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Configuration Guide
Learn how to configure BigFix according to your needs.
Downloading files in air-gapped environments
In air-gapped environments, to download and transfer files to the main BigFix server, use the Airgap utility and the BES Download Cacher utility.
Using the Airgap tool
Extraction usage
Transferring downloaded files
Deploying Fixlets on the main BigFix server requires downloaded patches and other files from the Internet.

Configuration Guide
Learn how to configure BigFix according to your needs.
- Introduction
  This guide explains additional configuration steps that you can run in your environment after installation.
- BigFix Site Administrator and Console Operators
  In BigFix there are two basic classes of users.
- Integrating with LDAP
  You can add Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) associations to BigFix.
- Enabling SAML V2.0 authentication for LDAP operators
  Starting from Version 9.5.5, BigFix supports SAML V2.0 authentication via LDAP-backed SAML identity providers.
- Using multiple servers (DSA)
  Here are some of the important elements of multiple server installations:
- Server object IDs
  The BigFix server generates unique IDs for the objects that it creates: Fixlets, tasks, baselines, properties, analysis, actions, roles, custom sites, computer groups, management rights, subscriptions.
- Customizing HTTPS for Gathering
  You can gather license updates and external sites by using the HTTP or HTTPS protocol on a BigFix server or in an airgapped environment.
- Configuring secure communication
- Real Time AV Exclusions
  BigFix Console, Server and Relay components of the architecture perform high volume file operations.
- Downloading files in air-gapped environments
  In air-gapped environments, to download and transfer files to the main BigFix server, use the Airgap utility and the BES Download Cacher utility.
  - Overview
    In an air-gapped environment where a secure network is physically isolated from insecure networks, such as the public Internet or an insecure local area network, and the computers on opposite sides of the air gap cannot communicate, to download and transfer files to the main BigFix server, you can use the Airgap utility and the BES Download Cacher utility.
  - Requirements
    When your BigFix server is installed in an air-gapped environment where a secure network is physically isolated from insecure networks, such as the public Internet or an insecure local area network, and the computers on opposite sides of the air gap cannot communicate, you need a workstation that has access to the public Internet to download Fixlet site contents using the Airgap tool, and to download files referenced in the Fixlet action scripts.
  - Using the Airgap tool
    - Non-extraction usage
      The "Non-extraction usage" mode is available only starting from BigFix Version 9.5.5.
    - Extraction usage
      - Transferring downloaded files
        Deploying Fixlets on the main BigFix server requires downloaded patches and other files from the Internet.
        Transferring all files from Fixlet sites
        To transfer files from Fixlet sites, perform the following steps:
        Transferring a single file
        To transfer a single file from a Fixlet site, perform the following steps:
    - Log files
      The Airgap tool produces two types of log files: normal log files and debug log files.
- Getting client information by using BigFix Query
  The BigFix Query feature allows you to retrieve information and run relevance queries on client workstations from the WebUI BigFix Query Application or by using REST APIs.
- Persistent connections
  Starting from Patch 11, the capability to establish persistent connections was added to the product.
- Relays in DMZ
  Starting from Patch 13, the capability to establish a persistent TCP connection between the parent relay in the more secure zone and its child relay inside the DMZ network was added to the product. This allows you to manage systems in a demilitarized zone (DMZ network).
- Working with PeerNest
  The BigFix client includes a new feature named PeerNest, that allows to share binary files among clients located in the same subnet. The feature is available starting from BigFix Version 9.5 Patch 11.
- Archiving Client files on the BigFix Server
  You can collect multiple files from BigFix clients into an archive and move them through the relay system to the server.
- BigFix Configuration Settings
  A number of advanced BigFix configuration settings are available that can give you substantial control over the behavior of the BigFix suite. These options allow you to customize the behavior of the BigFix server, relays, and clients in your network.
- Additional configuration steps
  These topics explain additional configuration steps that you can run in your environment.
- Migrating the BigFix Server (Windows/MS-SQL)
  This section details the steps and operational procedures necessary for migrating the BigFix Server from existing hardware onto new computer systems.
- Migrating the BigFix Server (Linux)
  This section provides basic information on migrating your BigFix Server from existing Linux hardware onto new systems.
- Server audit logs
  Starting with BigFix version 9.5.11, the server audit logs include the following items:
- List of advanced options
  The following lists show the advanced options that you can specify in the Advanced Options tab of the BigFix Administrative tool on Windows systems, or in the BESAdmin.sh command on Linux systems using the following syntax:
- Security Configuration Scenarios
  BigFix provides the capability to follow the NIST security standards by configuring an enhanced security option.
- Client Authentication
  Client Authentication extends the security model used by BigFix to encompass trusted client reports and private messages.
- Maintenance and Troubleshooting
  If you are subscribed to the Patches for Windows site, you can ensure that you have the latest upgrades and patches to your SQL server database servers.

Transferring downloaded files

Deploying Fixlets on the main BigFix server requires downloaded patches and other files from the Internet.

You can use the Airgap tool in extraction usage for gathering site contents and in non-extraction usage for downloading files (you can ignore the AirgapResponse file generated in non-extraction usage). As an alternative, you can use the BES Download Cacher utility. This utility helps to:

Download and transfer files to the main BigFix server.
Download patch contents in a Fixlet site or single file downloads from an URL.

You can download the current utility from http://software.bigfix.com/download/bes/util/BESDownloadCacher.exe. To see the list of available options run BESDownloadCacher.exe /?. If the BigFix server or an BigFix relay is installed on the system where you run the BES Download Cacher utility, the -x utility parameter is optional because the utility detects relevant local BES settings and reuse them as defaults

Some sites require additional steps to download content from patch vendors that restrict access. For additional information see the following documentation pages that describe using a tool to manually download patches for Solaris, Red Hat, SuSE, and AIX.

These sites require a three step process:

Run the BESAirgapTool.exe to download Fixlets and Tasks for each site.
Run the BES Download Cacher utility to download any site tools from BigFix.
Run the download tool for each vendor to download patch contents.