Device Attributes

Device attributes are three built-in, customizable fields in PDQ Connect: Location, Departments, and Device types. Assign them to devices to organize your fleet around how your organization works, then use them to create groups and target automations.

Common uses for device attributes

Use device attributes to organize devices around the structure of your organization. For example:

  • A specific team member supports a specific office location.
  • Helpdesk team members manage laptops but not servers.
  • A policy makes some software available to one department but not others.

Add values to device attributes

  1. Go to Settings > Device attributes.
  2. Click + Add.
  3. Add the values that apply to each category.
    The Device attributes page in Settings, showing the Location, Departments, and Device types categories, each with a list of values and a + Add button.

Set a default value for new devices

A default value automatically labels every new device with that value. To set a default value, click the 3-dot menu next to the value, then click Make default. You can also set a default when creating a value.

The 3-dot menu open on the Servers value under Device types, showing the Edit, Make default, and Delete options.

Assign device attributes to a single device

Edit device attributes from a device's page, in the editable field just below Name and Host name. Click the pencil icon to edit the field.

A device's Overview page with the Device attributes field highlighted, showing three assigned values and a pencil icon to edit them.

A device can only hold one value for each category.

Assign device attributes to multiple devices

  1. Go to the device list.
  2. Select the devices to include.
  3. In the Actions menu, click Assign device attributes.

The Actions menu open on the All devices list, with Assign device attributes highlighted.

Device attributes in parent organizations and tenants

Device attributes can be created, edited, and deleted at the parent organization level only. 
Child tenants can see the parent organization's attributes as read-only and assign them to their own devices, but can't modify them.
create alt text for this one:  The Device attributes page in Settings, showing three categories with values: Location (New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Toronto), Departments (C Suite, IT, Marketing, Product and Development, Sales, Support), and Device types (Laptop, Servers).

What happens to device attributes when a device moves

When you move a device between the parent organization and a tenant, or between tenants, its applied device attributes move with it. The device keeps its attributes unless you remove them.

Creating a group

Use device attributes as filters to build groups. The group in this example returns all devices located in New York, in the IT department, with the Laptop device type.
The group filter editor with three Device attributes conditions joined by AND: Location is New York, Department is IT, and Device type is Laptop. The Apply and Save as group buttons are at the bottom right.

In the group filter, set each condition to a Device attributes filter with the category and value to match:

  • Location is New York
  • Department is IT
  • Device type is Laptop

Click Apply to preview the results, then click Save as group.

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