Step 4: Create component signatures

Use the following guidelines to avoid common mistakes and to create the most accurate signatures that better recognize software.

To obtain the best results, try to create signatures that meet the following requirements:
  • The signature is based on the main executable file of the software.
  • The signature combines the main executable file of the software with package data if it is available.
  • The signature discovers only one release. If it discovers release 7.2, it cannot be valid for releases 7.1 or 7.3.
  • The signature is generic and discovers a particular release and all its mod-releases and fix packs. To ensure that the signature is generic:
    • Use a wildcard (*) in the package version, for example: 7.2.*

      If you use a dot (.) in the package version, the dot is also matched with a dash (-). For example, if you specify the package version as 4.9.3.1*, version 4.9.3-1.el1 is also matched.

      If you specify a version without the wildcard, the signature also matches a package that contains a comma in the version number. For example, if the package version is 11.10.1,REV=2005.01.21.15.53, signatures that have the following package version specified match it:
      • 11.10.1
      • 11.10.1,REV=2005.01.21.15.53
      Signatures that have the following package version specified do not match it:
      • 11.10
      • 11.10.1,REV=2005.02.14.12.32
    • Specify the version of the file limited to the release number. For example, 11.10. Avoid using a complete file version such as 10.11.2 or file size. These values are likely to change with every patch.
    • If a signature combines a file and package data and neither of them has a version, accept a file with any size.
    Tip: If you are unable to cover all fix packs and mod-releases, combine separate conditions for each of them.

Version of the software that is provided in the package and in the file might sometimes be inaccurate and might not match the version that is displayed in BigFix Inventory. If such a discrepancy occurs, ensure that the proper version is defined in the software catalog. Consider creating more specific rules for handling issues that are related to software versioning.