To open a connection to the Management Server, the Management Agent requires an initial configuration file called the Initial Configuration Block (ICB). The icb.dat file is created by the Management Server and it specifies the data for the Management Agent to connect to the Management Server for the first time.

One ICB file can be shared by a group of hosts. Each Management Agent builds its own unique local configuration file upon initial connection to the Management Server and the ICB file is then deleted from the host.

A suitable validity time for each ICB file needs to be chosen during its creation. It should be long enough to accommodate the time window planned for the deployment, but short enough to prevent misuse afterwards. Any connection attempts using an expired ICB will fail and such attempts will be recorded to the Management Server event log.

When creating the ICB, you can set preselected host groups in each host view in order to automate the grouping of hosts connecting with that ICB.

For example, if deployment is done in phases (for example separately for each location or department), the corresponding groupings can be set in the ICB used during the deployment phase. By default, each host will be entered into the Holding Area of each view for which the grouping is left undefined. Each host view contains the Holding Area as a pool of ungrouped hosts. Hosts can be grouped and regrouped after the initial connection either manually or according to certain rules based on host information (via the Auto Assign function).