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Client to Server communication debugger

Created: 21 Mar 2012 | Updated: 21 Mar 2012 | 3 comments
omederos's picture
omederos
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Status: In Review

My enterprise has over 20,000 hosts and at least two thirds of them are behind group update providers. Those group update providers are themselves behind satellite connections and many clients underneath them behind private secure networks or DMZs. We use location awareness to assign a LiveUpdate policy configured with the corresponding GUP. Debugging communication issues between client to SEPM or client to GUPs has been a nightware. It's ridiculous and time consuming to change the value of the registry key at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC\smc_debuglog_on & create a new key at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC\SYLINK\SyLink with the location of the log file only to then have to analyze the log for the break in communication. I am aware of the sylinkmonitor tool but that only parses the log. I would like to see a dedicated tool for debugging client to server or client to GUP communication.

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Elisha's picture
Elisha Symantec Employee Accredited Certified
Client to Server communication debugger - Comment:21 Mar 2012 : Link

Currently we use the SylinkMontor tool to debug communication issues.  If that will not work in your environment can you give me a little bit more data about what you want the communication debugger to do?  What types of issues are you debugging?  What functionality do you want in the debugger?

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Ian_C.'s picture
Ian_C. Partner
Client to Server communication debugger - Comment:22 Mar 2012 : Link

For a decent log viewer, have a look at your internal Altiris Log viewer

  • Colour coded lines for Critical, Warning or info messages
  • Search functionality
  • jump buttons
  • filter options

Admittedly, the Altiris log files are in XML format.

The Sylink monitor tools feels like a GUI version of tail -f. Here are some bad points for SyLink:

  • One smal window
  • no colour coded text (How do we know what is good or what is bad?)
  • scrolls the window as fast as text arrives. I don't think anybody can read that fast
  • No export functionality (Yes, I know where the log files is. Does the IT Help desk though? Why do a I have to change context / apps to go & find the log file.
  • No option to attach a case number & submit to Symantec electronically (see previous line. Now I have to go find the log file & attach it to an e-mail and send it?)
  • No find option
  • No central loggin functionality (Why can we not send the debug logs to SEPM or SYSLOG server? Now I have to hunt for log files on clients that could be offline / disconnected)

OK, I'm going to stop now

I'd rather open the log file with a decent text editor that will reload the file when it has changed.

Please mark the post that best solves your problem as the answer to this thread.
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dsmith1954's picture
dsmith1954
Client to Server communication debugger - Comment:22 Mar 2012 : Link

Great idea.

Checking GUP communication has always been a pain. I'd like to see GUP status at the very least. Logs for GUPs would be nice - are clients connecting or not.

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