Exporting Client Settings for Windows and Java LiveUpdate Clients from the LiveUpdate Administrator 2.x
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Exporting Client Settings for Windows and Java LiveUpdate Clients from the LiveUpdate Administrator 2.x

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Article ID: 178065

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Updated On:

Products

Mail Security for Domino Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange

Issue/Introduction

How do I direct LiveUpdate clients in the network to retrieve updates from a LiveUpdate Administrator 2.x (LUA 2.x) Distribution Center instead of the Symantec LiveUpdate source servers on the Internet?

Environment

Symantec Endpoint Protection version 11.x, 12.x and 14.x

LUA version 2.x

Resolution

When a LiveUpdate client is installed (as it is with most Symantec products), by default it is configured to connect to the Internet-based Symantec LiveUpdate server to retrieve updates. To direct LiveUpdate clients to retrieve updates from a specific Distribution Center (DC) instead, you must modify the configuration of the LiveUpdate client.

Users typically modify the client configuration through the administration console of the installed Symantec product, which is more convenient and the preferred method. However, you can also create a custom LiveUpdate configuration file (which is referred to as a LiveUpdate host file) through the LiveUpdate Administrator console. You can then copy this custom host file to client computers as required. When client computers run LiveUpdate, they connect to the server that is specified in the custom host file and download content from that location.

To use this method, you must copy the custom host file (settings.hosts.liveupdate or liveupdt.hst) to the LiveUpdate installation folder on client computers.


To generate a host file for Windows LiveUpdate clients (SAV 10.1, SEP 11 and other products that use Windows LiveUpdate):

  1. Click the Configure tab, and then click Client Settings.
  2. Select the distribution center that you want to create a host file for, and then click Export Windows Settings.
  3. Click Save.
  4. Select the location to save the file, and then click Save.

The file for Windows clients should be saved as Settings.Hosts.LiveUpdate. This file must be copied to the target computer and placed in the folder where LiveUpdate is installed.  By default, LiveUpdate is installed to the following folder:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\LiveUpdate (64-bit Windows OS)
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate (32-bit Windows OS)

Note: When configuring the LUA 2.x DC, do not use a UNC location for Windows NT clients and servers. If you use a scheduling utility, LiveUpdate can not connect to a UNC location unless the LiveUpdate files reside in a shared resource on the Windows NT server that all users are authorized to access (a NULL share).

 

Verifying Settings on Windows Clients 

It is possible to confirm that a computer has been configured to use a LUA 2.x Distribution Center (DC) by examining the read-only Settings.Liveupdate file on the computer.  The default location for this file:

  • on Windows 2003 and Windows XP                         C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\LiveUpdate\Settings.Liveupdate.
  • on Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and Windows 7    C:\Users\All Users\Symantec\LiveUpdate\Settings.Liveupdate.

 Ensure that details similar to the following are present when Settings.LiveUpdate is viewed using a text editor:

HOSTS\0\ACCESS=[IP of LUA 2.x DC]/[folder]                <----- details configured in LUA's Client Settings.
HOSTS\0\ACCESS2=ftp://[IP of LUA 2.x DC]/[folder]       <----- details configured in LUA's Client Settings.
HOSTS\0\IS_SYMANTEC=NO
HOSTS\0\NAME=[IP of LUA 2.x DC]                                  <----- details configured in LUA's Client Settings.
HOSTS\0\SUBNET=0.0.0.0
HOSTS\0\SUBNETMASK=0.0.0.0
HOSTS\0\TYPE=FTP                                                            <----- protocol configured in LUA's Client Settings.
HOSTS\NUM_HOSTS=1
.....

If the HOSTS present include default targets like http://liveupdate.symantecliveupdate.com, http://liveupdate.symantec.com, and ftp://update.symantec.com/opt/content/onramp then the LUA's custom Settings.Hosts.LiveUpdate have not been imported correctly.


To generate a host file for Java LiveUpdate clients (SMS for Domino, SAV for Linux and other products that use JavaLiveUpdate):

  1. Click the Configure tab, and then click Client Settings.
  2. Select the distribution center that you want to create a host file for, and then click Export Java Settings.
  3. Click Save.
  4. Select the location to save the file, and then click Save.
  5. The file for Java LiveUpdate (JLU) clients should be saved as liveupdt.hst.



References
Please reference the LiveUpdate Administrator User's Guide.pdf for more details.

 

 

Applies To

The steps described in this article are especially useful when the clients are unmanaged/self-managed, and cannot receive LiveUpdate settings from a Symantec management component.