How to save bandwidth by locally distributing updates

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07/17/2020
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  • This article explains how to configure Endpoint Manager (EM) clients so managed devices receive commands and updates through a proxy on your network.
     
  • Using a proxy can reduce bandwidth consumption and accelerate the distribution of updates in large networks.

Use the following links to learn more:

Background information

Client deployment options

Scenario 1 - Manage and update endpoints not connected to the internet

Scenario 2 - Configure endpoints to fetch database updates from a local caching server

Scenario 3 - Configure endpoints to fetch updates from another managed endpoint

Background Information

Endpoint Manager (EM) uses two types of clients installed on Windows devices:

  • Communication Client (CC) - Connects the device to EM for central management. It receives commands and tasks from EM and implements them on the device. The client also informs EM of the endpoint's status.
     
  • Comodo Client - Security (CCS) - This is the security software. CCS includes antivirus, firewall, threat-containment, web-filtering, and more.

By default, CC and CCS connect directly to Comodo servers to receive commands and product/database updates:

 

 

You may have to make changes to your firewall in order for endpoints to connect services.

The following links show the FQDN's, IP addresses, and ports you may need to allow/open. The addresses vary slightly depending on your location:

Client Deployment Options

  • This section explains how to deploy CC and CCS onto managed endpoints.
     
  • If you have already deployed the clients then you can skip to the use-case best suited for your needs. 

There are different ways to install CC and CCS on managed endpoints:

Once CC is installed on an endpoint, you can install CCS from the console:

https://help.comodo.com/topic-459-1-1005-14839-Remotely-Install-and-Update-Packages-on-Windows-Devices.html 

  • Another option is to install CC using any of the options described above, but replace the default CCS installation with a procedure or a monitor. See the following pages for help to do this:

Monitor:

https://scripts.comodo.com/frontend/web/topic/check-if-ccs-is-present-in-your-endpoint-if-notinstall-ccs

Procedure:

https://scripts.comodo.com/frontend/web/topic/install-comodo-client-security-ccs-with-custom-settings

The options above help to minimize bandwidth consumption when installing CCS and the initial AV DB.

Scenario 1 - Manage and update endpoints not connected to internet

  • Setup a proxy / caching server on your network.
     
  • The proxy relays client traffic and commands between the devices and Endpoint Manager. It also receives status updates from managed devices then forwards them to the EM server.
     
  • The local cache downloads CC / CCS program and database updates from Comodo servers. Managed devices can then fetch the updates from the caching server.
     
  • This reduces internet bandwidth usage by allowing individual devices to obtain updates over the local network.
     


 

The proxy / caching server can be set up by installing the Squid proxy on a Windows server.

Step 1 - Install Squid



 

  • Click 'Next'


 

  • Read and accept the license and click 'Next'
     


 

  • By default, Squid is installed on the folder C:\Squid_ITarian\
     
    • Specify the location if you want it to be installed on a different location
       
  • Click 'Next'
     
  • Enter the network, the DNS server and the port that you want to Squid to use.



 

  • Click 'Next' to continue.
     
  • Specify whether you want devices to authenticate themselves to the proxy:


     
    • If enabled, enter a user-name and password then click 'Next'
       
  • Click 'Install'


 

  • Click Finish to complete the wizard. You will see the Squid icon in the system tray.
     


 

Confirm whether Squid is using the specified port:

  • Open the command prompt and type 'netstat -a'
     




Step 2 - Configure Squid to cache updates

  • Right-click on the Squid system tray icon then choose 'Stop Squid Service':


 

  • From the same menu, choose 'Open Squid Configuration'.
     
  • Please replace this section:

                    “

                   # Uncomment the line below to enable disk caching - path format is /cygdrive/<full path to cache folder>, i.e.

                   #cache_dir aufs /cygdrive/d/squid/cache 3000 16 256

                   cache_dir aufs /cygdrive/C/Squid_ITarian/var/cache 3000 16 256

 

                  # Leave coredumps in the first cache dir

                  #coredump_dir /var/cache/squid

 

                # Add any of your own refresh_pattern entries above these.

                refresh_pattern ^ftp:                      1440     20%       10080

                refresh_pattern ^gopher:             1440     0%          1440

               refresh_pattern -i (/cgi-bin/|\?) 0             0%          0

              refresh_pattern .                              0             20%       4320

              ”

With:


              “

              # Uncomment the line below to enable disk caching - path format is /cygdrive/<full path to cache folder>, i.e.

             #cache_dir aufs /cygdrive/d/squid/cache 3000 16 256

             maximum_object_size 700 MB

             cache_dir aufs /cygdrive/C/Squid_ITarian/var/cache 3000 16 256

 

           # Add any of your own refresh_pattern entries above these.

           refresh_pattern -i download.comodo.com/.* 129600 100% 129600

           refresh_pattern -i cdn.download.comodo.com/.* 129600 100% 129600

          ”

  • Save the file.
     
  • Right-click on the Squid system tray icon then choose 'Start Squid Service'

Step 3 - Configure the devices to fetch updates from the caching server

You next need to configure the clients to contact your proxy for updates and commands. For this you need to:

Note:

You can enroll new devices via the proxy by downloading the bulk installation package as an MST file. You need to specify the same proxy in both the profile applied to the devices and in the bulk installation package. See https://help.comodo.com/topic-399-1-786-10851-Enroll-Windows,-Mac-OS-and-Linux-Devices-by-Installing-the-Communication-Client.html for help to download and deploy the bulk installation package.

Scenario 2 - Configure endpoints to fetch database updates from a local caching server

  • Setup a caching server on your network
  • The local cache downloads database updates from Comodo servers. Managed devices can then fetch the updates from the caching server.
     
  • This reduces internet bandwidth usage by allowing individual devices to obtain updates over the local network.



 

Step 1 - Setup a local cache

There are two ways you can setup a local cache:

Install Squid on server and configure it to 'Accelerator' mode

  • Install Squid and configure it to cache updates as explained above.
     
  • Enable accelerator mode in Squid by following the steps below:
  1. Right-click on the Squid system tray icon then choose 'Stop Squid Service'
     
  2. From the same menu, choose 'Open Squid Configuration'.
     
    • Alternatively, navigate to 'C:\Squid_ITarian\etc\squid\folder' and open the 'squid.conf' file using Notepad++
       

       3. Find string 'Squid normally listens to' as shown in the screenshot below:


 

       4.Replace string  “http_port 3128” with the following content:

                        http_port 3128 accel defaultsite=cdn.download.comodo.com no-vhost allow-direct

                        cache_peer cdn.download.comodo.com parent 80 0 no-query originserver name=myAccel

                        acl our_sites dstdomain cdn.download.comodo.com

                        http_access allow our_sites

                       cache_peer_access myAccel allow our_sites

                       cache_peer_access myAccel deny all
 

 

      5. Save the file

      6. Right-click on the Squid system tray icon then choose 'Start Squid Service'

Next: Add 'Updates' section to the device profile and add the caching server as a download server.

Install ESM Update Mirror tool on a Windows device

  • Download the 'ESM Update Mirror' installer from here.
     
  • Run the installer



 

  • Click 'Next'



 

  • Read and accept the license and click 'Next'



 

  • Click 'Typical' for full installation



 

  • Click 'Install'



 

  • Click 'Finish' to complete the wizard.
     
  • Ensure that the service has started:
     
    • 'Run' > Enter 'services.msc' > locate 'Apache2.2'.
       
    • Click the 'Start' link on the left if the service is not running.


 

Step 2 - Configure the devices to fetch updates from the caching server

You next need to configure the clients to contact your caching server for database updates. For this you need to:


 

Scenario 3 - Configure endpoints to fetch updates from another managed endpoint

  • Configure managed endpoints share updates with other devices through the local network
     
  • The device which first downloads the CC / CCS program updates and database updates as configured in the 'Updates' section acts as a source
     
  • Other devices fetch the updates from the source device through the local network
     
  • This reduces internet bandwidth usage by allowing individual devices to obtain updates over the local network.


 

  • Configure 'Updates' section of the profile active on the devices to collect updates and distribute updates to other endpoints in the local network.
     
  • Once done:
    • The endpoint first checks other endpoints to see if the update is installed on them
       
    • If available, the client fetches the update from the local endpoint
       
    • If not available, the client downloads the update from the server set in the 'Download Servers' tab of the 'Updates' section
       
    • This endpoint then becomes the source from which other endpoints collect their updates.

Test this scenario:

Step 1:

  • Get two endpoints for testing:
     
    • Endpoint 1 - Configure this as source
       
    • Endpoint 2 - Configure this as the recipient
       
  • Clone a profile to have two similar profiles:
     
    • Profile 1 - Apply to Endpoint 1
       
    • Profile 2 - Apply to Endpoint 2
       
  • Edit the profiles as shown below:

       Profile 1 - 'Updates' section

      'Communication Client' tab

  • Select 'Enable Communication Client to distribute update packages among the clients in the same network to reduce network inbound traffic'
     
    • Select 'Communication Client packages'
       
    • Select 'Comodo Client - Security packages'
       
    • Select 'Comodo Client - Security Antivirus Database packages'
       
    • Select 'Select specific devices to be proxy for distributing packages' and add 'Endpoint 1'
       
    • Optional. Select 'Enable Network traffic limitation' and enter the maximum % of network bandwidth that can be used to share updates. (Default = 30%) 
       
    • Optional. Select 'Enable device count limitation' and enter the maximum number of devices with which the client is allowed to simultaneously share updates. (Default = 10, Maximum = 20).
       
    • Select 'Use download servers directly in case of any communication issue'
       
  • Click 'Save' for your settings to take effect

       Profile 2 - 'Updates' section

      'Communication Client' tab

  • Select 'Enable Communication Client to distribute update packages among the clients in the same network to reduce network inbound traffic'
     
    • Select 'Communication Client packages'
       
    • Select 'Comodo Client - Security packages'
       
    • Select 'Comodo Client - Security Antivirus Database packages'
       
    • Select 'Select specific devices to be proxy for distributing packages' and add 'Endpoint 1'
       
    • Optional. Select 'Enable Network traffic limitation' and enter the maximum % of network bandwidth that can be used to share updates. (Default = 30%) 
       
    • Optional. Select 'Enable device count limitation' and enter the maximum number of devices with which the client is allowed to simultaneously share updates. (Default = 10, Maximum = 20).
       
    • Disable 'Use download servers directly in case of any communication issue' so that the device will receive updates only from a local device

      'Comodo Client - Security' tab

  •  Disable "Check for database update every"
     
  • Click 'Save' for your settings to take effect

Step 2:

  • Install CCS on the endpoints

Step 3:

Endpoints save all updates in the path C:\ProgramData\Comodo\Comodo ITSM\distribution

  • Browse to the location on Endpoint 1  -  the files are saved for distribution after the update of local installation of CC and CCS
     
  • Browse to the location on Endpoint 2  -  the files are deleted after the update of local installation of CC and CCS