Cannot delete Filter after being used as a Target

[Migration User]

In our environment I am trying to find the "best" way to manage multiple machines with 1 software task to then show our Helpdesk the proposed way of distributing out the titles. Steps taken to cause the following question;

1. Manage > Filters
2. New Filter (i.e. named "Robert - Timeclock Plus")
3. Manage > Jobs and Tasks
4. Select the "TimeClock Plus 6.0" job
5. New Schedule
6. Add > Target
7. Assigned the target to "Robert - Timeclock Plus"
8. Confirmed the schedule

After all of this the 3 machines being tested installed the software and worked as intended. However, when I went back into Manage > Filters to try and delete the "Robert - Timeclock Plus" filter that was created it will not allow it due to a dependency. If I drill into the report I can see the "[Used By] Name" is the same as the filter but I cannot use the "Actions" drop down to delete the dependency.

Another thing I have noticed is that if I then go back and schedule the "TimeClock Plus 6.0 Uninstall" job using "Robert - Timeclock Plus" as a target it then creates a 2nd "[Used By] Name" in the dependencies. Has anyone else come across this or know where I can dig deeper into where these dependencies may reside?

Our goal is to be able to quickly manage a list of 30 to 50+ machine names and deploy a piece of software to them. We were originally thinking the Filter created by an import was the way to go until we found that we cannot go back and remove the filter after being used. We may get a lot of requests for 10+ machines for a title throughout the day/week and if we cannot remove "temporary" filters (variety of machines throughout different buildings/labs) after being used I can see this really cluttering up our base filter list of buildings/labs.

[Migration User]

I may not be understanding, but if you receive a list of computers for a task, just do a Quick Run for each computer, or click New Schedule and choose Add > Computers or Devices, then use the resource selector to move computers in the left, searchable pane to the right pane.

This creates a one-time use target that is used by the task but is not saved, so there's no clutter kept around.  All jobs, tasks, and policies must have a target (except for automation policies, whose target must be the NS), but that doesn't mean a filter must be part of the target definition.  You can just use a computer list as I've described here.

Does this help?

[Migration User]

Thanks for the reply and that may end up being the way we do it. Our original thinking is when we receive a variety list of machines for TimeClock Plus that spans 50 machines we really did not want to have to copy/paste each machine individually into the quick run or the resource window. It seemed to be quicker to provide the list as an import into a filter but then we have found you cannot remove it afterwards which is not helpful.

[Migration User]

Yes, if you get it in a .csv, it's easy to upload it as part of a static filter.  But when you right-click the filter later to delete it, you should be prompted that references exist.  When you click OK, it pulls up a list of item references in the Item References report.  From here, you can handle each reference (either delete reference task/policy or modify it to remove the filter).

Can you not right-click the result and choose Delete?

[Migration User]

Correct, we are able to pull up the references window and see the 2 "dependencies". However when trying to either right-click the items or select "Actions..." it continues to display "No Menu". We also went ahead and waited through-out today to see if any background tasks would of ran to clean up Unused/etc items to allow the deletion but it still is holding on at this time.

Screenshot of References with "No Menu" Actions.

[Migration User]

What about other item references, such as trying to delete a software resource (you could make an example one) that's being referenced by a policy?

Perhaps a repair on the Symantec Management Platform is in order, since certainly the Item References report must be associated with the platform.

[Migration User]

We have verified that using the Referenced Items window we can delete other items. Take for example our originally imported NS 6 collections. Once we had those converted to the NS 7.1 filters we then tried to delete the old collections back out. We received the Referenced Items screen but we were able to select each item and delete those out to then allow the deleteion of the collection.

This is why we are getting confused as to why we cannot delete a filter after a job was assigned using it. We haven't tried a repair on the SMP but we could try that this coming monday once we're back at work.

[Migration User]

If that's unsuccessful, I'd recommend submitting a support ticket to Symantec.

[Migration User]

Well I was successful in deleting the filter today. I did some more troubleshooting and on a hunch I stumbled across a solution. Rather than selecting a single dependency and trying to delete each individually (pic1 - includes the log viewer portion while trying to right click the single item) I selected both and right-clicked. The window then showed the deletion option (pic2).

Pic1

 

Pic2

Once these were removed the filter went away just fine. I still opened a support ticket since before I had multiple dependency objects I wasn't able to delete the original one which is a problem. I will update this thread with anything else I find that may solve this issue from even happening.

[Migration User]

Hi, Its helped me lot to resolve issue, but why we can't delete single reference?.

[Migration User]

That I'm not sure and will probably open another ticket with Symantec since we just recently encountered this error again.

It always seems to allow detetion if the dependency window shows up more than 1 so that you can shift-click them.

[Rick D]

I'm also have the same issue, it will not let me delete a filter... I did originally have 2 reference items listed and got it down to one.  So I cannot try your suggestion of highlighting both and having the delete option.