What is Power Management or Wake on LAN?

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

 

Resolution

Question
What is exactly Power Management and Wake on LAN? 

Answer
The Power Management tool is used to communicate directly to a Client with a Symantec Management Agent (SMA) installed from the Symantec Management Platform (SMP) Server.

Configuring Power Management and Global Altiris Agent Settings:

1. Wake on LAN (WoL) must be enabled in the SMA computer's BIOS settings
   • This may vary per individual CPU / Operating System
      
2. Open the Symantec Management Console:
   • Settings > All Settings > Agents/Plug-ins > Symantec Management Agent > Settings > Targeted Agent Settings
   • Select the Targeted Agent Settings which manages the specific Client(s); default: All Desktop Computers (excluding 'Site Servers') 
   • Select the Advanced tab; enable the setting under the Tickle/Power Management: Enable tickle on Symantec Management Agents and Save Changes.
      

Under normal working conditions, the SMA requests its setting policies from the Notification Server and acts accordingly. With Power Management; the SMP contacts the SMA directly and instructs it to act immediately through a tickle to perform the following tasks:

1. The SMP immediately sends a signal to power on the configured/enabled computer if it is not currently powered on.
   • The tickle to the SMA from the SMP will wake it up (through a Wake on LAN) if it is not awake.
     • Note: The SMP delays five minutes before sending the tickle. This allows time for the enabled SMA computer to power up.
   • The SMP immediately contacts the SMA and executes Update Configuration immediately.
   • The SMP immediately contacts the SMA and executes Send Basic Inventory immediately.