Distributed File Repositories
General
A file repository serves as a central storage location for ACMP Updates and other files that can be assigned to the respective repository. By using file repositories, data can be made available closer to the clients’ locations. This reduces the load on the ACMP Server, since not all data transfers have to go through it directly. If no file repositories are set up or used, data downloads occur exclusively via the ACMP Server. In this case, one slot is occupied for the duration of each download to execute a server command.
It is possible to create multiple file repositories. The ACMP Server synchronizes the relevant data with the respective file repositories, from which the ACMP Agents download the required files. By default, the ACMP Server itself serves as the first file repository, so the ACMP Agents retrieve their files directly from the ACMP Server’s file repository.
Note:
By default, you can create up to two file repositories. If you want to create more, you must increase or configure the corresponding number in the Config.xml file. The value to edit is called “NumberOfSyncProcessors.” Please note, however, that you should not enter a value that is too high (such as 100), as this may cause an overflow.
The Config.xml file is only viewable when the ACMP server service exits. Read more about this in the Settings.
Manage File Repositories
The list of file repositories displayed includes their names, availability, current status, and content.
Availability is displayed as a ratio. This ratio represents the number of successful connection attempts relative to the number of Clients (assigned to the file repository) (see Container).
The content indicates the type of content stored in the file repository. There are three possible icons. A puzzle icon means that the file repository can accept Client Commands. A hard drive icon indicates that the file repository relates to client updates, and a client icon next to the file repository means that it contains OS Deployment files. A combination of two or three different content types is possible.
Manage File Repositories
Create a New File Repository
Add a new file repository by clicking Add on the ribbon bar. Enter a name for the file repository and, if desired, a description. Then specify the items to be used for the file repository.
Step 1: General
You can choose from:
- Client Command files
- ACMP Updates
- OS Deployment files
Note:
For OS Deployment files, the only connection type available—due to technical limitations—is network share, which you will select in the next step.
- Vulnerability Definition Files
- Windows Updates
- Managed Software
When the Automatic Synchronization option is selected, the ACMP Server automatically synchronizes the file repositories. If you disable this option, you will need to perform the synchronization manually as needed.
Note:
Please review the information on the file repository size before configuring the following settings! Also note that the file repository size specified here is merely a snapshot. Every new item added to ACMP also affects the amount of storage space required by the file repository.
Click Next.
To allow the ACMP Server to transfer data to the file repository, enter the session data in the next step.
To do this, select one of the following connection types:
Network Share
You can distribute your files to the file repository via a network or Samba share.
Please note that umlauts are not permitted in network shares and may prevent the connection to the file repositories from being established. To do this, enter a UNC path that must be structured as follows: \\Server name\Share name Then, for authentication, select either a global account or a specific account - that is, a specific user account
When using the “Network Share” connection type, the ACMP Server establishes an SMB connection to the file repository. To reduce the risk of NTLM relay attacks, it is recommended that you enable client-side SMB signing on the ACMP Server. You can then run a connection test from the Server to the file repository. Click Next. |
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FTP
You can distribute your files to the file repositories using FTP (File Transfer Protocol), an unencrypted file transfer method.
Please note that using FTP as the connection type poses security risks, as data is transmitted in plain text without encryption. In this case, we recommend using FTPS. To do this, enter an FTP path that must be structured as follows: ftp://Servername Also specify the port; the default is port 21. Then, for authentication, select either anonymous, global, or a specific account—that is, a specific user account. You can then perform a connection test from the server to the file repository. Click Next. |
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FTPS
You can distribute your files to the file repositories using FTPS (File Transfer Protocol over SSL), an FTP-based file transfer method with SSL/TLS encryption. To do this, specify an FTPS path that must be structured as follows: ftps://servername Also specify the port; the default is port 21. Then specify whether the FTPS connection should be encrypted implicitly or explicitly via SSL/TLS.
Also select the minimum version of the TLS protocol. Then, for authentication, select either an anonymous, global, or specific account—that is, a specific user account. You can then run a connection test from the Server to the file repository. Click Next. |
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WebDAV
WebDAV is used to deploy the files to the file repository via an HTTP/HTTPS-based transfer. Please note that the WebDAV URL depends on the WebDAV configuration and may differ from the example.
Please note that files transferred via WebDAV must not exceed a certain size. However, this limit depends on the WebDAV provider and the WebDAV Server and should be verified in advance, as these may vary. The Accept untrusted certificates checkbox allows you to use self-signed certificates. Then, for authentication, specify either an anonymous, global, or specific account—that is, a specific user account. You can then perform a connection test from the Server to the file repository. Click Next. |
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SFTP
SFTP is used to deploy the files to the file repositories via an SSH-based, encrypted transfer.
To determine which storage locations are in use and which are available, the SFTP server must support protocol version 6. Please note that one of the most widely used SFTP servers, OpenSSH, does not support this! To do this, enter the URL or IP address of the SFTP server, which must be formatted as follows: sftp://Servername Then enter the port; the default is port 22. If necessary, enter the home directory.
The achievable transfer speed of an SFTP connection is heavily influenced by the latency between the server and the client. For example, with an average latency of 30 ms, speeds rarely exceed 2 MB/s. Next, specify either an anonymous, global, or specific account—that is, a specific user account—for authentication. You can then run a connection test from the Server to the file repository. Click Next >. |
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Regardless of which connection types you have selected, in the next step you can specify the times during which the ACMP Server is allowed to transfer data to the file repository. To do this, you will see an overview of the days of the week in 24-hour mode.
Use drag-and-drop to move the light- or dark-blue rectangle below the overview into the overview itself. The dark blue area allows data transfer at the highest possible speed, while the light blue area limits the bandwidth. You can specify this limit globally for all light blue areas on the right-hand side; in other words, the bandwidth limit cannot be set separately for each dark blue area.
Configuring the Server's synchronization time frames with the file repositories
After dragging one of the two areas into the overview, you can extend it over a specific time period by dragging it with the mouse to the desired duration. Alternatively, you can execute a double-click on a time window or on the overview itself. This opens a dialog box where you can set the time period and enable or disable the bandwidth limit.
Client Connection Properties
To enable the ACMP agents to communicate with the file repository, enter the client session data. These are identical to the Server connection types. The same notes apply here as for the session data between the ACMP Server and the deployed file repositories.
Configuring the connection type from the file repository to the Client
You can then limit the bandwidth that Clients use for their connection to the file repository. This setting applies to each Client individually.
On the last page, you can specify a sync profil before a summary of the file repository to be created is displayed. Close the wizard by clicking Finish.
Note:
To allow your clients to access the new file repository, you must add it either to the default file repositories or to a container.
Duplicate a deployed File Repository
You can duplicate a previously selected file repository using the button on the “Manage File Repositories” tab. This opens a wizard as described on the previous pages, but the data for the selected file repository is already pre-filled.
Sync Monitor
Click the Sync Monitor button in the Quick Access Toolbar to open an overview. This overview lists all file repositories along with their type (Client Commands/Client Update/OS Deployment), and the data for each type is displayed below it along with its status. The status indicates how far along the synchronization process is.
File Repository: Synchronization Monitor
You can use the Refresh button to update the displayed data immediately.
You can use the Start Synchronization or Stop Synchronization buttons to pause or continue synchronization of the selected file repositories. If you continue a paused synchronization, a dialog box will appear where you can specify whether only the new dates or all dates should be transferred during the first synchronization.
Note:
You can force an immediate synchronization by selecting “Start Synchronization.” If the synchronization of a file repository is stopped manually, the “Automatic Synchronization” option is also disabled.
Statistics
Click the Statistics button on the Quick Access Toolbar to open the statistics view. It displays all file repositories along with their names and availability.
File Repository Statistics
Standard File Repositories
On this tab, you can define file repositories that Clients will automatically use at the top level when inheritance is activated. The file repositories listed here are processed in order of priority until a connection to one of them is established.
Click the Add Default File Repository button to open a dialog where you can select existing file repositories. These file repositories are then inserted into this list. Use the arrow buttons on the right-hand side to set the order in which Clients will try the file repositories if a connection cannot be established. Click the “Remove Default File Repository” button to remove a selected file repository from this list.
Special Notes
When you create a new file repository in an existing ACMP environment, all Client Commands that were previously shared are reset to the “Synchronize/Share” status. This occurs because the data on the new file repository has not yet been synchronized. The Client Commands that were synchronized with the previous file repositories can, of course, still be used. Nevertheless, you should synchronize the data to the new file repository as soon as possible.
Sync profil
Sync profiles allow you to specify which Updates from Windows Update Management should be synchronized to which file repositories.
Note:
Please note that the filters specified in the sync profile for “Update Products,” “Update Classification,” and “Update Languages” are linked with an “OR.” As a result, if, for example, only “English” is specified, all updates will be synchronized.
First, click “Sync Profiles” on the ribbon bar and enter a name for the new sync profile. Confirm the name by clicking “Next,” which will take you to the sync profile's filter settings.
In the upper section, specify which products you want to assign to this sync profile. In the middle section, specify which update classification you want to include, and in the lower section, specify the languages.
Note:
All values displayed are loaded from the metadata you downloaded upon completing the First Step.
Migrating the ACMP Server Repository Using a Tool
With the introduction of Windows Update Management, a tool is provided that allows you to move the ACMP Server as a file repository via a graphical user interface. The SwapServerFileRepository.exe tool can be found in the server directory after updating to version 5.4.7. The installation directory for the ACMP Server is located at %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Aagon\ACMP Server.
Note:
Multi-server instances are not currently supported.
Preparation
Warning:
We strongly recommend that you create a database backup before proceeding with the following steps. Click here to learn how to do this.
Before the file repository can be moved, you must first exit the server service. This will cancel any Jobs and Rollouts that are still running.
Also, make sure that there is enough free space available for the file repository at the destination and that the destination is clear.
Using SwapServerFileRepository.exe
- Open the installation directory and run SwapServerFileRepository.exe from there with administrative privileges.
- Stop the ACMP Server service using the tool or through the Services management console.
- Use the radio button to select the target type. You can specify a local path or a UNC network share. With a UNC network share, you have the option to pass user data. You can also test the connection using the Test connection button.
- Proceed to the next page to start the copy process.
- Once the copy process is complete, you will see a summary.
- Start the ACMP Server service.
- Verify that the move was successful. You can do this, among other ways, as follows:
- Open ticket attachments
- Download files from a ClientCommand repository
- Download documents within the Documents folder
- Delete the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Aagon\ACMP Server\FileRepository provided that no operational issues are observed.
Restoring the Original State
If ACMP does not function as expected, you can restore the prior state as follows:
- Stop the ACMP Server service.
- Restore the database backup that you created earlier.
- Delete the config.xml file, which is located at C:\ProgramData\Aagon\ACMP\Server\Config\%{GUID}% when the Server service exits.
- Start the ACMP Server service.