Tags for different objects have similar purposes, but they aren’t necessarily administered in the same way – so we’ve included detailed articles for each tag type. That said, many of the common operations regarding tags are performed in the same way. This article will look at tag management steps that are the same (or very similar) across all types of MAAS tags.
How to name tags
When working with tags, there are some universal rules you need to follow:
- Tag names can include any combination of alphabetic letters (a-zA-Z), numbers (0-9), dashes (-) and underscores (_).
- Tag names can be a maximum of 256 characters in length.
- Tag names cannot include spaces.
In general, names that do not conform to these rules cannot be created.
How to create and assign tags
In the MAAS UI, creating and assigning tags is a combined operation; that is, you create tags as you assign them, rather than creating them first. Creating tags in the UI is a little different user experience: there is a self-loading completion menu that collects all tags of a similar type. This completion menu helps you avoid misspelling tags when entering them more than once; otherwise, you might not be able to group and filter tags properly. It also makes tag entry more efficient.
The process for creating and assigning tags in the UI is generally the same for all tag types:
- Place the cursor in the “Tags” box, wherever it is located on the screen, and type the name of the new tag:
- Hit the return key to add the new tag:
The auto complete list will re-appear after you’ve entered the tag, in case you’d like to enter another tag.
- When you’re done, click on the appropriate completion button to complete the operation.
The tag you just entered will now be added to the tag auto complete list, in alphabetical order, for re-use with other machines.
How to delete and remove tags
With the MAAS UI, you remove tags, rather than explicitly deleting them. Tags are “deleted” when you have removed them from all machines.
To remove (unassign) a tag:
- Find the “Tags” box, wherever it is located on the screen:
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Click the “X” next to the tag you wish to remove.
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When you’re done, click on the appropriate completion button to complete the operation.
Note that the tag you just removed will be deleted from the tag auto complete list when it is no longer assigned to any machines.