterprise Agents, where tests are assigned to agents statically, Endpoint Agent tests are assigned to agents dynamically using labels. This is because Endpoint Agents may be frequently offline, as they are deployed on local workstations, and the network address, location, and other characteristics of the host may change. An Endpoint Agent label has a series of filters applied to it, and whenever an Endpoint Agent checks in with ThousandEyes, the criteria of each label is compared to the agent's current information. If the agent matches the label, any test assigned to that label (up to a maximum of 10 tests) gets assigned to the agent.
In an event that impacts the network configuration of the machine (for example, wifi connects to a different access point) and changes the assignment of an agent label, the agent will continue submitting data for the tests that are associated with the old label, until it gets connected to the backend and receives the new network configuration. After moving to the new network configuration, the agent submits data for the tests assigned to the new label(s) matching the new criteria.
If an Endpoint Agent does not check in for an hour, the agent is deemed offline, and the label assignment is removed. When the Endpoint Agent next successfully checks in, the label is re-assigned based on the configured filters.
Endpoint Agent labels can be configured from the Endpoint Agents > Agent Settings > Agent Labels tab. This article outlines the steps to create, manage, and delete Endpoint Agent labels.
To create a new label:
From the Endpoint Agents > Agent Settings > Agent Labels tab, click Add New Label to open the side panel.
Define the label's name. The label name cannot exceeed 64 characters.
Choose a color for the label.
Use the Filter drop-down lists to configure a filter for the label. Additional filters can be added, , by using the Add New Filter (plus),and existing ones can be changed/removed by using Minus icon beside each filter row. Also, you can explicitly include or exclude specific attributes using the in/not in condition. For example, you can create a label to exclude (using - not in) monitoring the Guest Wi-Fi networks, as they usually are restricted. Or, you can create a label to segregate (using - not in) all the clients not using the corporate VPN, and define a set of tests for those.
You can use the wildcard option while configuring a label for Hostname, SSID, and Username. The wildcard option provides you with more flexibility in grouping agents to a label. For example, while configuring a label, if you define the domain and follow it with an asterisk symbol (DOMAINNAME*)- all the agents would be grouped by their Active Directory domain and you don’t need to add them individually. Also, new agents in the future would be grouped by the above filter.
The list of available/matching agents that fit the filters is dynamically updated as filters are added/changed/removed, both in list and graph form.
Once the label is configured, click Save Changes to create the label.
The Endpoint Agents > Agent Settings > Agent Labels tab displays a table of all existing Endpoint Agent labels:
The table shows the label name, label filters, and the number of agents that currently match the label.
To configure an existing label:
From the Endpoint Agents > Agent Settings > Agent Labels tab, identify the label that should be configured, either by scrolling down the list, or by searching for it by name.
Click the relevant row in the table to open the side panel.
Configure the Endpoint Agent label as desired. The label name, flag color, and filters can be configured:
Click Save Change to save the label, or Cancel to revert the changes.
To create a duplicate of an existing label:
From the Endpoint Agents > Agent Settings > Agent Labels tab, identify the label that should be duplicated, either by scrolling down the list, or by searching for it by name.
Click the three dots icon at the end of the label row:
Click Duplicate to create an identical label with "Copy" added to the end of the name.
To delete an existing Endpoint Agent label:
From the Endpoint Agents > Agent Settings > Agent Labels tab, identify the label that should be deleted, either by scrolling down the list, or by searching for it by name.
Click the three dots icon at the end of the label row.
Click Delete.
Click Delete to confirm the change, or cancel to revert.
A warning will be shown before deleting the label if any tests are currently assigned the label.
