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Sites and groups

Sites and groups organize your Edges. Open Sites in the sidebar to see them, create them, and move Edges between groups.

How the hierarchy works

Your organization has sites. Each site has groups. Each Edge sits in one group.

  • Every install starts with a site named Default that holds a group named Default.
  • Names are 1 to 200 characters.
  • Roles can be limited to a site or a group. See Users and roles.
  • A group cannot move to another site. An Edge can move only to a group in its own site.

The page header reads "Counts come from the Edge list." Each site shows its name and the number of Edges. Each group shows its name, its Edge count, and its Edges, or "No edges."

Who can do what

Action Role needed
View sites, groups, and Edges Any role that covers them
Move Edges Owner or admin
Create, rename, delete sites and groups Owner
Edit a group's configuration Owner or admin

Create a site

  1. Enter a name in New site.
  2. Select Create site.

Create a group

  1. In the site, enter a name in New group.
  2. Select Add group.

Rename a site or group

  1. Select Rename next to the name.
  2. Edit the name in the field that appears.
  3. Select Save name.

Delete a site or group

Select Delete next to the name. Watchtower asks for no confirmation.

Delete is refused with site or group is not empty when a group still holds Edges, or a site still holds Edges or groups. Move the Edges first. Delete is also refused when a template, configuration layer, or secret is still tied to the site or group.

Move Edges

Use either method.

Drag an Edge name onto another group.

  1. Tick the checkbox next to each Edge. A row shows "N selected".
  2. Choose a group in Destination group.
  3. Select Move.

If you pick a group in a different site, the page shows "An Edge can only move to a group in its current site."

A move changes which configuration the Edge inherits. Watchtower sends the Edge its new configuration. The move is recorded in Audit as device.move.

Edit a group's configuration

Select Config on a group to open its configuration layer. Every Edge in the group inherits it.

Field Use
Template Pick a template, or None.
Version (blank is latest published) Pin a template version.
Variables, one name=value per line Set template variables.
Overrides JSON Change settings for the whole group.
  1. Edit the fields.
  2. Select Preview render to see the result. Choose an Edge in Preview an Edge to preview for it.
  3. Select Save layer.

Watchtower delivers the change to every Edge in the group. Large changes run as a rollout. See Rollouts, Templates, and Edge configuration.

Messages you may see: "Overrides must be JSON.", "Overrides must be a JSON object.", "Each variable is name=value."

Next steps