You can use extensible attributes to capture additional information about the objects managed by the Master Grid. The Multi-Grid Manager wizards and editors that are used to add and edit objects contain an Extensible Attributes tab that you can customize. You can specify the attributes that users can manage in this tab for each object, so you can collect and track data specific to your organization. You can even specify required attributes, and restrict the values that users can enter for each attribute.

Note: Only superusers can configure extensible attributes.

You can specify different extensible attributes for each type of object. For example, you can configure the attribute Site for an IPv4 network, and the attribute Department for admin groups.
When you configure an attribute, you can specify the following:

• The type of data that admins enter, such as text strings, integers, or email addresses. You can also restrict admins to a list of values.
• Whether admins can enter multiple values
• A default value
• Whether the attribute is required
• The objects associated with the attribute, such as networks.
• Whether the appliance makes an entry in the audit log each time an object with the attribute is added or modified.

After you configure the attributes of an object, the attributes become available in the Extensible Attributes tab of the wizard and editor of the object. Users then add or edit the attribute values, according to your configuration. Users can also specify attributes when searching for data and add attributes as columns in the tables of Multi-Grid Manager. For information about adding columns to tables, see /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911180134.
Users can also group objects in smart folders according to their attributes. For example, a user can create a smart folder that contains all networks in a certain site.
The Infoblox appliances provide the following predefined attributes that you can customize:

• Region
• Country
• State
• Site
• Building
• VLAN

When you use a predefined attribute, you can edit it and change its name, but you cannot change the type of data it accepts. You can also delete predefined attributes that you do not use. All predefined attributes accept text strings. You can define other settings though, as described in 19282753.
You can also create your own attributes, as described in 19282753.
Multi-Grid Manager displays all available extensible attributes of the Master Grid and managed Grids. You can group attributes in a manner that is easy for you to manage. For example, you can group all the Country attributes from all managed Grids so you have a group of attributes that report information about countries in different Grids. Note that you can only group extensible attributes with the same attribute types and from different Grids, and you cannot group extensible attributes from the Master Grid. For more information about grouping and ungrouping extensible attributes, see 19282753.

Configuring Extensible Attributes

To configure extensible attributes, follow these procedures:

• Identify the data that you want to track. For example, when you want to identify the manufacturers of your network devices, you can create an extensible attribute to track this information.
• Decide which predefined extensible attributes you want to use, if any, and edit them.
• Define new attributes.

Adding Extensible Attributes

To add a new extensible attribute in the Master Grid:

1. In the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab.
2. Click the Add icon on any of the toolbars.
3. In the Add Extensible Attribute wizard, complete the following:
   • Name: Enter the name of the attribute. This is a required field and is case-sensitive. You can enter up to 128 UTF-8 characters.
   • Type: Specify the type of data that you want to capture for an object. Select one of the following:
     • String: Select this when the attribute is used to define string values, such as names. When you select this type, the wizard displays the Number of Characters field where you can enter the minimum and maximum number of characters that users can enter.
     • List: Select this when you want to define a list of values for the attribute. Users can then select a value from this list. For example, if you want to restrict an attribute to five specific values, you can define the attribute as a List and then list the five values in the List Values section. When a user uses the attribute, they are limited to selecting from one of the five values.
       When you select List, the wizard displays the List of values table, where you add the allowed values. These values appear in the drop-down list when a user defines the attribute. Click the Add icon to enter values in the table. You can enter up to 64 UTF-8 characters for each value.
       You can also modify list values at a later time. When you modify list values, all object attributes using the modified values are updated to the new values.
       You can also delete values from the list. Note that when you delete a list value, all attributes using the deleted values are removed from the objects. For objects with multiple attribute values, only the deleted values are removed.
       You can also move a value up or down in the list.
     • Integer: Select this when the attribute is used to track whole numbers, such as serial numbers. When you select this type, the wizard displays the Value Limits fields where you can enter the range of allowed values. Note that you cannot change your entries in the Value Limits fields if you modify the attribute at a later date.
     • Email: Select this when the attribute is used for email addresses. Email addresses are entered in the format user@domain.com.
     • URL: Select this when the attribute is used for tracking URLs (Uniform Resource Locators). URLs must be entered in a valid format.
     • Date: Select this when the attribute is used for dates. The date value is in YYYY-MM-DD format.
   • Comment: Enter additional information about the attribute. You can enter up to 256 UTF-8 characters.
4. Click Next.
   • Allow multiple values: Select this checkbox if you want to allow multiple values for this attribute to be set on an object. You cannot change this value for predefined attributes.
   • Default Value: Enter the default value that the appliance displays for the attribute. Leave this blank if there is no default value for this attribute. If the attribute type is String, you can enter up to 256 UTF-8 characters. If the attribute type is List, the value must be one of the list values and can be up to 64 UTF-8 characters.
   • Attribute is Required in the GUI: Select this to require users to enter a value for this attribute when adding or modifying the corresponding object in the GUI. When you configure an attribute as a required field, users must enter a value for this attribute when they configure the objects that are associated with the attribute.
   • Restrict to Specific Object Types: Select this checkbox if you want to associate the attribute with specific object types. If you do not select this checkbox, the appliance associates this attribute with all the supported object types. For predefined attributes, you can restrict the attribute only to the object type Network.
   • Click the Add icon and select the object type with which you want to associate the attribute. By default, the appliance associates an extensible attribute with all the supported object types.
   • Log Attribute Values When Objects are Updated: Select this checkbox if you want the appliance to make an entry in the audit log each time an object with this attribute is added or modified. When you select attribute values for audit, they are included in all the audit log entries. For information about the audit log, see /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911185892 /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911185892
5. Save the configuration.

Multi-Grid Manager adds the attribute to the Extensible Attributes tab of the wizard and editor of the specified object types.

Viewing Extensible Attributes

To view extensible attributes, from the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab. The panel displays the following information:

• Name: The name of the extensible attribute.
• Grid: The name of the Master Grid or managed Grid to which the extensible attribute belongs.
• Type: The type of data defined by the attribute.
• Comment: Information about the extensible attribute.
• Required: Indicates whether users are required to complete this field.
• Restricted to Objects: The objects that are associated with the attribute. The defaults are IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

Note: All extensible attribute groups are highlighted with a purple background.

You can do the following in this panel:

• Click the Group icon to group specific extensible attributes. Note that you cannot group extensible attributes configured for Master Grid or within the same Grid. Click the Ungroup icon to remove extensible attributes from a group or delete an existing group of extensible attributes. For information, see 19282753 19282753
• Select an extensible attribute configured for Master Grid and click the Edit icon to modify data, or click the Delete icon to delete it. You cannot modify or delete extensible attributes configured for managed Grids. When you click the Edit icon, only read-only properties are displayed.
• Click the Permissions icon to configure permissions for the admin account.
• Sort the displayed data in ascending or descending order by column.
• Use filters and the Go to function to narrow down the list. With the autocomplete feature, you can just enter the first few characters of an object name in the Go to field and select the object from the possible matches.
• Create a quick filter to save frequently used filter criteria. For information, see /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911180172.
• Modify some of the Master Grid data in the table. Double click a row of data, and either edit the data in the field or select an item from a drop-down list. Note that some fields are read-only. For more information about this feature, see /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911180134
• Print or export the data.

Modifying Extensible Attributes

You can modify predefined attributes so they capture the information that you need. When you modify an attribute, all objects using the modified attributes are updated.
To modify an extensible attribute:

1. From the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab.
2. Select the attribute and click the Edit icon.
3. In the General tab of the Extensible Attributes editor, you can only change the name of the attribute. You cannot change the data type. The data type for predefined attributes is string.
4. In the Additional Properties tab, you can modify any of the fields described in the step 4 of 19282753 19282753
5. Save the configuration.

Disabling Synchronization of Extensible Attributes

You can disable synchronization of extensible attributes from the managed Grid to the Multi-Grid Master.

1. Log in to the managed Grid. Make sure that the Grid remains joined with the Multi-Grid Master.
2. From the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab -> Extensible Attribute checkbox, and then click the Edit icon.
3. In the Additional Properties tab of the Extensible Attributes editor, select the Disable sync to MGM checkbox. By default, this checkbox is not selected. The Disable sync to MGM checkbox is displayed only if the managed Grid remains joined with the Multi-Grid Master.
4. Save the changes.

Deleting Extensible Attributes

When you delete an extensible attribute, the appliance removes the attribute. All the attribute values set on the selected object types are removed from those objects. Once deleted, the attribute no longer exists in the system. Deleted attributes are not moved to the Recycle Bin. This operation might take a long time depending on the amount of data that needs to be deleted.
To delete extensible attributes:

1. In the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab.
2. Select the attribute and click the Delete icon.
3. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes.

Using Extensible Attribut es

After a superuser admin configures the attributes of an object, they become available in the wizard and editor of the object. This section describes how users can then add and manage the attributes that were configured.
Multi-Grid Manager displays the required extensible attributes in the Extensible Attribute tab. You must enter values for all required attributes. If an object does not have required attributes, you can add the available optional attributes.
In the Extensible Attribute tab of an object, such as a network, you can do the following:

• Enter values for extensible attributes
• Add attributes
• Delete optional attributes

To enter values for the extensible attributes of an object:

1. Open the editor of the object. For example, to enter values for the attributes of a network, select it and click its Extensible Attributes tab.
2. Click the Value column of the attribute. You must enter values for all required attributes.
3. Depending on the required attribute type, either enter or select a value for the attribute from the Value column.

To add attributes:

1. Click the Add icon. Multi-Grid Manager adds a row to the table with the default attribute displayed.
2. Click the default attribute and expand the list of available attributes.
3. Select an attribute from the drop-down list.
4. Enter or select a value for the attribute from the Value column.

To delete an attribute:

1. Click the checkbox beside the attribute you want to delete.
2. Click the Delete icon.

To delete all attributes:

1. Click the Attribute Name checkbox.
2. Click the Delete icon.
   

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   Note: You can delete only attributes that are not required. If you have one or more required attributes, you cannot use the delete all function.
   

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3. Save the configuration.

Editing Multiple Extensible Attribute Values

You can also manage the extensible attributes of multiple objects at the same time. For example, you can select several networks, and view and modify their extensible attributes all at once.
Note that Multi-Grid Manager may not apply the changes you made to all the selected objects. It applies the change to objects that meet the following criteria:

• You have read/write permission to the object.
• The selected object is not locked by another user or does not have a scheduled pending task.
• If the attribute was restricted to certain object types, the object must be one of those types.

To edit multiple extensible attribute values:

1. Select the objects whose extensible attributes you want to modify. You can select specific objects or select all objects in a dataset, as described in /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911180134.
2. Expand the Toolbar and click Extensible Attributes.
   Multi-Grid Manager displays the Multi-Select Edit Extensible Attributes dialog box which lists the extensible attributes of the selected objects. It displays the following information for each attribute:
• Attribute Name: This field displays the name of the extensible attribute associated with the selected object.
• Value: If the selected objects have the same value for the attribute, Multi-Grid Manager displays that value in this field. If the selected objects have different values for the attribute or if some have values and others do not, this field displays Multiple Values.
  An attribute can have multiple rows if it allows multiple values. Multi-Grid Manager displays the values that all objects have in common, if any. Otherwise, it displays Multiple Values.
• Required: This field displays Yes if the attribute is required in at least one object associated with the attribute. It displays No if the attribute is not required in any of the objects.
3. You can do the following:
   • Change the value of an attribute. Depending on the attribute type, select the value and either enter a new value or select one from the drop-down list.
   • Add an attribute to the selected objects. Click the Add icon. In the Attribute Name field of the new row, select an attribute from the list of available attributes and specify its value. If the attribute that you added was configured as a required attribute, the Required field displays Yes. Otherwise, it displays No.
   • Delete an attribute. You can delete an attribute if it is not required. Select the attribute and click the Delete icon.
4. Click OK when you are finished modifying the extensible attributes.

Multi-Grid Manager applies your changes to the applicable objects. This operation might take a long time, depending on the amount of data being modified. You can choose to run this operation in the background, as described in /wiki/spaces/mgmadminguide/pages/911180205.

Grouping and Ungrouping Extensible Attributes

In Multi-Group Manager, you can create a new group of extensible attributes or add extensible attributes to an existing group. Note that you can only group extensible attributes that are configured for different Grids, but not those configured for the same Grid or for the Master Grid. You can also remove specific extensible attributes from a group or delete the group. Note that when you remove all attributes from a group, only the group is deleted, not the attributes.
To group extensible attributes, complete the following:

1. From the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab.
2. Select extensible attributes you want to add to a group, and then click Group from the Toolbar.
3. In the Grouping dialog box, complete the following:
   • Select existing group: Select an existing group from the drop-down list.
   • Create a new group: Select this to add a new group of extensible attributes. Enter the name of the group.
   • Click the Add icon to add the extensible attributes to the group. In the Select Extensible Attribute dialog box, select the extensible attributes you want to add, and then click OK. Click Group to group the extensible attributes.

To delete extensible attributes from a group or delete a group, complete the following:

1. From the Administration tab, select the Extensible Attributes tab.
2. Select an extensible attribute group, and then click Ungroup from the Toolbar.
3. In the UnGrro up dialog box, select the extensible attributes you want to remove from the group.
4. Click UnGroup.

Note: When you select all the extensible attributes and click UnGroup, the group is deleted.