LiveUpdate on Managed Clients Help

[ddivita]

Is there a way to foorce the clients to pull an update from the server immediately? Kind of like a manual update, but generated form the server?

Why is it that some clients get their updates faster than others? I realize this is a loaded question, but we scheduled the clients to pull the updates at 8:00 am today, and a lot of clients are still not updated.

Any thoughts on optimal server and client settings? What are some good things to consider when setting up a client and making the server run a peak performance? (NAV that is)

thanks so much

Daniel C. Di Vita

 

[LawnBoy]

What I have noticed is that all clients get the update at the same time, but the SSC is delayed in polling some of them. Why, I don't know, but I have manually verified that some clients had the new update even when the SSC says they don't. Usually within a couple of hours the SSC catches up.

 

[glacierxx]

What Version are you using.

"evil prospers when good men do nothing”

 

[ddivita]

version 8.1

 

[glacierxx]

Yes, the way I like to force the update is to right click the parent server select >All Tasks>Symantec Antivirus>Definition Manager>Configure>Definition File> then apply. This will force the definitions showing out to the clients.

"evil prospers when good men do nothing”

 

[dibbkd]

glacierxx, cool tip about applying the definitions. One question though. When I went to test that out, I got the following:

"The selected virus definition file will be used by all computers in this Server Group and scheduled updates will be disabled. Are you sure you want to change the current definition file?"

Does this mean that scheduled updates will be permanently disabled, or just once? Do you have to "apply" new definitions manually every time or what?

Thanks!

 

[glacierxx]

Interesting, I have never seen that. I will look at it at work tomorrow and give you another post.

"evil prospers when good men do nothing”

 

[technome]

As far as optimal setting....

In 7 years using Symantec I have yet to have a virus get through with these settings.

Client protection options.. file system.. under drives types remove the checkmark for network drives

Choose selected extensions, not "all types"
Exclusions, generally I exclude *.log and *.tmp files.
The above setting will have the least impact on server performance; if you enable "all types", and check off the network drives, will have an unecessary toll on the system


Make sure all the security settings are "locked" for the clients, so they can not make changes or disable the client.

Symantec recommend not to install "quarantine", as they say it is not necessary and can use 128 Meg memory.

Scan only on off hours, once a week is enough. Have the "clients" receive the virus definition files on off hours if possible. Be careful to have the scanning while no other major "off hour" event is scheduled, such as during backups.

Have the AV server check for definitions at least once a day
Have the clients obtain virus definitions daily. Weekly checks are too long, even though Symantec rarely updates more than once a week; they do release "emergency" updates, once in a while, you don't want to wait a week for them.

Enable email scanning, the most important item to be scanned

 

[dibbkd]

technome, good tips, but what you said about Symantec normally only updating once a week isn't really true.

Symantec normally only updates their "Live Update" defs weekly, normally on Wednesday evening, but do special updates like you said during the week if a major outbreak is occuring.

BUT, Symantec actually has new DAILY definitions available via Intelligent Updater. These can be downloaded manually or by using a batch file called CEGETTER.BAT.

I update my defs daily, whether or not there is "major" virus activity. Can't be too safe in my book.

 

[ddivita]

Along with this, is there a way to speed up the Virus History Log? Mine takes FOREVER to load. Also is there a way to automate the Virus History log to dump to a CSV file on a schedule? I am assuming I would have to write a batch file or VB app, but I could be wrong. Thanks

Daniel

 

[technome]

Dibbkd

Good point

"BUT, Symantec actually has new DAILY definitions available via Intelligent Updater. These can be downloaded manually or by using a batch file called CEGETTER.BAT."

Few times I have manually downed the files when warning are high. Think I will start using cegetter, don't want to ruin a perfect score.
Thanks