McAfee MANAGEMENT EDITION 2.5 Administrator's Manual page 142

Updating Your Anti-virus Software
Batch Install is the best update method for large anti-virus domains, which are
possibly spread over many sites or time zones. The Update Manager
(DEMON.EXE) is a Windows NT service that is automatically installed by
Management Edition on each Management Server. You generate an update
request by running the requester, MEUPRQ32.EXE (32-bit) or
MEUPRQ16.EXE (16-bit), from a target machine. The Update Manager runs in
the background, processing updates while the Management Console
application is not running. It is the slowest method for a member machine, but
the quickest for the Management Console.
Member machines can request an update when they log on or they can be
scheduled to receive updates. "Updates on request" are best suited to
machines such as laptops, which are rarely connected to the network, or
machines that are only occasionally powered on. This method is also useful if
you want to reduce network traffic.
Both Push On Install and Pull Off Install methods update member machines
sequentially. However, Batch Install has many more features. It can do the
following:
• Update many machines simultaneously.
• Delay the start time for the updates to be installed. For example, you can
submit an update at 6 p.m. on Friday but prevent any machine taking the
update before Monday 9 a.m.
• Retry unavailable machines. For example, laptop computers are often
disconnected from the network, and some machines are only occasionally
powered on.
• Issue updates on request via login scripts. If some machines are
unavailable (often disconnected or powered off) it can be more efficient if
those machines request their own updates by running a small program as
they log on.
• Permit postponement of updates. The user is prompted to take the update,
but can choose to postpone it. You determine the number of allowed
postponements. If the user requests an update that has already been
postponed, they are forced to wait for it.
When you choose Apply Configuration, the details of the update are recorded
in the Update Manager's database. To view the details, click the Management
Server, and then click the Pending Updates tab to view the report in the right
pane.
142 Management Edition