Chapter 11 - Using templates
Applies to: Microsoft Antigen
When Antigen for Exchange is installed, it creates default templates for the various scan jobs, scan engines, and notifications. The scan jobs are configured to use the values in the default templates. Administrators can also create templates for file filter and content filter settings and additional scan job templates, as needed. (These are called named templates.) Templates are useful for controlling the configuration of Antigen on multiple servers from a central location, controlling the configuration of scan jobs and other functions at installation, and defining configuration settings for newly mounted storage groups.
The Template.adb file contains the following default templates:
- An Internet Scan Job template, a Realtime Scan Job template, a Manual Scan Job template, and an MTA Scan Job template.
- Notification templates for each of the default notifications.
- Scanner update templates for each scan engine that is installed on the current system.
To deploy templates to remote computers after an upgrade, you must configure specific jobs to use either the default templates or named templates.
To view templates in the Antigen Administrator, click File, click Templates, and then click View Templates. This will cause the default and named templates to be displayed in the various work panes.
Note
The settings for all the scan jobs are contained in the file Scanjobs.adb. If this file is not present when the Antigen Service starts, a new one is created based on the values in the Template.adb file. If the Template.adb file does not exist, a new one is created based on the values in the Scanjobs.adb file. If they both do not exist, new ones are created using default values. Thus, by deliberately deleting one of these files, you can force its reconstruction based on the values contained in the other one.
Template uses
Templates are used for the following purposes:
- Controlling configuration settings of all Antigen servers from a single location - After a Template.adb file is created, Microsoft® Antigen Enterprise Manager (AEM) can be used to copy and activate the template settings on multiple Antigen servers throughout an organization. Templates can be deployed simultaneously to multiple Antigen servers, and the settings can be applied to currently running scan jobs without the need to stop or restart any services. (For more information about using the AEM to deploy templates, see the Microsoft Antigen Enterprise Manager User Guide at the Microsoft Antigen TechNet Library.)
- Controlling the configuration for scan jobs during remote installations - Use templates to configure your remote servers at the time Antigen is installed.
- Defining scan job settings for newly mounted storage groups - In Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, storage groups can be added to the system dynamically while both Exchange and Antigen are running. Antigen detects when a new or previously used storage group is mounted. If the storage group is new, Antigen needs to create a Realtime Scan Job and a Manual Scan Job to protect that storage group. The settings that are used for each of these scan jobs are read from their associated templates found in Template.adb.
This feature enables an administrator to create default rules that will protect new storage groups as they are added to the system.
Creating a named template
To use named templates, you must create them and associate them with scan jobs.
To create a named template
Click File, click Templates, and then click New. The New Template dialog box appears.
Select the Type of template you would like to create (Internet, Realtime, Manual, MTA, or Filter Set). For more information about filter set templates, see "Using filter set templates" in Chapter 13 - Using content filtering. For more information about the different types, see Using named templates.
Give the template a Name, and then click OK. The new template is created and then becomes a choice in the Job List in the top pane, and a choice in the Template list in the bottom pane of the Template Settings work pane.
Select your new template in the Job List. If the templates are not visible, you can display them by clicking File, selecting Templates, and then clicking View Templates.
Note
If you have many templates, you may want to hide them to simplify the display.
Click the appropriate work pane to configure the template. For example, if you have created an SMTP template, select Antivirus in the SETTINGS area of the Shuttle Navigator, and then configure the template as you would an SMTP Scan Job. Click Save when you are done.
For a scan job to use a template, the template must be associated with that scan job.
- Select Templates in the SETTINGS area of the Shuttle Navigator.
- Select the scan job in the list in the top pane with which to associate with the template you have just created. For example, select SMTP Scan Job.
- In the lower work pane, select the desired template from the Template list.
- Click Load From Template.
- Click Save. The selected scan job’s settings will be reconfigured to those in the selected template.
Note
The new template can be distributed to remote servers by using the Antigen Enterprise Manager (AEM). For more information about using the AEM to deploy templates, see the Microsoft Antigen Enterprise Manager User Guide at the Microsoft Antigen TechNet Library.
Renaming or deleting a named template
You can rename or delete a named template. You cannot rename or delete a default template.
To rename or delete a named template
If the templates are not visible, display them by clicking File, selecting Templates, and then clicking View Templates.
Select the template in the Job List.
Click File.
Select Templates.
Select Rename or Delete. If you choose Delete, you will be asked to confirm your choice**.**
Modifying templates
You may want to make changes to a default template or a named template.
To modify a template
If the templates are not visible, display them by clicking File, selecting Templates, and then clicking View Templates.
Select a work pane with the template to be modified (for example, Scan Job on the SETTINGS shuttle).
Select the template to be modified in the Job List.
Configure the template as desired, using the various work panes, clicking Save on each**.**
Note
If you make changes directly to a specific scan job (for example, the. SMTP Scan Job), the templates associated with that scan job are not changed. It is important to remember that any custom filter updates must be made to the template to keep your settings in a consistent location. This is necessary in case you need to deploy the same template settings to another server.
Modifying default file scanner update templates
You may change the primary and secondary update path, change the updating schedule, and enable or disable automatic updates by using the scanner update templates.
To configure default file scanner update templates
If the templates are not visible, display them by clicking File, selecting Templates, and then clicking View Templates.
Select Scanner Updates from the SETTINGS shuttle. The Scanner Update Settings work pane appears.
Select the file scanner template that you want to update from the Job List. There should be one template for every installed engine.
Change the primary and secondary Network Update Path, as desired.
Change the date, time, frequency, and repeat interval if desired. Enable or disable updating as needed.
Click Save.
Note
New templates can be deployed locally by using the AntigenStarter (for more information, see Deploying named templates) or to remote servers by using the Antigen Enterprise Manager (AEM). For more information about using the AEM to deploy templates, see the Microsoft Antigen Enterprise Manager User Guide at the Microsoft Antigen TechNet Library. If you are using the Antigen Enterprise Manager to update Antigen’s scan engines, you should disable scheduled updates in Antigen.
Modifying notification templates
Default notification templates can be used to deploy notification settings to remote servers.
To configure notification templates
If the templates are not visible, display them by clicking File, selecting Templates, and then clicking View Templates.
Select Notification in the REPORT area of the Shuttle Navigator.
Select the notification template you would like to modify from the Job List.
Edit the template in the lower work pane or use the Enable and Disable buttons to change the state of the template.
Click Save.
Note
You cannot create new notification templates. You must modify the default notification template to update notification settings.
Using named templates
Named templates can be used to create and manage multiple configurations in an Exchange environment. If you run different configurations on the servers in your environment, we recommend configuring each server to use a named template as the default for its configuration settings.
Named templates are created as described in Creating a named template. At the time of installation or upgrade, you can configure all of the named templates that you will need for your environment. For example, if you have twenty servers divided into four groups of five, you can create named templates for each server group. These templates will contain all of the configuration information for scan jobs, filtering, notifications, and scanner update paths. Each template will have the name of the group:
SMTPTemplate1
SMTPTemplate2
SMTPTemplate3
SMTPTemplate4
These names are similar for each scan job and filter set template.
Deploying templates during a remote installation
To have the template.adb file distributed to all servers during a remote installation or upgrade, you must run the self-extracting file used to run the installation. You will be prompted for the path where the extracted files will be placed.
Copy the template.adb file to the directory containing the extracted files. Finally, execute the setup.exe file that was extracted to that directory. (For more information about remote installations, see “Manage Jobs” in the Microsoft Antigen Enterprise Manager User Guide at the Microsoft Antigen TechNet Library. When you enter the location of the Setup.exe file for the deployment job in the Enterprise Manager, specify the directory containing the extracted file.)
The first time a named template is deployed to a server, it must be associated with a scan job on that server; otherwise, the default template is used. You can use the Antigen Administrator to connect to the computer and make the association. (For more information, see “Connecting to a remote server” in Chapter 4 - Using the Antigen Administrator.)
After you are connected to the remote server, you can associate the template with the appropriate scan job by following the steps in Creating a named template.
After you have associated a named template with a scan job, the assigned template will continue to be used when there are configuration changes. It is not necessary to reassociate the scan job unless you want to switch the template that is being used.
Deploying named templates
Named templates can be deployed locally by using AntigenStarter or to remote servers by using the Microsoft Antigen Enterprise Manager (AEM).
Individual templates can be associated with current scan jobs in the Administrator by clicking the Load From Template button. An exception is filter list templates, which must be associated with a scan job using the AntigenStarter. The AntigenStarter can be used to activate any or all templates from a command prompt directly on the server. The AntigenStarter.exe file has the ability to activate template settings on the current server. The t parameter facilitates activating template settings.
The syntax of AntigenStarter is:
AntigenStarter t[c][f][l][n][p][s]
The t parameter instructs AntigenStarter to read all of the settings in the Template.adb file and apply them on the current server. All filter settings, notification settings, and scanner update paths can be updated. You must insert a space between AntigenStarter and the t parameter. However, there is no space between the t parameter and the options.
You can also deploy a subset of the filters by using one of the switches listed below. The switches must be used in conjunction with the t parameter. Any combination of the following options causes a subset of the template settings to be applied:
| Switch | Description |
|---|---|
c |
Update the content filter settings for each scan job. |
f |
Update the file filter settings for each scan job. The file filter settings of each scan job on the server are updated with the file filter settings found in the associated template type. For example, the file filter settings for all SMTP Scan Jobs are updated with the file filter settings found in the SMTP Scan Job template. |
l |
Update the filter lists for each scan job. |
n |
Update the notification settings with the data in the associated templates. |
p |
Update the file scanner update path, proxy server settings (if applicable), and the scanner update schedule items (date, time, frequency, and repeat interval). The update path for each file scanner is updated from the file scanner template that matches the vendor of the file scanner. |
s |
Update the scan job and antivirus settings. Each scan job on the server is updated with the settings found in the associated template type. For example, all SMTP Scan Jobs are updated with the settings found in the SMTP Scan Job template. This includes all filters. |
Note
Multiple switches should be listed without punctuation or spacing. For example: tsfn
Deploying schedule job templates
When deploying the default schedule job template, the Background Scan Job and all Manual Scan Jobs that are set to use the default template will be updated. This will cause all Manual Scan Jobs and the background scan to begin at the same time and could degrade server performance. To avoid this problem, use named templates for each Manual Scan Job so that you can schedule each Manual Scan Job independently of the background scan.