Hi all,

We had a 'little accident' late last year. The server hosting our Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager experienced a complete hardware failure and as such, the data on the server was not recoverable.

Since then, we've re-setup the SEP Management server on new hardware utilizing the same IP address and settings as the previous server. However, unfortunately, the existing clients on our network are unable to update their definitions from this new server, although the settings are the same.

I may be asking a stupid question here, but is there anyway to solve this problem?

Please do let me know.

P.S. In that 'accident' the backups were destroyed as well, so recovering the old server and its configs are not possible :(

You need to replace the sylink file on each client with a sylink from the new server. If you're running SEP 12.1 RU2 or later, this can be done using the SEPM. See the KBA here:

Restoring client-server communications with Communication Update Package Deployment

Hi

Are the client connected your sepm server ?

Does sep client showing green dot ?

try to replace sylink.xml for sylink replacer tool

If you are using sep 11

The Sylinkreplacer tool for connecting SEP clients to a SEPM

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/downloads/sylinkreplacer-tool-connecting-sep-clients-sepm

Using the "SylinkReplacer" Utility

However, unfortunately, the existing clients on our network are unable to update their definitions from this new server, although the settings are the same.

The same server name, IP and settings on the server won't be enough in this case. SEP clients are connecting ro SEPM according to specific communications settings - the communication is encrypted  as well - part of this is included in the sylink.xml that clients get from SEPM (here sepm forwards a certain KCS hash - has of the encryption password set during the SEPM installation).

As your new SEPM has obviously generating new and different communication settings as old one, the clients cannot connect to it.

Please replace the communications settings on the clients with the one that your new SEPM is generating - you can do this on couple of ways:

How to point clients to a new SEPM after decommissioning or replacing the primary SEPM.

Why do I need to replace the client-server communications file on the client computer?

Using the "SylinkReplacer" Utility

Restoring client-server communications with Communication Update Package Deployment

How to change the sylink.xml file in Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) 12.1

How to restore/retain client-server SEP communication using custom installation settings without having to use the sylink drop tool.

How to create a client install setting to remove previous logs, policies and reset the client-server communication settings.

...and the easiest way in SEPM 12.1 RU1 and above:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/sep-121-ru2-and-reset-client-communication

Hello! 

Thanks for the posts and providing the solutions above. I'm happy to report that we're replaced the Sylink on the "old" clients on the network, and they're now associated with the new server. Downloading updates from this server is not a problem now! 

It's great that your issue has been sort out. Kindly mark the comment as a solution which help to resolve your issue, so other can get help from that comment.

Hi 

Thumbs UP  for SebastianZ.

Follow any of the steps and let us know the results.

Regards

Ajin