Console Overview

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Applies to: Forefront Server Security Management Console

FSSMC, by means of its user interface (known as the Console), provides administrators with an easy way to deploy Forefront Security, disseminate scan engine updates, manage Quarantine databases, configure General Options, retrieve log files, run manual scans on remote computers, and create reports about virus and filter activity on managed networks.

The Console is used for all configuration and deployment tasks, but the Console does not need to remain open when jobs are running. The Forefront Server Security Management Console runs constantly, regardless of the status of the Console window. After a job has been initiated or scheduled, the Console may be closed without affecting the operation of its components.

Launching the Console

The Console is used for all configuration and deployment tasks. Launch the Console locally from the Start menu:

Microsoft Forefront Server Security/Forefront Server Security Management Console

To launch the Console remotely, open your Internet browser and enter the remote server name, followed by /FSSMConsole. You will be prompted for the credentials you used when installing the FSSMC. You can also connect to the local computer this way, using a server name of localhost.

Note

When you launch FSSMC, you may get the following error:
The current identity (NT AUTHORITY NETWORK SERVICE) does not have write access to ‘C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\V2.0.50727\Temporary ASP.NET Files’.
This error may be caused by having installed visual studio C# or by group policy settings. You can recover from it by running the following command from a command prompt:
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis -i –enable

Note

When you launch FSSMC remotely, pop-up windows (such as those that inform you of the status of agent deployment) may not appear. This is a function of your Internet Explorer settings and can be corrected by adding the remote site (https://servername/FSSMConsole) to the Local Intranet Zone.

Examples:

Launching from a remote server:

https://servername/FSSMConsole

Launching from the local computer:

https://localhost/FSSMConsole

Console Layout For a Standalone or Primary Server

The Console is divided into two main sections: the Navigation Area and the work pane.

The left column is the Navigation Area from which you access the various FSSMC components. The center area is the work pane. These are the navigation options:

At a Glance

Displays the At a Glance work pane, shown when the Console starts. This provides information about the managed servers in your environment and shows a summary of all the following activity for the last 24 hours:

  • Traffic Summary (messages and files processed)
  • Virus Statistics
  • Spam Statistics
  • Filter Statistics
  • Top 5 Viruses (found in your environment)
  • Most Active Servers (Based on Detections)

The information in the At a Glance work pane is updated when the screen is opened or refreshed to always display information for the previous 24 hours. You can see this data at any time by clicking At a Glance.

New Servers

Displays the New Servers work pane, used to add automatically-discovered servers that will be managed by FSSMC. For more information, see "Server Auto Discovery" in Getting Started.

Administration

Users

Displays the Manage Users work pane, used to create user accounts for people within your organization who will need access to the FSSMC. For more information, see Configuring User Accounts in the in the Getting Started chapter.

Servers

Displays the Manage Servers work pane, used to add servers to or remove servers from the FSSMC database and deploy the FSSMC agent that must be installed on each target server to provide communication between the FSSMC and the servers it manages. For more information, see Configuring Managed Servers in the Getting Started chapter.

Server Groups

Displays the Manage Server Groups work pane, used to allow administrators to group servers into server groups to simplify the server management process. For more information, see Configuring Server Groups in the Getting Started chapter.

Global Configuration

Displays the Manage Global Configuration work pane, used to configure the global settings for the FSSMC, including Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server settings for FSSMC notifications and the Statistics Polling interval. For more information, see Configuring Global Configuration Settings in the Getting Started chapter.

Job Management

Packages

Displays the Manage Packages work pane, used to create and configure FSSMC packages. FSSMC packages are Forefront Security install images, template files, or product activations that have been configured for the FSSMC to deploy to the managed servers. For more information, see Manage Jobs.

Jobs

Displays the Manage Jobs work pane, used to create, modify, delete, or view FSSMC Deployment and Signature Distribution jobs. For more information, see Manage Jobs.

Quarantine Manager

Displays the Quarantine Manager work pane, used to manage all Quarantine databases in the enterprise. Data can be retrieved and filtered for analysis. Quarantined messages and files can also be viewed, deleted, and delivered. For more information, see Quarantine Management.

Reports

Detection

Displays the Select Detection Reports work pane. These reports provide overall statistics on virus, spam, and filter detections including information such as detection rates, actions taken, and filter efficiency. For more information, see Reports.

SMTP Traffic

Displays the SMTP Traffic Reports work pane. These reports provide statistical information about SMTP traffic for both messages and bytes processed. For more information, see Reports.

Engine and Signature Versions

Displays the Select Engine and Signature Versions Reports work pane. These reports provide a quick view of the signature file versions deployed throughout the environment. This allows administrators to easily determine which servers are current and which still need updating. For more information, see Reports.

New Servers

Displays the Select New Servers Reports work pane. These reports provide a listing of all new servers added during a specified time period, showing those that are managed by FSSMC and those that are not. For more information, see Reports.

Alert Management

Alerts

Displays the Manage Alerts work pane. The FSSMC provides five different types of alerts that can be used to monitor when virus or spam activity exceeds certain thresholds. For more information, see Alert Management.

Event Logs

Alert Logs

Displays the Alerts Log, which provides a listing of all Alert events. For more information, see Event Logs.

Notification Logs

Displays the Notification Logs work pane, which include FSSMC activity logs for Deployment, General Options, Log Retrieval, Manual Scan, and Redistribution jobs. For more information, see Event Logs.

Help

Online Help

Displays the online Help file.

Console Layout For a Backup Server

The Console is slightly different for a server that has a Backup role. This remains true even if the Primary server fails and a Backup server takes over.

Note

You cannot modify servers or server groups on a Backup server.

The Navigation Area of a Backup server has the following options:

Administration

Servers

Displays the Manage Servers work pane, used to view managed servers. For more information, see Configuring Managed Servers in the Getting Started chapter.

Server Groups

Displays the Manage Server Groups work pane, used to view existing server groups. For more information see Configuring Server Groups in the Getting Started chapter.

Replication Configuration

Displays the Replication Configuration work pane, used to configure the time and frequency of replication. For more information, see Replication Configuration in the Getting Started chapter.

Job Management

Packages

Displays the Manage Packages work pane, used to create and configure FSSMC packages. FSSMC packages are Forefront Security install images, template files, or product activations that have been configured for the FSSMC to deploy to the managed servers. For more information, see Manage Jobs. These are the functions you can perform on a Backup server:

  • View or copy template packages created on the Primary server. You cannot modify these.
  • Add a new template package.
  • Copy, rename, edit, or delete a template package created on the Backup server.

    Note

    Packages created on the Backup server have an asterisk (*) after their name so that they are easily differentiated from those created on the Primary server.

Jobs

Displays the Manage Jobs work pane, used to create, modify, delete, or view FSSMC Deployment and Signature Distribution jobs. For more information, see Manage Jobs. These are the functions you can perform on a Backup server:

  • View or copy a template deployment job, signature redistribution job, general options job, or remote log retrieval job created on the Primary server. You cannot modify these.
  • Create a new signature redistribution job, template deployment job, general options job, or remote log retrieval job.
  • Copy edit, or delete a job created on the Backup server.
  • Check the status of a job.
  • Run a signature redistribution job, template deployment job, general options job, or remote log retrieval job.

    Note

    Jobs created on the Backup server have an asterisk (*) after their name so that they are easily differentiated from those created on the Primary server.

Quarantine Manager

Displays the Quarantine Manager work pane, used to manage all Quarantine databases in the enterprise. Data can be retrieved and filtered for analysis. Quarantined messages and files can also be viewed, deleted, and delivered. For more information, see Quarantine Management.

Event Logs

Notification Logs

These logs are available on the Backup server: (Template) Deployment, General Options, Log Retrieval, (Signature) Redistribution, and Replication. For more information, see Event Logs.

Help

Online Help

Displays the online Help file.