Symantec Management Platform (Notification Server)

Hi,

We have many files being sent weekly to get updated on our pc's.  We are just starting to get going with patching and are finding that the patches are clogging up deploying files out.  We have 270 remote site/package servers that the files need to get out to for deployment.  We have a throttled link from our NS server to all of these site servers with gives us 40 Mbps that we share with Symantec antivirus traffic.  Is there any way of setting up multicast from NS to site servers?  From what I read it looks like multicast is only supported between site server and client?  Is there a way we can multicast the files out to the site servers with a 3rd party solution and then get them resynched up with Altiris?  Any suggestions for us to speed up this process?  I'm thinking we may need a separate site server for patches from the normal deployment files at each site?

Any Suggestions?

It looks like the network team has assigned you 40Mbps and you're not using more than that.  You can reduce usage (distribute fewer files, smaller files, reduce SEP bandwidth) or request more bandwidth.

I'm not a huge networking wizard, but doesn't multicast only save bandwidth if you're distributing to multiple systems over the same link?  And wouldn't each site have a separate link back to the NS?  So where's the savings?

Couple things...
We found a package on a remote site server that was still pending copy.
We manually copied that from the NS to that site server, did a delta update, then did an update on the client on the site server, and a refresh packages.
It showed as fully copied at that point.
We're thinking we could load a 3rd party multicast client on the site servers and NS server and push the copyfile directory to the site servers through this multicast client, then when the client updates it will recognize it has the files.
How does this sound to you?

2nd question is...
We also noticed some packages copying twice (some of these are 700mb, 300mb, etc).
They have the same guid but different package id.
These are copy tasks that we have re-uploaded the files into.
We are going to go through and clean those up but why would it make a whole new package and re-push the same guid?

Thanks in Advance

In general, you want to follow this process if you choose to pre-stage:
http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO36037

It's been discussed before about Copy File creating a new package ID:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/duplicate-packages-site-servers

But I'm not sure of the reason.  The following KB may help you in deleting them:
http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO63379