How to setup Software Portal to use HTTPS

Products

Software Management Solution

Issue/Introduction

The SMP (Symantec Management Platform) and Site Servers use HTTPS. The Software Portal is using HTTP. The customer has gone through the software portal settings on the SMP but he can't find a way to turn on HTTPS.

How to make the software portal use HTTPS?

Environment

ITMS 8.5 and 8.6

Resolution

Pre-8.5 RU4 Release

There are two ways to satisfy the mentioned configuration requirements:

1) In the IIS manager :
Remove the HTTP binding completely from the IIS site where the Altiris Web APP resides
AND
Restart IIS

2) In the IIS manager:
Enforce "Require SSL" in the SSL Settings for the Altiris web application
AND
Restart IIS

After implementing either option 1 or 2 above, the client machines need to refresh their Configuration policies.

8.5 RU4 Release and later

As well, starting with ITMS 8.5 RU4, you can set to use Software Portal via HTTPS or HTTP. Please go to the following document:

Implementing the Software Portal

which refers to the following:

"Before you or any users can use the Software Portal, you must set it up and prepare it for use."

About the Software Portal

The minimum prerequisites for implementing the Software Portal are as follows:

Software Management Solution must be installed on the Notification Server computer. The Software Portal is installed on the Notification Server computer when Software Management Solution is installed.
The Symantec Management Agent and Software Management Solution Plug-in must be installed on the computers on which you implement the Software Portal.

Installing or Upgrading the Software Management Solution Plug-in

You can enforce HTTPS communication for the Software Portal when both HTTP and HTTPS bindings are installed in the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager on the Notification Server computer.

To set up HTTPS communication for the Software Portal, perform the following steps:

1. In the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, do one of the following:

Enable the IIS SSL setting Require SSL for the Default Web Site and /Altiris/SoftwarePortal web application.

Enable the IIS SSL setting Require SSL only for /Altiris/SoftwarePortal web application.

Note: In this case, to access the Software Portal Settings in the Symantec Management Console, the Software Portal Administrator needs to open the console using the HTTPS URL.

2. Restart IIS (from the command prompt as Administrator, run IISRESET).

3. Ensure that the client computers have received the changes (run Delta Update schedule and Policy Update schedule (under Settings>Notification Server>Resource Membership Update) and request a new Update Configuration on the client machines).

Process for implementing the Software Portal
Step	Action	Description
Step 1	Configure security roles for the administrators and managers who need to use the Software Portal.	The security settings provide the permissions to manage and approve the users’ software requests. Configuring Security Roles and Privileges for the Software Portal Typically, users do not have access to the Symantec Management Console and do not have Altiris security roles.
Step 2	Configure the Software Portal settings.	The Software Portal settings customize the portal’s behavior and appearance. You can change these settings at any time after you implement the Software Portal. Configuring the Software Portal Settings
Step 3	Configure the Software Portal Client Access Policy .	The Software Portal Client Access Policy lets you configure how end users access the Software Portal from the client computers. Windows and Mac client computers on which you implement the Software Portal must be present in the target of the Software Portal Client Access Policy
Step 4	Define the software that appears in the Software Portal.	Before a user requests software from the Software Portal, you must define the software that the user can request. In most cases, you perform this step when software resources are added to the Notification Server and you plan to publish them. For example, when you add a new software resource to the Software Catalog, you add the users who are allowed to request that software. You can define software in the Software Portal by creating a software publication. When you create a software publication, you can select one of the following methods to publish the software to the Software Portal: Publish a software resource to perform a quick delivery of a single software resource with a minimum of configuration. Publish a Managed Software Delivery policy to take advantage of its ability to respond to complex delivery requirements. Using the Software Publication wizard is the fastest and easiest way to create software publications. Publishing Software with the Software Publication Wizard You can also perform these publishing tasks on the software resource or Managed Software Delivery policy pages. Adding a Software Resource to the Software Portal Adding a Managed Software Delivery Policy to the Software Portal
Step 5	Instruct the users and managers to configure their user profiles.	Anyone who uses the Software Portal must configure their profiles before they create or process requests for unlisted applications or the applications that need approval.

Additional Information

"Configuring the Symantec Management Platform to use HTTPS (SSL) instead of HTTP" (KB 237409)