Endpoint Protection

Hello everyone . I am faced with a requirement and I would really appreciate your inputs and suggestions on the following.

Following is the current envoirement of one of my customers which I need to re-design and fine tune.

Currently they are running a single SEPM 12.1 RU1 with a SQL Database (SQL Server 2003) with about 1100 clients with all the components of SEP AV/AS , NTP,PTP. I need to re-design and fine tune this envoirement. Now following are the challenges

• I cannot update SEP 12.1 RU1 directly to 12.1 RU5 becuase of SQL Server 2003 not supported and I cannot update SQL 2003 to SQL 2008 becuase customer has forgotten the password of machine that hosts SQL 2003 and as a result the DB is dead and offline and SEPM is offline to SEP Clients.
• I need to re-configure SEPM in HA mode with a minimal or no change at the SEP Clients itself

I have the following in my mind please suggest how can I acheive the above requirement

• Install a new SEPM and restore it with old DB backup on a new machine once it is done then then update it to the newest version 12.5 RU5 once it is done and client is migrated to it then install a new SEPM with replication and it will work in HA mode.
• I do not want to make any changes on the 1100 clients itself . I want to make changes to the SEPM level.

Please share with me what is the best and optimum way to achieve this object. Thanks

for 1000 machines you can go with Embedded

install new sepm, but back the Db

install another sepm embedded

replicate it.

you are proposing to Install a new SEPM 12.1 RU1  with an embedded Database on a new machine  then update it to the latest version 12.5 RU5 then install a new SEP SEPM with 12.5 directly with embedded DB then replicate them both ? I dont need to make any changes at SEP client itself ?

* Correction* Total number of clients being supported will be 1400

Can I restore the backup of SEPM 12.1 RU1 on SEPM 12.5 RU5 ?

Do you mean SQL Server 2000 or 2005? 2003 does not exist. SEP 12.1.5 is supporting SQL Server 2005 SP4:

System Requirements for Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.5

SEP 12.1 could use SQL Server 2000 SP4 as well, which is not supported by SEP 12.1.5.

So if you have a SQL Server 2005 SP4, SEPM upgrade to 12.1.5 should be possible.

Greg I meant it was SQL Server 2000 that is why I cannot directly upgrade SEPM 12.1 RU1 to 12.5

Hello Guys is it ok if I can take the backup of current SEPM on SQL server 2000 and then simply install a new SEPM 1 with the same version as the old one was having. Then install a new  server with a SQL Database and restore the backup on it once the new SEPM 1 is online then update it to 12.1 RU5 once this process is completed.

Install Second SEPM-2 server SEPM 12.5 and deploy it in the failover mode. Is this also appropriate for my situation ? Thanks

Waiting for your suggestions. Regards