How to specify an authoritative/master update manager

To manually select an Update Manager to act as the Authoritative (or Master) Update Manager:

1. On the server running the Endpoint Security and Control database, run the following command to get a list of the hosts and their RMS endpoint addresses on your network:

   osql -E -S .\sophos -d sophos4 -Q "select MessageSystemAddress from ComputersAndDeletedComputers"

2. Identify the desired Update Manager's host name in this list and note its RMS endpoint address (e.g. Router$hostname:xxxxx).
3. On the server running the Sophos Management service (by default this is the server on which Enterprise Console was installed), create a new registry string value at:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sophos\EE\Management Tools\

   Notes:

   • The type should be 'String'
   • The name should be called 'AuthoritativeServer'
   • The value of the key should be the RMS endpoint address of the update manager which you want to use as the Authoritative Update Manager. Note: the host name must be entered exactly as it is returned by the query above -- if there is no number returned, it is ok to use Router$hostname with no extra information.
   • The address is case sensitive.

IMPORTANT: This issue was fixed with the release of version 4.5 of Enterprise Console:
Due to a current bug in the Sophos management service: (DEF54757 - to be fixed in the next release of Sophos Enterprise Console) making a SUM server authoritative when it isn’t the same computer as the Sophos Management Server, will result in computers showing as out-of-date.

If you do need to configure your environment in this way, i.e. your management service computer is unable to update from Sophos, as a temporary workaround instruct the SUM to 'Update Now' from Enterprise Console. This will ensure that the status message coming back in from the SUM will be processed correctly.

If you have a large number of SUMs and are experiencing performance problems with the Sophos Management Service (mgntsvc.exe) Sophos recommends designating the SUM on the management server to be the Authoritative SUM as this will reduce the amount of work the Sophos Management Service is required to do.