5.8.5

Working with Groups 7
Groups allow you to create your own containers for objects in your environment.
vCenter Operations Manager has several fixed container objects that are defined mainly by the adapters
used. These containers include the World group, vCenter Server objects, Datacenter objects, ESX and Cluster
objects, and Datastore objects that appear in the inventory view. Fixed containers follow the structure of
your virtual environment. You cannot control the objects that are included in these containers.
To define your own containers to group monitored objects depending on the logical organization of your
environment, you can use groups.
Metrics and Badges for Groups
The approach that vCenter Operations Manager applies for calculating metrics and badge values for groups
differs from the approach that is applied for calculating metrics for fixed container objects. The metrics on a
fixed container object use data about the object itself and are computed using prescriptive formulas that can
be arbitrarily complex. Metrics on a group are about the child objects that the group contains, and are
simply rolled up from them.
Types of Groups
Adapter-Managed
Groups
In these groups, group membership is managed by the adapters that are
installed on the vCenter Operations Manager system. For example, the
vCenter Server adapter creates groups like datastore, host, network, and so
on, which correspond to container objects in the vSphere inventory. Some
folder groups created by the vCenter Server adapter might appear empty if
the objects that they contain are not supported as first class objects in
vCenter Operations Manager.
NOTE You cannot modify adapter-based groups from the user interface.
Rule-Managed Groups
In these groups, group membership is based on the rules that you define
while you create or update a group. You create these groups by selecting
Dynamic membership type in the New Group wizard, and can update them
in the Edit Group dialog box.
Manually Managed
Groups
In these groups, you select group members one by one from the inventory.
You create these groups by selecting Manual membership type in the New
Group wizard, and can edit them in the Edit Group wizard.
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