In a world where a new virus/worm can sweep around the world in under
48 hours, prompt virus definition updates are a requirement. For some
inexplicable reason however, there is no built in way for a Symantec
Corporate Edition 9 server to download updates daily.
Symantec Corporate Edition has server side bits that allow a company to
manage the client anti-virus software. You can setup
scheduled scans, configure how on access scanning works, push out new
virus definitions, and configure pretty much anything you would want to
configure on a client machine all from one place.
One would think that the server side programs would have the ability to
schedule checking for new virus definitions from Symantec. You can easily
do this. Well, you can if you want updates weekly. Weekly isn't
acceptable in this day and age of sweeping virus outbreaks. Thoughtfully,
Symantec has a solution, the
XDBdown.cmd script downloads Intelligent Updates (which are updated
daily). Ignoring the fact that this script uses some batch file voodoo
that could be used to scare first year computer science students; why is
this needed? Why isn't this included in the basic functions of the server
side software?
I have been told version 10 allows the admin to choose any definition
download schedule they wish. I have also been told not to rush to install
it as the upgrade process is not quiet painless. When there is a major virus outbreak in the
wild, I can run LiveUpdate manually and it will grab new definitions more
often then weekly.
can manually run LiveUpdate whenever I wish
and it will grab a daily update. For something as simple and repetitive
as this it should be automated. Until this upgrade happens, I shall have
to survive with a script scheduled by Scheduled Tasks on my server.
