About site services

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

 

Resolution

The Symantec Management Platform can host several types of middleware components, such as package servers, task servers, and boot servers. Middleware components can be installed on computers other than the Notification Server computer. These services act as the first point of contact for the Symantec Management Agents, thus reducing the load on Notification Server. Chapter 6 The official name for a middleware component is “site service.” Any computer that hosts a site service is known as a site server. A site server can have one or more site services installed on it. For example, if you install the package server site service (the "package service") onto a computer, that computer becomes a site server. Site servers can assist Notification Server. Site servers can extend the architecture, improve distribution efficiency, and reduce network bandwidth requirements. Notification Server handles the deployment, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of site services. Package service, task service, and the boot service provide the Symantec Management Agents with packages, tasks, and PXE broadcasts. Notification Server performs the following functions for site management:

■ Handles the deployment and removal of site services to and from site servers

■ Ensures that the site service is installed only on the computers that satisfy the minimum system requirements

You use site maintenance to create logical groups of endpoints to balance the load on site servers. For example, you can distribute packages efficiently to your Symantec Management Agents with multiple package servers. The package servers handle most of the package distribution functions, which frees up Notification Server to perform other activities. See “About site maintenance” on page 110.