---
title: "Creating Extended Device Groups"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/netmri754/105943968/Creating%20Extended%20Device%20Groups"
format: markdown
---
To create an Extended device group, complete the following:

1. Click the **Settings** icon > **Setup** > **Collection** **and** **Groups** > **Groups**.
2. Click **Add** to create a top-level, sibling, or child extended group.
3. In the **Parent ID** field, NetMRI automatically sets the ID of the parent group. It is "0" for a top-level or sibling group.
4. Enter a **Name** for the group. The group name is shown in all group-related displays and reports, so the group name should be meaningful without being too long.
5. Define a **Membership** **Criteria** regular expression.
6. If you want the device group to include collections of discovered non-network devices, select **Include ****non-network devices**. Leaving this setting unselected prevents non-network devices from occupying valuable licensing space.
7. Next to **Type**, click **Extended**.
8. **Rank**: Displays the Ranking value as the default sort order. For more information, see *<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Ranking</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Device</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Groups</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943858)</span>*.
9. Ranking value is used as the default sort order for all group-related tables, with the highest rank shown first. **Rank** is also used to determine the individual device settings controlling processing for each device.
10. **Polling Frequency**: Allows you to slow down or speed up the device polling frequency. For more information, see the following section, [*Setting Polling Frequency for a Device Group*](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105943999).
11. For **Switch**** Port ****data C****ollection**, choose from the following:
  - **Use**** Global**** Settings**: Select this to enable the device group to inherit global settings for switch port data collections. To find the global settings, click the **Settings** icon > **Setup** > **Collection and Groups** > **Global** > **Switch Port Management**. For more information, see <span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Global</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Switch</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Port</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Management</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Polling</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u> </u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*<span style="color: #0000ff">[<u>Settings</u>](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/141984296)</span>*.
  - **Specify ****Polling ****Interval**: Overrides the global polling interval with a custom polling interval for the current device group. You can define an interval of 1-60 **Minutes** or 1-24 **Hours** in the fields that appear.
  - **Specify ****Schedule**: Overrides the global scheduled polling setting with a custom schedule for the current device group. Existing schedules may appear in the list or, click **Add ****New**** Schedule** to create a new polling schedule instance. Choose a **Recurrence ****Pattern** of **Once**, **Hourly**, **Daily**, **Weekly,** or **Monthly**. In all cases, you must choose an **Execution**** Time** and select at least one day of the week checkbox.
  - **Poll**** Now**: Click to execute switch port polling on the device group right after it is created.
  - **Disable**: Completely disables switch port polling for the device group.
12. Activate the processing options for the new Extended group:

> Macro (legacy-content)

13. Select the **Enable** **Discovery** **Blackout** checkbox and click its Scheduling icon. The scheduling options appear.

> Macro (legacy-content)

c. If you choose **Daily**, click either **Every**** Day** or **Every**** Weekday:**

> Macro (legacy-content)

d. If you choose **Weekly**, complete the following:

> Macro (legacy-content)

e. If you choose **Monthly**, complete the following:

> Macro (legacy-content)

> ⚠️ **Note**
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ For more information about discovery blackouts and change blackouts, see [*Defining Blackout Periods*](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/netmri754/pages/105940767)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>

  
14. If necessary, select the **Enable**** Change**** Blackout** checkbox and click its Scheduling icon. The scheduling options appear. Follow steps 12a through 12e to define the change blackout schedule.

> ⚠️ **Note**
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ Some devices in your network may have a locked **Config ****Change** setting (Device Viewer >** Settings**** & ****Status** > **General ****Settings**), which means that NetMRI will be disallowed from changing configurations on the device. In these cases, a device-level **Enable**** Change**** Blackout** setting is unnecessary. Similarly, each NetMRI device group has a **Regard**** configurations**** as**** 'locked'** setting. If a device group uses this setting, the **Enable ****Change**** Blackout** setting is unnecessary. If a device group does not enforce a change blackout, but a device in that group enables the **Regard**** configurations**** as**** 'locked'** setting, the device setting takes precedence.

15. Click **Save**** &**** Close** or **Save**** &**** New**.