Unguided mode
Unguided mode is a per-account setting that relaxes the allocation rules tying profiles, groups and VLANs together when you create or update devices. It is intended for advanced operational workflows, migration scenarios, exception handling, or low-level administrative intervention, where strict allocation enforcement is undesirable or impractical.
Warning
Unguided mode disables a key safety guardrail. Use it only when necessary and disable it again once the task is complete.
Device assignment rules
ZEM enforces device assignment rules related to VLAN, group and profile:
- At least one VLAN, group, and profile combination must exist. See: VLAN: Allocating groups and profiles.
- Device profiles can only be selected if they have at least one VLAN and group combination. Selecting a different profile will automatically update the list of compatible groups.
- Groups must contain at least one switch in the Assembly or further stage (see: Switches) or be a Virtual group.
- A VLAN will be suggested for the device based on the group and profile.
With unguided mode active
Unguided mode unlocks the profile, group and VLAN fields as a set, both in the device creation form and in the "Properties" card on the device screen. You pick all three yourself, and ZEM will not narrow down your options based on the configured allocations:
- Every profile is listed, including profiles that do not have any VLAN and group combination allocated to them.
- Every group is listed, including groups without an eligible switch.
- Any combination of the two can be selected. Picking a profile no longer changes the list of groups (or the other way around, if the group was preselected through a deployment).
- The VLAN is normally determined automatically based on the selected group and profile. In unguided mode it becomes a dropdown, and whatever you select there is what the device gets.
- Devices can be assigned to ports on switches that are not compatible with the port configuration of the device profile.
Limitations
- Bypassing IP validation is never allowed. Devices thus cannot ever be assigned IP addresses that fall outside the subnet defined in the VLAN or ip range defined in the profile.
- Unguided mode does not let you overbook a group. As long as the "Prevent group 'overbooking' when adding devices" system setting is enabled, non-virtual groups without any free device-eligible ports are marked as "full" and cannot be selected for a new device.
Enabling unguided mode
Unguided mode can be toggled from your account page. This option is only visible to privileged users.