McAfee VIRUSSCAN 4.5 -, Administrator'S Manual

Page: 119 / 208

User’s Guide 119
Updating and Upgrading VirusScan Software
By default, the AutoUpgrade task included with VirusScan Console does not
come configured with any default upgrade site. Instead, McAfee recommends
that you use other mechanisms, such as the Enterprise SecureCast service, to
receive new SuperDAT or program files, then place those files on a central
server within your network. Next, you would configure the AutoUpgrade
utility on each of your network workstations to “pull” the new files from the
location you specify. To learn more about the SecureCast service, see
Appendix D, “Using the SecureCast Service to Get New Data Files” or visit the
Network Associates website at:
http://www.mcafeeb2b.com/asp_set/anti_virus/securecast/enterprise.asp
Making new files available on one or more central servers on your network
allows you to:
• Schedule network-wide program file roll-outs for convenient times and
with minimal intervention from either administrators or network users.
Use the AutoUpgrade Task Properties dialog box to determine when each
network node will check your network server for updated files.
You might, for example, specify one convenient update time when you first
deploy VirusScan software, but set the AutoUpgrade utility to trigger at a
random interval within 60 minutes of that time, or set a schedule that
phases in or rotates program file upgrades among different parts of the
network. To learn how to schedule the AutoUpdate task or other tasks, see
“Enabling tasks” on page 208 of the VirusScan User’s Guide .
• Split roll-out administration duties among different servers or domain
controllers, among different regions of wide-area networks, or across other
network divisions. Keeping update traffic primarily internal can also
reduce the potential for network security breaches.
• Reduce the likelihood that you will need to wait to download new program
files. Traffic on McAfee servers increases dramatically whenever new
program files appear. Avoiding the competition for network bandwidth
enables you to deploy your update with minimal interruptions.
Configuring the AutoUpgrade utility
To update program files for your VirusScan software, you must tell the
AutoUpgrade utility:
• which update sites have the new files you want to download
• which transfer method you want it to use for the download
• whether you use a proxy server and, if so, what port you have assigned to it
• what you want it to do with the files it downloads-install them, save them
for future use, or both