6.1 Introduction to Policies

Administrators can use policies to restrict client access to computers and networks, ensuring proper usage and improving productivity.

Common Policy Attributes

Policies include multiple attributes. Among them, some are common across all policy types and share the same meaning.

Attribute Description
Name A user-defined description of the policy. It has no impact on execution. When adding a new policy, the console generates a default name, which administrators can modify.
Policy Level Defines the priority of execution: Normal, High, or Critical. When policies of the same type overlap, execution follows the order: Critical > High > Normal. Note that user policies always take precedence over computer policies, regardless of level.
Time Specifies when the policy is active. By default, it applies all day. Administrators can choose a predefined time type (configured in Category Management → Time Types) or define a custom time range directly.
Mode Determines the action taken when policy conditions are met: Deny, Allow, Ignore, or No Action. (See section on modes for details.)
Action Specifies additional responses triggered with the policy, including Alert, Warning, or Computer Lock. These can be applied individually or in combination. (See section on actions for details.)
Expiration Defines when the policy ends. By default, policies are set to Always Active. To set an expiration, enable the option and specify a valid time (later than the current system time). Expired policies are displayed in dark grey with the expiration date shown in red.
Offline Only Determines whether the policy applies only when the client cannot connect to the server (e.g., due to business travel, working from home, or network issues). If unchecked, the policy remains active at all times.
Advanced Conditions Allows policies to be applied only under certain system or device conditions (e.g., OS type, device category). Conditions can be set directly through an expression or selected from the predefined Condition Library in Category Management.

Note:

  • 1. Advanced conditions are supported only by certain policies. Unsupported ones display <None> and cannot be modified.
  • 2. For details on condition syntax and best practices, see Category Management → Condition Library.

Policy Modes

Policies can operate in four different modes: Allow, Deny, Ignore, and No Action.

Mode Description
Allow Permits the specified operation. Once a policy matches this mode, the action is allowed and no further policies are evaluated.
Deny Blocks the specified operation. Once a policy matches this mode, the action is denied and no further policies are evaluated.
Ignore Neither explicitly allows nor denies the operation. The policy actions (e.g., alerts, warnings) are executed, but evaluation continues with subsequent policies to determine whether the operation is ultimately allowed or denied.
No Action Neither allows nor denies the operation, typically used in basic or device-specific policies. Once matched, the system takes no allow/deny decision and does not evaluate further policies.

Note:

  • Some policies may define actions beyond these four modes. Their specific behavior is explained in the corresponding policy sections.

Policy Actions

When a client machine triggers a policy, corresponding actions can be executed. Available actions include Alert, Warning, Lock Computer, and Screen Capture.

Action Description
Alert Sends an alert from the client to the server. The console displays a pop-up notification to inform administrators, and the alert is also recorded in the policy log. Administrators can configure whether alert bubbles appear via Tools → Options → Real-Time Alerts → Bubble Settings, and view active alerts under Tools → Alerts. Alerts can be set to three severity levels: Low, Important, and Critical.
Warning Displays a dialog box on the client, notifying the user that a restricted action was attempted. Administrators can customize the warning message shown to end users.
Lock Computer Automatically locks the client machine, preventing any further operations by the user. Administrators can unlock the machine via Console → Control → Unlock.
Screen Capture Captures the client's screen immediately when a policy is triggered. By default, three screenshots are taken at two-second intervals. Captured images can be reviewed under Screen History.

Policy Matching Priority

Policies follow a firewall-like matching mechanism. Each policy set may contain multiple rules, evaluated in order. The first matching rule is applied. In addition, each object automatically inherits policies from its parent object.

Administrators can define policies at multiple levels: network, group, computer, and user. Objects with assigned policies are marked with a red flag icon"flag icon". The priority of policy matching, from highest to lowest, is: User Policy → User Role Policy → User Group Policy → User Group Role Policy → Computer Policy → Computer Role Policy → Computer Group Policy → Computer Group Role Policy

Inherited policies from parent groups are displayed with a light green background and cannot be modified. For string-based policy fields, wildcards are supported. Multiple values can be entered, separated by a semicolon (";") or comma (",").

Policy Icon Guide

Icon Button Description
new icon New:Click to add a new policy.
move up icon Move Up:Moves the selected policy up one position.
move down icon Move Down:Moves the selected policy down one position.
delete icon Delete:Deletes the selected policy.
cancel icon Cancel:Cancels a new or modified policy.
save icon Save:Saves the policy. Changes take effect only after saving.
allow icon Allow:Indicates the policy mode is Allow.
deny icon Deny:Indicates the policy mode is Deny.
ignore icon Ignore:Indicates the policy mode is Ignore.
no action icon No Action:Indicates the policy mode is No Action.
alert icon Alert:The policy triggers an alert.
warning icon Warning:The policy triggers a warning.
lock computer icon Lock Computer:The policy locks the client computer.
expiration icon Expiration:The policy has a set expiration time.