Device Tags in rConfig V8 Core

Tags are custom labels you assign to devices to build flexible, non-hierarchical groupings. After reading this page, you can create and manage tags, assign them to devices, and use them to target scheduled tasks against a logical set of devices that updates automatically as tag membership changes.

When to use this

Use tags when you want to group devices by a dimension that does not fit a fixed hierarchy: location, vendor, criticality, maintenance window, or project. The most common reason to tag devices in V8 Core is to drive scheduled tasks, where a tag becomes the device selector for an automated backup or operation.

Prerequisites

• A V8 Core instance you can sign in to with permission to manage inventory
• At least one device added to tag

What are tags?

Tags are labels assigned to devices to create groupings independent of categories or device types. Unlike a fixed taxonomy, tags let you organize devices by any criteria that matters to your operations.

Tags maintain a many-to-many relationship with devices:

• A single device can have multiple tags assigned.
• A single tag can be assigned to any number of devices.
• Tag assignments are non-hierarchical and independent of each other.

This means one firewall can simultaneously carry tags such as Security-Devices, Perimeter, Chicago-Office, and Maintenance-Tuesday, and each tag can be used to select that device for a different purpose.

Where tags are used in V8 Core

Area	How tags are used
Scheduled tasks	Target devices by tag so a task runs against every device carrying that tag
Device management	Tags appear in device listings and detail views for quick identification and filtering

Adding and editing tags

The short walkthrough below covers creating and editing a tag.

Create a new tag

1. Select Inventory → Tags from the navigation menu.
2. Click Add Tag.
3. Enter a descriptive Tag Name that follows your naming convention.
4. Enter an optional Description explaining the tag’s purpose.
5. Select an optional Color for quick visual recognition in the interface.
6. Click Save to create the tag.

Agree naming conventions first

Set a naming pattern before you create tags. Consistent patterns such as Location-CityName, Type-DeviceCategory, or Schedule-WindowName keep the tag library maintainable as it grows.

Edit an existing tag

1. Select Inventory → Tags.
2. Locate the target tag in the list.
3. Click the Edit icon or the tag name.
4. Modify the name, description, or color.
5. Click Save to apply the change.

Changes to a tag’s properties apply immediately across every associated device and scheduled task.

Assign tags to devices

You can assign tags through three workflows:

1. During device creation. Select applicable tags from the available list when adding a device through Devices → Add Device.
2. In bulk. From Devices → Device List, select target devices with the checkboxes, choose Bulk Actions → Assign Tags, select the tags, and confirm.
3. On a single device. Edit the device record and update the tags field.

Targeting scheduled tasks by tag

Tags act as selectors for automated operations. When creating or editing a scheduled task, you can target devices by tag instead of selecting each device by hand.

1. In the Target Devices section, select By Tag.
2. Choose one or more tags from the available list.
3. Save the task. It runs against every device currently carrying the selected tags.

Tag membership is evaluated at run time

Task targeting is dynamic. If you add or remove devices from a tag after creating the task, later runs reflect the current tag membership automatically. You do not need to edit the task when device assignments change.

Example: maintenance windows

Use tags to align backups with maintenance windows so they do not impact business operations:

1. Create tags such as Maintenance-Sunday-0200, Maintenance-Tuesday-2300, and Maintenance-Saturday-0400.
2. Assign each device to the appropriate maintenance window tag.
3. Create a scheduled task targeting each maintenance window tag.
4. Set each task’s run time to match its window.

As devices move between windows, reassign the tag rather than reconfiguring the tasks.

Deleting tags

Deleting a tag does not delete or modify any device. The assignment is removed from associated devices, and the devices remain in the system unchanged.

1. Select Inventory → Tags.
2. Locate the tag to delete.
3. Click the Delete icon.
4. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

Common gotchas

• Before deleting a tag, check that no active scheduled task references it. Go to Tasks → Scheduled Tasks and search for the tag name, then reconfigure or delete dependent tasks first. A task pointing at a deleted tag may run against zero devices.
• Deleting and recreating a tag with the same name creates a new tag ID. Any task still referencing the old ID runs against zero devices. Edit the task and reselect the tag to repoint it.
• A device with several selected tags is not processed multiple times. The task deduplicates devices, so each device runs once even when it matches more than one selected tag.

Naming and management tips

Establish and document consistent patterns:

• Prefixes for categories: Type-Router, Location-NYC, Vendor-Cisco.
• Suffixes for context: Status-Production, Priority-Critical.
• Be specific. Prefer Critical-Infrastructure over Important, and FrontEnd-Routers over Group1.

Review tag usage periodically to find orphaned tags with no devices, duplicate or overlapping tags, and tags referenced by inactive tasks. Start with broad tags and add specific ones as patterns emerge, and resist creating a tag for every possible categorization.

Tag-based access control is a Pro feature

Role-based access control (RBAC) that scopes which devices a user can see by tag is part of the rConfig Pro, Enterprise, and Vector editions, not V8 Core. For tag-based access control, client isolation, and per-role device visibility, see the rConfig Pro documentation.

Quick reference

Operation	Path	Notes
Create tag	Inventory → Tags → Add Tag	Define name, optional description, and color
Edit tag	Inventory → Tags → Edit	Changes apply immediately
Delete tag	Inventory → Tags → Delete	Non-destructive to devices; check scheduled tasks first
Assign to device	Devices → Edit Device	Select from available tags
Bulk assign	Devices → Device List → Bulk Actions	Apply tags to multiple devices
View tag usage	Inventory → Tags	Shows device count per tag

What’s next

• Set up scheduled tasks → to run tag-targeted backups automatically.
• Manage your devices → to add and edit the devices you tag.
• Review configuration backups → to see what your tag-targeted tasks produce.