Endpoint Protection

Just would like to inquire of the problem we would encouter if we would upgrade our SEPM to RU6 an what would happen to our clients?

1) Will the Clients automatically upgrade to RU6?
2) If not would they still receive definition updates?
3) How bout for clients which has lower versions like MR4 or maybe MR2?

Plus we also have laptop clients which dont connect to the server often lets say maybe once a month?
what would they encounter as they connect to the network and try to request for updates?

Wrong forum, this is for ticketing software.  But...

1. No.  If you want them to upgrade automatically, you must provide them with an installation package by going to SEPM Console, Clients, Install Packages tab, and choosing Add Client Install Package.  Here you define how clients should use this package.  For example, you can add the 11.0.6 (RU6) 32-bit Windows install package.  You can provide an upgrade schedule and tell the SEPM how many days to use to get it to clients, e.g. set a deadline 10 days out and you'll get up to 10% of clients each day.  If you don't use this option, you could stress your network by having all clients updating simultaneously.  For example, if you said Upgrade Schedule 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., but didn't use Distribute over X days, everybody whose PC is on will update.  You must add a Client Install package for each Client Group (or at least, for each client group that isn't inheriting from a parent).
2. Yes.
3. Still not a problem.  Same answer as #1.

Laptops would encounter the same thing as a desktop, unless you have different policies for them.  If a laptop is in the Workstations Group, and a desktop is in the Workstations Group, they have the same policy and will be treated identically.  A laptop just may have more to download when it does connect.

You may want to tell laptop clients that they can get definitions updates and program updates from LiveUpdate so that when they have internet, they update, as opposed to waiting for them to come back to home office.

Does this answer your question?

Moved to SEP forum

1. Will the Clients automatically upgrade to RU6?

---Yes , only when you configure  the AutoUpgrade feature of SEP
 

2) If not would they still receive definition updates?
---Yes they will as they would still be communicating to the SEPM

3) How bout for clients which has lower versions like MR4 or maybe MR2?
--You need to move them to RU6 or RU6a then only you can upgrardde to RU6MP1

Plus we also have laptop clients which dont connect to the server often lets say maybe once a month?
what would they encounter as they connect to the network and try to request for updates
---They will download the download the full defintions, and pacakge if the group to which they belong the RU6MP1 is assigned to them

It is not recommned to upgrade directly from RTM  to MR4MP2
RU6MP1 is a Maintenance  patch and not a maintenance release, A MP can only be installed on the main build. You can install RU6 over RTM or MR3 or MR4MP2 but not RU6MP1. For that you need to have RU6

 It is not recommend to upgrade directly from RU5 or MR4  to RU6MP1
This migration path is not supported.

Possible effects after a direct upgrade to RU6MP1  from a lower version [except RU6]:
Schema Corruption.
Possible dll corruption.
Policies Corruption.
Network breakdown.
Challenges with uninstalling SEP.

So what you need  Upgrade the clients to RU6 and then upgrade  to RU6MP1.

Clients will not be automatically upgraded, you will have to  do that. You can use AutoUpgrade feature(Upgrade Groups with Package) to upgrade all the clients.

Title: 'Upgrading clients by using AutoUpgrade'
Web URL: http://service1.symantec.com/support/ent-security.nsf/docid/2009101503293948?Open&seg=ent

They will receive updates normally from the SEPM.

It is always better to have Clients and SEPM at the same version. About Upgrading, you will have to upgrade all you clients to RU6, then only you can upgrade them to the latest RU6 MP1.

It is not recommend to upgrade directly to RU6MP1 from from a lower version [except RU6], because RU6 MP1 is a maintenance patch to RU6 or RU6a.

Possible effects after a direct upgrade
Schema Corruption.
Possible dll corruption.
Policies Corruption.
Network breakdown.
Challenges with uninstalling SEP.

Thanks for all your answer, it really clears things up

But i just woul like to verify.  Because someone told me that after upgrading our server to RU6 MP1 clients lower than RU6 or maybe specially MR2 or MR4 will still report to the server but then will not have their virus definitions updated.  Is this true?

Our company has quite a big number of clients and some of them come and go from the network thats why some have the problem of upgrading from one version to another

Hoping for your repsonse

Thanks in advance

"someone told me that after upgrading our server to RU6 MP1 clients lower than RU6 or maybe specially MR2 or MR4 will still report to the server but then will not have their virus definitions updated. Is this true?"--It is not true.But it is always recommendable to upgrade because then only you can enjoy all the new features and fixes.

A client will take update from the SEPM if it is commuincating with the SEPM irrespective of the version the client has

A RU6MP1 SEPM can give update to RU6, RU6a, RU5 , MR4 , MR3, MR2, MR1., RTM... all the client versions

Thank Very much for your support

Why is it that I have to read the forum to get this tidbit of information? I find it contemptible that you will spew this CYA "It is not recommned" here but not have an automated warning when setting an install package from the console that will apply to "not recommend" clients.

Other options:

• Read the release notes
• Read the .txt README that comes with each release
• Google it

The release notes say "This maintenance patch cannot be installed over any versions of Symantec Endpoint Protection or Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager prior to RU6. It must be installed over RU6 or RU6a."

They do not give any of the warnings listed above, not to mention if the patch "cannot" be installed over any other version why on earth does the SEMP let you do it without batting an eye?

Cannot implies that it is impossible. This is inconsistent with the not recommended warning above and also inconsistent with the product allowing you to apply them to lower revision clients.