Deploy Caching Proxy Servers

AntiVirus definitions get distributed approximately twice per day and must be downloaded to each endpoint so that they remain updated and can detect the latest known malware. Unless planned for, these updates can place a significant load on the corporate network and could cause delays to occur on interoffice business communications.

The base definition file of AntiVirus definitions is approximately 400MB in size. This file is distributed on initial install and is also redistributed occasionally (e.g. when the AntiVirus engine is updated). In addition, the twice daily incremental update file can range from ~1MB to ~15MB in size. The network infrastructure needs to be designed to cater for distribution of these files to all endpoints.

Where network infrastructure supports it, QoS settings can be used to deprioritize AntiVirus definition and engine updates vs other corporate critical communications. However, for a distributed enterprise environment, caching proxies such as the Ivanti Caching Proxy may be leveraged to assist in conserving WAN/LAN bandwidth during mass deployments through Endpoint Security.

A cache server is a dedicated network server or service acting as a server that saves Web pages or other Internet content locally. By placing previously requested information in temporary storage, or cache, a cache server both speeds up access to data and reduces demand on an enterprise's bandwidth. When an agent is configured to utilize a caching proxy, deployments sent to an agent will be cached by the caching proxy. This allows other agents to be given the cached payload from the caching proxy instead of the storage repository on the Endpoint Security Server, saving bandwidth between the caching proxy location and the Endpoint Security Server, while significantly increasing performance.

Ivanti Patch and Remediation includes FastPath which allows an administrator to assign caching proxies to specific groups of agents through a policy instead of assigning a proxy manually through the Agent Control Panel or during the installation of the agent. It is designed to provide backup caching proxies in case of a failure of the primary caching proxy.

For additional information, please consult the Ivanti Caching Proxy Setup Guide at https://help.ivanti.com.