Bundles are a collection of different entries, including URLs & keywords that can be linked to policies. These groups of URLs/resources can be re-used across different policies, making the process of blocking or allowing sites and services much more time-efficient and straightforward.
<span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"> </span>
Bundle use cases are very versatile & make policy management much more efficient. To give an example, if a software provider needed a number of URLs 'white-listed' these can be grouped together in a bundle and used across multiple policies. Later, if the software is no longer used, these can be removed by simply unlinking the bundle, rather than having to change, and remember, every URL that was added.
An example of an establishment's bundle page is visible below.
Creating and Editing Bundles
To create a new bundle, please click on the Create New Bundle button, this will open a pop-up which will ask for the bundle name & bundle description. Please enter both and then click Create.
Once the bundle has been created, please click Edit on the bundle.
After clicking Edit on a bundle you will be able to make changes. The edit pop-up features two tabs; Entries & Edit Properties.
Changes to the allowed & blocked entries are made on the Entries tab & to change the name or the description please click the Edit Properties tab.
To add an entry to the bundle please click on Add then select the type, enter the entry & choose whether to Allow or Deny. Once this has been done, simply click Add. The entry will then appear in either the Allowed or Denied table.
Once an entry has been added, it can be changed by simply clicking Edit, making the desired changes & choosing Save.
To change the name or the description of a bundle, Edit the bundle & then go to the Edit Properties tab.
Please click Save once any changes have been made.
Linking Policies to Bundles
To link a bundle to a policy, please simply use the arrows next to the policy names.
Every policy at the establishment is visible here.
These are displayed with the policy group's name first followed by the filtering policy's name.
Policies using the bundle are in the green column & policies not using the bundle are in the red column.
You can move all policies at your establishment to use or not use a bundle by using the double arrow buttons.
Making Bulk Changes to Bundles
When editing a bundle, there is a Import and Export button, as pictured below.
Clicking Export will export the bundle's contents to a spreadsheet that can be altered & then imported into another bundle, or straight into a filtering policy.
For example exporting the bundle contents of the previous example, will provide this spreadsheet
Clicking Import will allow a spreadsheet to be imported into that bundle. Simply choose the file from your computer & select Upload.
In this example we're uploading a file named exportbundle(9).xlsx to the bundle named Bundle.
Group Bundles
MAT/Trusts, third party & borough support organisations, can create their own bundles of URLs/resources & link these to establishments in the group.
You can view what groups your establishment is part of, under Settings >> System Config
A single change to a bundle in the central location, Group Resources >> Group Bundles, will filter down to all policies where it is linked.
For example an administrator at many schools in a MAT can have a bundle linked to policies at all their schools. If they then want to make a change at all their schools, they make a change to this bundle and all the school policies receive the change.
On the Bundles page, on the Group Bundles tab, you can link Group Bundles to any policies you would like them linked to by using the arrows.
To view the contents of the bundle, simply click the View button next to the bundle name.
System Bundles
For instances where schools need to allow websites related to common services such as YouTube or Facebook, bundles of URLs/resources are provided and managed centrally that schools can choose to link their filtering policies to.
For example this means that you don't need to know that to get YouTube to work you need to know, and allow, a number of different URLs . You can simply link the bundle called YouTube. These system bundles can not be altered but the contents can be viewed. When a change is made to a service, this is updated centrally and these changes will affect any school making use of the bundle. So, if YouTube suddenly added a new URL to get their videos to play, schools wouldn’t need to do anything if they’ve linked the bundle to a Policy Group. It would just need the one central change.
SchoolProtect functionality: System bundles
<span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"> </span>
On the Bundles page, on the System Bundles tab, you can link System Bundles to any policies you would like them linked to by using the arrows.
To view the contents of the bundle, simply click the View button next to the bundle name or visit System Info >> System URL/Keyword Bundles.