Update And Upgrade Methods - McAfee VIRUSSCAN 4.5 Administrator's Manual

Updating and Upgrading VirusScan Software

Update and upgrade methods

Because new .DAT and program files are crucial to ensuring your anti-virus
security, McAfee incorporates a range of updating options into the VirusScan
product package. These include:
• SecureCast service broadcasts. The McAfee SecureCast service uses
BackWeb "push" technology to send out automatic .DAT file updates,
product upgrades, virus alerts and other useful items to subscribers.
McAfee recommends using a combination of this service and the
mechanisms provided in VirusScan software to update and upgrade your
software. To learn more about the SecureCast service, see
"Using the SecureCast Service to Get New Data Files."
• Scheduled automatic update and upgrade operations. VirusScan software
includes two utilities that you can use to schedule regular .DAT file
updates and product file upgrades directly from the VirusScan Console:
AutoUpdate and AutoUpgrade. McAfee recommends that you use these
utilities as your primary methods to update or upgrade your software for
workstations on your network, after you download your files from the
McAfee "b2b" website or receive them through the SecureCast service. To
learn more, see
"Understanding the AutoUpgrade utility" on page
• Incremental .DAT file updates. The new McAfee iDAT, technology works
transparently with the included AutoUpdate version. The new iDAT files
consist of .UPD parcels and a DELTA.INI file that tracks what has changed
between weekly .DAT file releases. The AutoUpdate utility uses the
DELTA.INI file to determine files to download and install.
By default, the AutoUpdate utility will download iDAT files unless the
.DAT files or scan engine you have installed on your computer is
significantly out of date. In that case, the AutoUpdate utility automatically
downloads and installs the full .DAT package. You do not need to
configure the utility for this purpose—it can choose which route it must
take based on what it finds on your system. To learn more about how iDAT
files work, see
• SuperDAT scan engine and .DAT file updates. McAfee releases a weekly
SuperDAT package of current .DAT file updates and the current Olympus
scan engine, together with a Setup feature that makes updating and
upgrading a snap.
The SuperDAT utility minimizes the need for complex software
deployments each time you receive upgrade components. It takes care of
shutting down any active scan operations, services, or other memory-
resident software components that might interfere with your updates, then
copies the new files to their proper locations and enables your software to
use them immediately.
106 McAfee VirusScan Anti-Virus Software
"Understanding the AutoUpdate utility" on page 108
Appendix F, "Understanding iDAT Technology."
Appendix D,
and
118.