Using OS Deployer with Symantec Endpoint Protection

Problem

You have installed Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) in all your client computers and you cannot do the following:

• Copy the OSDAgentSetup.msi file on computers that are using Symantec Endpoint Protection
• Unable to create image and perform post deployment activities. 

Cause

You may encounter these problems if SEP does either of the following:

• Blocks the file-copy functionality
• Removes/blocks unknown .exe files from the computer by default

Resolution

You are required to identify the cause for the problem you are facing and follow either one of the following solutions given below:

Enabling the functionality to copy files from a remote location

You should enable the file-copy functionality that is blocked by Symantec Endpoint Protection. This will enable you to copy the OSDAgentSetup.msi onto specific client computers. For more information, see How to execute installation files that are copied from a remote location while using SEP? 

Adding .exe file names to the Antivirus exception list

If you do not want to exclude the folder from Antivirus, you can exclude the following EXEs for smooth OS Deployment process,

OS Deployer Server installed machine

• The following file located under  <OS Deployer Server Installed location>\OSDeployer_Server\bin directory,
  •  dcnotificationserver.exe 

Distribution server installed machine

• The following files located under <OS Drive>\Program Files\\DesktopCentral_DistributionServer\bin directory:
  • dcagentupgrader.exe
  • dcdsinstallwizard.exe
  • dcdsservice.exe
  • dcreplication.exe
  • dc_httpd.exe 
• The following files located under  <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp\OSDDSComponent\bin directory:
  • ImageReplicator.exe
  • 7za.exe
  • OSDManagerDepends.dll
• The following files located under  <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp\OSDPXEComponent\PXEService\bin directory:
  • wrapper.exe
  • osd-tftp.bat
• The following files located under  <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp\OSDPXEComponent\PXEService\jre\bin directory:
  • java.exe

Image Creator installed machine

• The following files located under  <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp\ManageEngine OS Deployer - Image Creator\bin directory:
  • ImageCreator.exe
  • OSDMonitor.exe
  • OSDManagerDepends.dll
• The following files located under  <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp\ManageEngine OS Deployer - Image Creator directory:
  • osdagentregister.exe
  • osdservicemain.exe 
• The following files located under <OS Drive>\Windows directory:
  • Manage.exe
  • OSManagerInstallerSetup.exe
• The following files located under <OS Drive>\Windows\Temp\OSD\32bit directory:
  • OSDAgentSetup.msi
  • OSDAgentSetup.mst
• The following files located under <OS Drive>\Windows\Temp\OSD\64bit\ directory:
  • OSDAgentSetup.msi
  • OSDAgentSetup.mst 

Deployment machine

The following files located under <OS Drive>\Windows\OSDPatcher\ directory:

• OSDPatcher.exe
• OSDManagerDepends.dll
• dpinst.exe

Folders to be excluded

Note: Excluding all the specific .exe/bat files is more complex because it keeps changing over a period of time. So OS Deployer folders can be added to the exclusion list. In such cases, ensure that you need to exclude the following folders respectively. You should also make sure, that every time you update/upgrade your anti-virus, the exception policy that you have created is not overwritten.

Here are the list of folders, which needs to be excluded:

• OS Deployer Server - OSDeployer_Server
• OS Deployer Distribution Server- DesktopCentral_DistributionServer
• OS Deployer Distributiion server - <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp
• Machine where image creator is installed - <OS Drive>\Program Files(x86)\Zohocorp
• Deployment machine - <OS Drive>\Windows\OSDPatcher