Forcing Definition Updates

  • Article

Applies To: Forefront Endpoint Protection

This task applies to the following features:

  • Forefront Endpoint Protection

  • The FEP Security Management Pack

  • The FEP client

Important

You should configure FEP policy to ensure that definition updates run automatically on a regular basis, and you should monitor the Definition Status area in the FEP dashboard.

To force a definition update by using FEP

  1. In the Configuration Manager console, in the tree, expand Computer Management, expand Collections, and then navigate to the collection that contains the computer on which you want to force a definition update.

    Tip

    If you know the name of the target computer, you can search for the computer in the details pane when a parent collection is selected in the tree.

  2. Right-click the computer name, click FEP Operations, and then click Run Antimalware Definitions Update.

    Tip

    You can target multiple computers by selecting them and then right-clicking a single computer.

To distribute the definition update request, Configuration Manager creates an advertisement. You can view the properties of the advertisement by navigating to Software Distribution in the tree, and then expanding Advertisements and FEP Operations.

Note

Only one advertisement can run at a time on the client computer. Therefore, if an advertisement is running on the client computer that could potentially take a while to complete (such as a full scan on a computer with a large hard disk), subsequent advertisements are processed after that advertisement completes.

To force a definition update by using the FEP Security Management Pack

  1. In the Operations Manager console, navigate to the Monitoring view, and then expand the Monitoring tree.

  2. In the Monitoring tree, under Forefront Endpoint Protection, click Endpoints with FEP.

  3. In the Endpoints with FEP pane, click the name of the endpoint on which you want to update definitions.

    Note

    In order to search for an endpoint by name, enter the name (FQDN) of the endpoint in the Look for text box, and then click Find Now.

  4. In the Actions pane, expand Protected Endpoint Tasks, and then click Update Antimalware Definitions.

  5. In the Run Task dialog box, verify that the target is the endpoint on which you want to run the task and that the check box next to the target name is selected, and then click Run.

To update definitions locally on the FEP 2010 client

  • In the FEP client software, click the Update tab, and then click the Update button.