Moving from an Evaluation Version to the Retail Version

Applies To: Forefront Endpoint Protection

This topic describes moving from an RC or RTM evaluation version of Forefront Endpoint Protection (FEP) to the retail version of FEP.

You cannot automatically upgrade from an evaluation version of FEP to the retail version. Therefore, in order to move from an evaluation version installed in a lab to the retail version in the same lab or in a production environment, use the following procedure:

To manually migrate from an evaluation version of FEP to the retail version of FEP

1. Save the settings of your evaluation version of FEP (optional). To do this, follow these steps:

   1. Export your custom FEP policies. For more information, see Exporting a Policy.

   2. Manually record the following details:

      • FEP policy assignments

      • FEP policy precedence

      • FEP alert e-mail settings and custom notifications

      • FEP Desired Configuration Management configuration baseline assignments

2. Uninstall the evaluation version of FEP from your lab servers (optional if you are moving FEP to a production environment). For more information, see Uninstalling.

   Note

   If you want to install the retail version with a new FEP reporting database, delete the FEPDW_XXX database on your SQL Server.

3. Install the retail version of FEP on your servers. For more information, see Server Installation.

   Note

   If you are reusing the evaluation version of the FEP reporting database, you must install FEP using one of the following installation options:

   • Basic topology with remote reporting database
     
     
   • Advanced topology with FEP 2010 Reporting and Alerts
     
     

4. Restore the settings from your evaluation version of FEP (optional). To do this, follow these steps:

   1. Import the custom FEP policies you previously exported. For more information, see Importing a Policy.

   2. Assign the FEP policies to collections. For more information, see Assigning a Policy to Endpoint Computers.

   3. Set the FEP policy precedence. For more information, see Setting Policy Precedence.

   4. Configure the FEP alert e-mail settings and create the custom notifications. For more information, see Using Alerts to Monitor Malware Detections.

   5. Assign the Desired Configuration Management configuration baselines. For more information, see Using Desired Configuration Management to Monitor Client Compliance.

5. Upgrade the evaluation version of FEP on the client computers. To do this, follow these steps:

   1. Create a static collection based on the computers in the Out of Date FEP collection.

      Note

      All the evaluation versions of the FEP client software will be members of the Out of Date FEP collection.

   2. Uninstall the evaluation version of FEP from client computers in the static collection you created. For more information, see Uninstalling.

   3. Deploy the retail version of FEP on client computers in the static collection you created. When you configure the deployment advertisement, it is recommend that you configure the deployment advertisement properties as follows:

      1. In the New Advertisement Wizard, on the Schedule page, next to Mandatory assignments, click the button to create a new assignment schedule, and then configure the assignment schedule to run once an hour.

      2. In the Program rerun behavior list, select Rerun if failed previous attempt.

      For more information, see Deploying by Using Configuration Manager Packages.

      Important

      There can be a delay of up to an hour from the time that an evaluation version of FEP is uninstalled from a client computer until the retail version is installed on it. During this time, these computers are unprotected.

      Note

      After the installation package is advertised to a client computer, that computer will no longer be visible in the FEP Out of Date collection.

   4. Monitor the deployment using the Deployment Overview report, and then click the links to view the static collection you created.