Specifications

To download the daily DAT file randomly from the central ePO server to the system agents takes the

following bandwidth: 100 Agents * 200 KB file = 20 MB of bandwidth

Example 2: Downloading the DAT file to the local repository

For the McAfee ePO server to replicate the DAT file to each repository every day takes at least 70 MB

of bandwidth.

In the previous examples, it is a waste to use 70 MB of bandwidth to download a DAT file to a

repository for only 100 system agents. Those 100 system agents can download the same file using

only 20 MB of bandwidth.

Calculating bandwidth of repository replication

Repository replication consumes valuable bandwidth in all environments.

If you are only replicating DAT files, the bandwidth use will be approximately 70Mb of replication per

day. Agents don't use all the DAT files that are copied to the repository, but there are 35 incremental

DAT files that must be available to all agents in case they are behind on DATs. In order to determine if

you need a repository in a specific location, you must determine what is more costly in terms of

bandwidth usage; replicating 70mb worth of data to a repository, or telling the agents to go to the

next nearest repository which may not be geographically near the agents.

Calculating bandwidth for client pulls of updates

The bandwidth used to update a new product dramatically increases when updating a new product to

clients.

But you can calculate the bandwidth if you know the size of the patch or product being downloaded.

At a minimum, each of your clients must download 200 Kb per day for DAT files. The following

examples show how to calculate the bandwidth used for the client updates using this formula:

(Size of update file) x (Number of nodes) = Amount of data pulled per day

The following examples use this formula to calculate the amount of data pulled per day and describe if

creating a local repository would reduce the bandwidth.

Example 1 — A small office in India

The small office in India needs to download the 200 Kb per day for DAT files to its 200 nodes. Using

the formula:

(200 Kb) x (200 nodes) = 40 MB of data randomly pulled per day to India

In the small office in India you could add a repository but you must replicate the DAT file from the

McAfee ePO server to the repository. This file replication uses approximately 70 MB of bandwidth per

day over a slow WAN link could negatively impact the WAN link to India since it would occur all at once.

Instead have the agents connect across the WAN link to the next closest repository to download their

DAT file updates. The next office might be in a larger office, for example the Tokyo. The agents can

randomly pull their DAT files throughout the day, and their total bandwidth use is only 40 MB. See

Client task to configure the download.

In this case do not use a repository in India.

Repositories

Calculating bandwidth of repository replication

McAfee

ePolicy Orchestrator

4.0 and 4.5 Best Practices Guide