How to make an unmanaged Endpoint Protection client managed

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

You have installed an unmanaged version of the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) client to a computer in your network, and would like to join it to the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) so that you can manage it.

Resolution

To make an unmanaged client managed, follow this two-part procedure:

1. Export the communication file from Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.
2. Install the communication file on the unmanaged computer.

 
I. To export the communication file from Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager

Note: Follow these steps on the management server.

1. Log on to the management console.
2. Click the Clients tab.
   Note: For Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition, this option is called Computers.
3. Under Clients (or Computers), right-click on the group of your choice, and then click Export Communications Settings.
4. Click Browse to navigate to the location to which you want to save the .xml file.
   Note: In most instances, you leave the preferred policy mode set to Computer mode (enterprise version only).
5. Click Export.

The resulting file is named Group_Name_sylink.xml, where Group_Name represents the full name of the group you chose.

 
II. To install the communication file on the unmanaged computer

Note: Follow these steps on the unmanaged computer. These steps require the .xml file that you generated in the first set of steps.

1. Copy Group_Name_sylink.xml to the unmanaged computer. Rename the file to sylink.xml.
2. Double-click on the Symantec Endpoint Protection notification area icon, which is the gold shield next to the system clock in the taskbar.
3. After the client window opens, click Help > Troubleshooting.
4. Under Communication Settings, click Import.
5. Navigate to and select sylink.xml, and then click Open.
   The Server and Group information changes to reflect the new management server.
6. Click Close.

A green dot on the notification area icon also indicates a successful connection to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager.

Technical information

The following are the command-line error codes that sylinkDrop.exe returns, numbered 0-17:

0	SUCCESS
1	INVALID_ARGUMENT
2	ERROR_UNABLE_TO_REMOVE_BACKUP_SYLINK_FILES
3	ERROR_UNABLE_TO_COPY_NEW_SYLINK_FILE
4	ERROR_UNABLE_TO_RESTART_SYMANTEC_CLIENT
5	ERROR_UNABLE_TO_BACKUP_CURRENT_SYLINK_FILE
6	ERROR_UNABLE_TO_STOP_SEP_CLIENT
7	ERROR_SEP_CLIENT_NOT_INSTALLED
8	ERROR_SYLINK_FILE_IS_INVALID
9	ERROR_SYLINK_FILE_IS_TOO_LARGE
10	ERROR_SYLINK_FILE_CANNOT_BE_OPENED
11	ERROR_SYLINK_FILE_DOES_NOT_EXIST
12	ERROR_PARSING_SYLINK_DROP_COMMAND_XML
13	ERROR_RETRIEVING_ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES
14	ERROR_UNABLE_TO_IMPORT_SYLINK_FILE
15	SEP_GUI_MUST_BE_CLOSED
16	FAIL_CREATE_WINDOW
17	ERROR_UNKNOWN_ERROR