Distributed Repository - McAfee EPOLICY ORCHESTRATOR 3.6 - WALKTHROUGH GUIDE Manual

®
ePolicy Orchestrator 3.6 Walkthrough Guide

Distributed repository

Distributed repositories host copies of your master repository contents (although you
can restrict which files get copied from the master repository to each of the distributed
repository). Consider using distributed repositories and placing them throughout your
network strategically to ensure managed systems are updated while network traffic is
minimized, especially across slow connections.
As you update your master repository, ePolicy Orchestrator replicates the contents to
the distributed repositories, instead of to each system.
A large organization can have multiple locations with limited bandwidth connections
between them. Distributed repositories limit updating traffic across low-bandwidth
connections. If you create a distributed repository in the remote location and configure
the systems within the remote location to update from this distributed repository, the
updates are copied across the slow connection only once — to the distributed
repository — instead of once to each system in the remote location.
Systems to use for distributed repositories
Use an existing server to host the distributed repository. Although you do not need to
use a dedicated server, the server should be large enough for the desired systems to
connect for updates. Servers are better than workstations because they are more likely
to be running all the time.
Types of distributed repositories
ePolicy Orchestrator supports four different types of distributed repositories. Consider
your environment and needs when determining which type of distributed repository to
use. You are not limited to using one type, and may have the need to use several,
depending on the nature of your network.
SuperAgent repositories
Use systems hosting SuperAgents as distributed repositories. If global updating is
enabled, SuperAgent repositories update managed systems automatically as soon as
selected updates and packages are checked into the master repository. You do not need
to spend additional time creating and configuring repositories or the update tasks.
McAfee recommends using SuperAgent repositories and global updating together to
ensure your managed environment is up-to-date.
Note
SuperAgent repositories have several advantages over other types of distributed
repositories:
Folder locations are created automatically on the host system before adding the
repository to the repository list.
File sharing is enabled automatically on the SuperAgent repository folder.
SuperAgent repositories don't require replication or updating credentials.
Although SuperAgent broadcast wakeup call functionality requires a SuperAgent in
each broadcast segment which contains managed systems, this is not a requirement
Note
for SuperAgent repository functionality. Managed systems only need to "see" the
system hosting the repository.
26
Organizing the Directory and Repositories
Repositories
3