Avira Professional Security Product Updates. Best Practices

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Wesley Newman
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1 Avira Professional Security Product Updates Best Practices

2 Table of Contents 1. What is Avira Professional Security? Where else can Avira Professional Security be found? Product updates Best practices regarding product update configurations Standalone installation Using Avira Management Console (AMC) General behavior: Automatic updates vs. manual updates Using Avira Update Manager (AUM) Test mode for critical environments AUM Test mode: Automatic updates AUM Test mode: Manual updates Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 2

3 1. What is Avira Professional Security? The Avira Professional Security protection package is a product, which protects your Windows workstation in real-time from malware while allowing remote centralized management. The latest system requirements can be found in the manual delivered with the product (press F1 in the configuration console). 2. Where else can Avira Professional Security be found? Avira Professional Security is also part of the following product bundles: Avira Business Security Suite Avira Small Business Security Suite Avira Endpoint Security Avira Endpoint & Security 3. Product updates Starting with version 2013 Avira Professional Security has only one update possibility: download product and detection updates together. It is no longer allowed to deny the product updates. If the product decides that after performing a Product update a reboot is required, the user (or Administrator) will see a notification informing him about this. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 3

4 Once the update has been completed, a popup will appear requesting a reboot. 4. Best practices regarding product update configurations We recommend to always apply product updates immediately because this ensures that your product receives always the latest improvements and patches. In case a reboot is not possible, then it should be performed as soon as possible. The configuration of the update settings is dependent on the method of installing and controlling the Avira Professional Security product: standalone or in AMC managed mode. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 4

5 4.1 Standalone installation In a standalone installation, it is possible to configure the product via the Configuration Center. There is already a predefined update task which per default updates the engine and virus definition files every hour. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 5

4.2 Using Avira Management Console (AMC) 4.2.1 General behavior: Automatic updates vs.

6 4.2 Using Avira Management Console (AMC) General behavior: Automatic updates vs. manual updates The default update behavior after installing the AMC is automatic updates and could be adjusted in the configurations options at the assigned Avira Update Manager (AUM). Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 6

If activated, the behavior could be checked at the security environment or any other group/host object: An automatic update of the hosts happens, if the AUM has successful finished the update of the

7 If activated, the behavior could be checked at the security environment or any other group/host object: An automatic update of the hosts happens, if the AUM has successful finished the update of the mirrored products the AUM has downloaded new updates the hosts or host groups are assigned to this automatic AUM update source (see screenshot above) the hosts are online and connected with the AMC (agent communication push or pull) Then, the AUM informs the hosts to do an update. They do it either directly if the agent push mode is activated. Or they do it via a pending task after the next agent pull sequence, which could also be helpful to get a constant scheduling. Automatic updates are working very well for permanently connected hosts like workstations and server. However, hosts like notebooks or partially connected workstations need manual updates. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 7

mode). The manual update source can be adjusted in the update configuration option of the product.

8 Manual updates could either be created on the host itself (see above standalone installation ) or they can be created in the AMC: On creating a manual update task, it is useful or even necessary to adjust the update source for manual updates (they are probably different than in the automatic mode). The manual update source can be adjusted in the update configuration option of the product. In the following example the local AUM is chosen as the priority server. If the local AUM can be reached, the updates are loaded from this source. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 8

If it fails (notebook is connected outside the company), the default servers are chosen and the host gets an update directly from the Avira update servers: With several update status, you can trigger

9 If it fails (notebook is connected outside the company), the default servers are chosen and the host gets an update directly from the Avira update servers: With several update status, you can trigger an . The alerting can be set up in the AMC ( is send by AMC) or the host product (professional/server, is sent from there). Please refer to the AMC manual, chapter 7.4 Update overview : Using Avira Update Manager (AUM) Test mode for critical environments Using the AUM Test mode allows the customer to check every update (VDF, engine and product) to an assigned test group / test host(s) before applying it to productive hosts. If the test is successful, it is possible to release the updates to the production group (all other hosts) or do it automatically at a configurable time after the last update. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 9

10 First of all, activate the AUM test mode: The test mode is establishing an additional http port. The default http test port is 7100 and can be adjusted in the AUM network settings: Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 10

11 Then you will see two sub groups in the AUM products, one for released updates and one for test updates: Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 11

To be sure that the productive environment is not be negatively affected by driving AV updates, you can assign the test update server to a typical used host or host group and drive the tests.

12 To be sure that the productive environment is not be negatively affected by driving AV updates, you can assign the test update server to a typical used host or host group and drive the tests. The tests could be a full on-demand scan and/or on-access scan. If the tests are successful, the updates can be committed to the release update group. In case a suspicious file or a suspected false positive was found, you can send the concerned files to the Avira Support via Again, there are two ways to proceed with test updates: Via the automatic updates and manual updates. If you want to be sure that only test updates and accordingly committed updates are applied to the host/host group, you have to be sure that only these wanted update sources apply to the hosts/groups. This means that no other update source (automatic or manual) can be applied! AUM Test mode: Automatic updates First, assign the test update server to the test group: Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 12

13 Then, assign the productive update server to the concerned productive group: Next, update the mirrored products in the test server: Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 13

14 The updates are applied automatically to the test group (see General behavior: Automatic updates vs. manual updates ). After finishing the tests successfully, the test updates can be committed to the productive server: Again, the updates are applied automatically to the assigned productive group (see General behavior: Automatic updates vs. manual updates ) AUM Test mode: Manual updates If you are working with the AUM test mode, it is common to use also scheduled tasks via a manual update mechanism. Important: To make sure that the one and only update source for test and release product updates is your own local AUM server, you need to configure the settings as follows. For the test source use the given http test port and enter this source in the priority server AND in the default server. This combination makes sure that only the test server is prompted for an update, even if the AUM service is temporarily down. Of course, if the AUM is down, you will get an update error/ and nothing will be updated. But otherwise, you can avoid that nothing untested is going to be installed: Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 14

2 Using the AUM in test mode. http://www.avira.

15 For the productive environment you also have to assign the productive sources in both fields: Please refer to the AMC manual, chapter Using the AUM in test mode. Avira Professional Security Best Practice (Status 2013/1/8) 15

16 This manual was created with great care. However, errors in design and contents cannot be excluded. The reproduction of this publication or parts thereof in any form is prohibited without previous written consent from Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG. Issued Q Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Protected trademarks are not marked as such in this manual. However, this does not mean that they may be used freely Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved. Errors and omissions excluded. Avira Operations GmbH & Co. KG Kaplaneiweg Tettnang Germany Telephone: Facsimile

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