Console Overview
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:
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:
|
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:
|
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. |