I will be getting the option to make it as a replication partner when am installing the Second SEPM , is that correct. So, when i login to my sond SEPM, will i be able to see the machines pointing to first SEPMI am going to use Embeded database for the second SEPM too, so the option which u mentioned works with embeded database too..? correct

Is failover possible option possible when using embeded database

Configuring failover and load balancing for Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager

Configuring failover and load balancing for Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager

By default, the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager servers are assigned the same priority when configured for failover and load balancing. If you want to change the default priority after installation, you can do so by using the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager console. Failover and load balancing can be configured only when a site includes more than one management server.

To configure failover and load balancing for Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager

1. In the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager console, click Policies.

2. In the View Policies pane, to the right of Policy Components, click the up arrow so that it becomes a down arrow, and then clickManagement Server Lists.

3. In the Tasks pane, click Add a Management Server List.

4. In the Management Server Lists dialog box, under Management Servers, click Add > New Priority once per priority you want to add.

5. Under Management Servers, click Priority 1.

6. Click Add > New Server.

7. In the Add Management Server dialog box, in the Server Address box, type the fully qualified domain name or IP address of a Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.

   If you type an IP address, be sure that it is static, and that all clients can resolve the IP address.

8. Click OK.

9. Do one of the following:

   • To configure load balancing with the other server, click Priority 1.

   • To configure failover with the other server, click Priority 2.

10. Click Add > New Server.

11. In the Add Management Server dialog box, in the Server Address box, type the fully qualified domain name or IP address of a Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.

    If you type an IP address, be sure that it is static, and that all clients can resolve it.

12. lick OK.

13. Optionally change the priority of a server to adjust the configuration for load balancing or failover. Select a server, and then do one of the following:

    • Click Move Up.

    • Click Move Down.

14. In the Management Server Lists dialog box, click OK.

    You must then apply the Management Server List to a group.

To apply the Management Server List

1. In the Management Server Lists pane, under Management Server Lists, under Name, highlight the Management Server List that you created.

2. In the lower-left Tasks pane, click Assign the list.

3. In the Apply Management Server List dialog box, check the groups to which to apply the list.

4. Click Assign.

5. In the Assign Management Server List dialog box, click Yes.

    

What is the better solution for two installed sepm in one company, failover and load balancing OR replication partners, and what are the differences between this two install solutions ?

replication with the failover (Management server list).

Replication: will replicate logs between the SEPM's and Failover: set Management server list, if 1 SEPM  goes down, the other SEPM will handle the client's request.

replication with failover? maybe you mean failover with load balancing ?

I only know two solutions, 1. replication, 2. failover with load balancing

sorry i misunderstood your question. How many clients will be in the environment? If SEPM is overburdened then loadbalance with failover, else replication will be good.

I currently have 50 clients, one server with embedded database. My SEPM server is hyper-v client, and I plan to install second sepm server on second hyper-v host. I need two servers because my first hyper-v host is not so stable.

with emdedded DB you cannot have load balance. What you can do is install SEPM on stable system and take DB backup regularly.

You cannot provide failover or load balancing for an embedded database.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO55415

Only solution is two replication partners ?

Replication will do!

I did  run the replication but ran into many troubles. The requirement is the machines when unable to reach first SEPM should take updates from another SEPM. All machines are in one site. I have installed embded database in one server, second SEPM will also be embeded database.

How do i install SEPM so that, when machines fail to take updates from first SEPM, it has to take updates from Second SEPM...

I choose the second option while installing " Load balancing and failover" it was asking for SQL server credentials, so that option will not work. Can i create a new site and add that site as a failover to first SEPM.

Reply required at the earliest.

the second option is for only SQL.

the clients will take update from SEPM , it will not fall to other SEPM for updates ( only) unless the client starts communicating with the other SEPM.

I am getting little confused. My requirement is if First SEPm goes down, machines should get updates..it might be secomd SEPM, Gup etc. How do i configure....

You can set MSL to the client group, if the primary SEPM goes down, the clients hsould report and get the updates from second priority SEPM.

check these articles

What is a Management Server List ( MSL ) in Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) ?
http://symantec.com/docs/TECH90839

How can I specify a Management Server List (MSL) to connect for a group of clients and optional Enforcers ?
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH90841

Hi,

I can understand you are a bit confused, let me clarify some things:

when you have two SEPMs (regardless if they are connected to the same DB or not), both should be in the Management Servers List (only IP addresses, host names, ports and priority), this is the only thing the clients see, they are not aware of the real infrastructure;

the clients connect to a random SEPM from those with the same priority in the MSL;

once the SEP client connects to a SEPM, it checks for policies and updates only with that SEPM and taking what is newer there, it is not aware of what Symantec or other SEPMs are publishing, hence it is not able to detect that it is not updated and then actively switch to Symantec servers or other SEPMs of yours.

So, when you have two SEPMs, you have the following advantages:

- load balancing: clients are randomly distributed over the two SEPMs

- fail over between the SEPMs: if the clients are not able to connect to a SEPM (it is down or unreachable), they will try to connect to another SEPM in the list, hoping it is OK.

So, the product does not allow you to force the clients to fail over to other SEPMs under custom conditions (like "when definitions are older than ... try to connect to ...), clients are just taking in consideration the MSL, the priorities there and the connectivity to the SEPMs.

Hence, you have to:

- set a notification to know when more than X% of clients are out-of-date for  > Y days

- investigate on the content distribution to isolate the issue

- if you really have one updated SEPM and one not updated, clients should get the definitions from the other SEPM just because they might randomly connect to it. If you isolate the non-working SEPM for the network, you will force the clients to connect to the working one and get the definitions.

Hi,

As you know Symantec does not recommend to use Embedded database for failove-loadbalancing and replication.

It would be great if you could check other available options for SEPM backup.

If you could provide some more details about your environment we may guide you in correct direction.

I hope it will help you !!!

Just Make sure your Management server list is configured properly and the updated MSL policy is assigned to all the groups

Can you check the sylink file of any such client which is not falling back ?

 if possible upload the sylink debug log