# Rules
Export, import and duplication is possible for all rules. These operations can be carried out globally from the main rules page or by batch from the search engines for the various rules via massive actions. These features are interesting for example in the context of switching of rules from a pre-production environment to a production environment.
{% hint style="info" %}
export or import use a XML file format
{% endhint %}
## Rules engine
GLPI contains a rules engine which enables a certain number of actions and associations to be carried out automatically.
This engine is used for both:
* management rules:
* assigning an asset to an entity
* granting permissions to a user
* assigning category to a software
* routing tickets to entities
* automatic actions when opening ticket
* [data dictionaries](https://help.glpi-project.org/documentation/modules/administration/dictionnaries) :
* manufacturers
* software
* printers
* types of assets
* models of assets
* operating system related fields
The engine behaves differently depending on the types of rules:
* stop after first matching rule
* apply all rules
* apply rules and pass rule result to next rule
Rules can be disabled, for example when writing and testing new rules.
{% hint style="success" %}
in general, it is recommended to test the rules well before using them and to make a backup before setting up each new rule. On the main form of a rule, a *Test* button opens an additional window that allows to see all the criteria and results of the rule.
{% endhint %}
## The different rules
### Rules for assigning a ticket opened via a mail collector
See [Rules for assigning a ticket opened via a mail collector](#collectors_rules)
### Rules for assigning authorizations to a user
See [Rules for assigning authorizations to a user](https://help.glpi-project.org/documentation/modules/administration/rules/userauthorizations)
### Rules for assigning a category to software
Classification by category makes it easier to display and find software. This can be done automatically for any new software, or retroactively. The available criteria are the publisher, the name and the comment of the software. The only possible action is to assign software to a category. It is possible to replay the rules from the software list, using massive action *Recalculate category*.
### Business rules for tickets
When opening or modifying a ticket, a mechanism allows to modify ticket attributes automatically.
See [Business rules for tickets](https://help.glpi-project.org/documentation/modules/administration/rules/ticketbusinessrules)
### Rules for inventory agent
The two menus below are only visible if you use an inventory agent for an automatic inventory of computers in GLPI.
* rules for assigning an item to an entity
* rules for importing and linking computers
See [Rules for inventory agent](https://help.glpi-project.org/documentation/modules/administration/rules/inventorytools)
* **Transfer** This menu allows you to define the inter-entity transfer profiles.
Several actions are possible:
* **Preserve**: the item will be transferred with the object;
* **Put in Trash Bin**: the item will be placed in the recycle bin of the ceding entity;
* **Delete Permanently**: the item will be deleted from the database;
* **Keep**: the item will remain in the ceding entity;
* **Disconnect**: the connection between element and object will be deleted
* **Blacklists** Thanks to the GLPI blacklist mechanism, it is possible to exclude certain values from processing by the rules engine. The types that can be taken into account are:
* IP address;
* MAC address;
* serial number;
* UUID;
* email
This allows, for example, to exclude certain IP addresses from the inventory agent (for example an IP 127.0.0.1 or 0.0.0.0) or not to create a ticket from a particular email address (for example daily backup of a server).
## Create a rule
A rule is composed of a series of criteria. Depending on the option chosen (OR/ ND) one or all of the criteria must be verified to trigger an action list.
A preview mechanism allows you to test the rules being written before putting them into production.
Several criteria are available:
* simple:
* is
* is not
* contains
* does not contain
* starts with
* ends with
* under (for tree dropdowns, indicates to be this dropdown or one of the child dropdowns)
* not under (for tree dropdowns, indicates not to be this dropdown or one of the child dropdowns))
* complex:
* regular expression match
* regular expression does not match
Regular expressions (otherwise known as regex) return one or more results which can then be used by actions using the #x directive (where x is the number of the result of the regular expression).
{% hint style="info" %}
**Example**
Criteria : name matching regular expression `/DESKTOP\_(.\*)/` If object is named `DESKTOP_0001`, then it will be possible to use `0001` in the actions of the rules using parameter `#0`
{% endhint %}
**KEEP ?**
You need to create **location rules** to affect a location to a computer. Before, you need to define the criteria which will trigger the rule (a tag inventory, a subnet, a domain, etc.) In our example, we're going to create a rule that takes the [inventory tag](https://glpi-agent.readthedocs.io/en/latest/man/glpi-agent.md#execution-mode-options) into account. If the tag is France, then apply the Paris location
* In **administration > Rules > Location Rules**
* Click **+ Add**
* You can add different information (name, logical operator, comments, description, active)
>
{% hint style="warning" %}
> **Logical operator AND / OR**
>
> * **"OR"** the rule will then apply from the 1st corresponding criterion. It will ignore all subsequent criteria.
> * **"AND"**, on the other hand, will have to take all the criteria into account for the rule to be applied.
> {% endhint %}
* **Active** your rule
* Clik **+ Add**
* In **Criteria**, click **Add a new criterion**
* Select **Agent > Inventory tag**
* Enter **France**
* Click **+ Add**
> 
* In **Actions** tab, click **Add a new action**
* Select the location to assign
* Click **+ Add**
> 
You can test the rule location by clicking on **Test rules engines** in **Administration > Locations rules**
