Intelligent Updater Filename Changes on August 14, 2002
What is happening?
Symantec Security Response is updating the file naming convention used for all Intelligent Updater
packages posted to the publicly accessible Symantec FTP servers and Virus Definition Download
pages on the Security Response Web site. This update effects both Beta and fully QA'd Intelligent
Updater packages.
What are the specific changes being made to the filenames for the Intelligent Updaters?
Currently the virus definition file naming convention is using the 8.3 format and only represents
mmdd(platform).exe. For example, a package named 0501i32.exe was created on May 01, but there is
no straightforward way to determine the year or version number of this definition package by looking
at the filename. In the event that definitions are released more than once per day, we end up with
2 definition packages having the same name (0501i32.exe), even though the definitions have unique
version numbers (as seen by examining the VirusDefs directory where you would see something like
20020501.006 and 20020501.015.) To reduce confusion, definition packages will now be named using
the names in the table below.
NOTE: Due to the lack of long-filename support on 16-bit platforms, the filenames of the 16-bit Intelligent Updaters will not change.
Current filename for fully
QA'd Virus Definitions
(available until August 14, 2002) |
New filename for fully
QA'd Virus Definitions
(yyyymmdd-version-platform.ext)
|
| 0725-unix.sh |
20020725-019-unix.sh |
| 0725a32.zip |
20020725-019-a32.zip |
| 0725i16.exe |
0725i16.exe |
| 0725i32.exe |
20020725-019-i32.exe |
| 0725i161.exe |
0725i161.exe |
| 0725i162.zip |
0725i162.zip |
| 0725i163.zip |
0725i163.zip |
| 0725i321.exe |
20020725-019-i32-1.exe |
| 0725i322.zip |
20020725-019-i32-2.zip |
| 0725i323.zip |
20020725-019-i32-3.zip |
| 0725n16.exe |
0725n16.exe |
| 0725n161.exe |
0725n161.exe |
| 0725n162.zip |
0725n162.zip |
| 0725n163.zip |
0725n163.zip |
| 0725o32.zip |
20020725-019-o32.zip |
| 0725x86.exe |
20020725-019-x86.exe |
Also, the Intelligent Updater static filenames will no longer contain the term "sarc". The term "sarc"
will be replaced with the term "symcbetadefs" or "symcdefs", depending on whether the package contains
beta quality or fully QA'd virus definitions. The remaining portion of the filename - the portion of
the filename that specifies platform, numbers used for sequential ordering, etc - will be unchanged.
Current filename for
Beta Virus Definitions
(available until August 14, 2002) |
New filename for
Beta Virus Definitions |
| sarc-unix.sh |
symcbetadefs-unix.sh |
| sarca32.zip |
symcbetadefsa32.zip |
| sarci16.exe |
sarci16.exe |
| sarci32.exe |
symcbetadefsi32.exe |
| sarci161.exe |
sarci161.exe |
| sarci162.zip |
sarci162.zip |
| sarci163.zip |
sarci163.zip |
| sarci321.exe |
symcbetadefsi321.exe |
| sarci322.zip |
symcbetadefsi322.zip |
| sarci323.zip |
symcbetadefsi323.zip |
| sarcn16.exe |
sarcn16.exe |
| sarcn161.exe |
sarcn161.exe |
| sarcn162.zip |
sarcn162.zip |
| sarcn163.zip |
sarcn163.zip |
| sarco32.zip |
symcbetadefso32.zip |
| sarcx86.exe |
symcbetadefsx86.exe |
Current filename for fully
QA'd Virus Definitions
(available until August 14, 2002) |
New filename for fully
QA'd Virus Definitions
|
| sarc-unix.sh |
symcdefs-unix.sh |
| sarca32.zip |
symcdefsa32.zip |
| sarci16.exe |
sarci16.exe |
| sarci32.exe |
symcdefsi32.exe |
| sarci161.exe |
sarci161.exe |
| sarci162.zip |
sarci162.zip |
| sarci163.zip |
sarci163.zip |
| sarci321.exe |
symcdefsi321.exe |
| sarci322.zip |
symcdefsi322.zip |
| sarci323.zip |
symcdefsi323.zip |
| sarcn16.exe |
sarcn16.exe |
| sarcn161.exe |
sarcn161.exe |
| sarcn162.zip |
sarcn162.zip |
| sarcn163.zip |
sarcn163.zip |
| sarco32.zip |
symcdefso32.zip |
| sarcx86.exe |
symcdefsx86.exe |
When will this change occur?
You may be aware that the static packages have already been renamed. Currently definition packages using both naming conventions
are being posted to the Symantec FTP site. Beginning August 14th, 2002, only packages with the new naming conventions will be
created and posted to the Web and FTP sites. As of that date, the "sarc*.*" and the "mmdd*.*" packages will no longer be available.
Does this filename change affect LiveUpdate?
No. LiveUpdate packages are unaffected by this change.
Does this filename change affect Symantec Scan and Deliver?
The filename for virus definitions returned to a customer when submitting a sample to Scan and Deliver will not change:
| Current filename for Beta Virus Definitions sent via Scan and Deliver |
New filename for Beta Virus Definitions sent via Symantec Scan and Deliver |
| updat32.exe |
updat32.exe |
| einstall.exe |
einstall.exe |
Does this change affect customers in any other way?
If customers are using scripts to automatically download the Intelligent Updater files,
the scripts may not work correctly because the filenames have changed. Customers using
scripts for this purpose will need to update their scripts to use the new filenames.
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