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Applying Policies

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can apply automation policies in a single child organization or across multiple child organizations from the Automation Catalog page (Automation > Catalog). When applying a policy, MSPs must complete the configuration information for that policy. Some configuration options are common across all policies, while others are specific to the policy being applied. After the policy is applied, it can be managed from the Policy Manager page (Automation > Policy Manager). An applied policy continues to run indefinitely until the MSP terminates it.

Every policy is different and can include a variety of configuration options, depending on the defined behaviors of its policy checks and remediation actions. For every applied policy, there is a set of configuration options that are applicable.

Configuration options

The common configuration sections when applying a policy are as follows:

  • Credentials—In this section, specify credentials to be used when running the policy. The credentials must have sufficient permissions in the target child organization to allow the policy to run successfully.
    • Select Account—When applying a policy, MSPs can apply the policy to any account to which they have access. The dropdown list shows all accounts to which MSPs have policy manager access.
    • Select Credentials <Cloud Provider>—When applying a policy, MSPs can select any credentials that they have created in the parent organization. The dropdown list shows all credentials that have been created in the parent organization.
    • Select Credentials: Flexera—When applying a policy that requires Flexera credentials, MSPs can select any credentials that they have created in the parent organization. The dropdown list shows all Flexera credentials that have been created in the parent organization.
  • Actions—In this section, specify the actions to be taken when the policy runs. The available actions vary depending on the policy being applied.
  • Policy Settings—In this section, specify settings that are specific to the policy being applied. The settings vary depending on the policy being applied.
  • Filters—In this section, specify any filters that should be applied when the policy runs. The available filters vary depending on the policy being applied.
  • Incident Settings—In this section, specify settings that relate to the creation of incidents when the policy runs. The available settings vary depending on the policy being applied.

Applying Policies in the MSP Parent Organization​

To apply a policy only in the MSP parent organization, you must have the Manage policies or Create policies role.

  1. Go to the Automation Catalog page (Automation > Catalog).

  2. Do one of the following:

    • If you are in the Card layout view, click Apply in the relevant policy card.

      • If the Apply button shows a dropdown list, select Apply Policy to apply the policy only in the MSP parent organization.

        note

        The dropdown list includes the Apply Policy and Apply as Policy Manager options when the policy is enabled for child organizations by selecting the Show in customer orgs (enable for Policy Manager) check box on the Details tab. This check box applies only to custom policy templates published by the MSP parent organization, not to built‑in Flexera policy templates. Use Apply as Policy Manager to apply the policy across child organizations. For more information, see Applying Policies as a Policy Manager Across Multiple Child Organizations.

    • If you are in the Grid layout view, click the three-dot menu on the right of the policy and click Apply Policy.

  3. Complete the following steps as applicable:

    note

    The sections to complete vary depending on the policy being applied.

    1. In the Credentials section, select the appropriate credentials for running the policy.
    2. In the Actions section, specify the actions to be taken when the policy runs.
    3. In the Policy Settings section, complete any required settings that are specific to the policy being applied.
    4. In the Filters section, complete any required filters that are specific to the policy being applied.
    5. In the Incident Settings section, complete any required incident settings that are specific to the policy being applied.
    6. To display additional configuration fields, turn on the Advanced Settings toggle in the lower-right corner of the page, and complete any additional settings that are specific to the policy being applied.
    7. Click Apply Policy to apply the policy in the MSP parent organization.

    The applied policy is created and appears on the Applied Policies page (Automation > Applied Policies) in the MSP parent organization. From this page, you can monitor the policy's status and adjust the policy settings as needed.

Applying Policies as a Policy Manager Across Multiple Child Organizations​

To apply a policy as a Policy Manager across multiple child organizations, you must have the Manage policies or Create policies role.

  1. Go to the Automation Catalog page (Automation > Catalog).

  2. Do one of the following:

    • If you are in the Card layout view, click Apply in the relevant policy card, and then select Apply as Policy Manager from the dropdown list.

      note

      The dropdown list includes the Apply Policy and Apply as Policy Manager options when the policy is enabled for child organizations by selecting the Show in customer orgs (enable for Policy Manager) check box on the Details tab. This check box applies only to custom policy templates published by the MSP parent organization, not to built‑in Flexera policy templates.

    • Click the policy name to open the Details tab, select the Show in customer orgs (enable for Policy Manager) check box, and then click Apply and select Apply as Policy Manager.

    • If you are in the Grid layout view, click the three-dot menu on the right of the policy and click Apply as Policy Manager. This option is available only when the policy has the Show in customer orgs (enable for Policy Manager) check box selected.

  3. Complete the following steps as applicable:

    note

    The sections to complete vary depending on the policy being applied.

    1. In the Policy Manager Options section:
      1. For Allow Delete, select Yes if you want to enable users in the child organization to delete the applied policy.
      2. For Allow Edit, select Yes if you want to enable users in the child organization to edit the applied policy.
      3. In the Customer Org Tags section, enter the group tag value to filter the child organizations to apply the policy to the child organizations in that group. Click Preview Customers. Only child organizations that have the selected tags are shown in the preview section. For more information about assigning tags to group child organizations, see Updating the Child Organization Details.
    2. In the Credentials section, enter the appropriate credentials for running the policy.
    3. In the Actions section, specify the actions to be taken when the policy runs.
    4. In the Policy Settings section, complete any required settings that are specific to the policy being applied.
    5. In the Filters section, complete any required filters that are specific to the policy being applied.
    6. In the Incident Settings section, complete any required incident settings that are specific to the policy being applied.
    7. To display additional configuration fields, turn on the Advanced Settings toggle in the lower-right corner of the page, and complete any additional settings that are specific to the policy being applied.
    8. Click Apply as Policy Manager to apply the policy in the child organizations.

    After you apply the policy as a policy manager, the policy manager is created and can be viewed and managed from the Policy Manager page (Automation > Policy Manager) in the MSP parent organization. From this page, you can track which child organizations have the policy applied, monitor its status, and update the configuration as needed.