How To: Using Multicast with Patching

Ivanti multicast technology makes it possible to distribute large patch install files to many users across the network with a minimum of network traffic. Multicast features require no additional hardware or software infrastructure, and require no router configurations to allow multicast packets. You get the extraordinary benefits of multicast technology with none of its traditional headaches.

Multicast is designed to work with patching and software distribution packages. When you use multicast, you can easily distribute patch installation files, even in WAN environments with multiple hops and low connection speeds. Multicast uses HTTP for delivery from a Web site to a volunteer subnet representative. Endpoint Manager's inventory scanner provides all the subnet information to the multicast service.

When compared to conventional patching methods, multicast significantly reduces the time and bandwidth needed to deliver patch installation files. Instead of sending a file across the wire for each device, only one transfer is made for each subnet. Bandwidth savings increase as the number of devices on each subnet increases.

Ivanti® Endpoint Manager powered by Landesk supports multicast for Windows and Macintosh OS X patching.

Here is multicast workflow:

1. A task using multicast begins and targeted devices look for an existing multicast session for that task on their subnet. If there isn't one, a device offers to become the multicast domain representative for that task. The representative on each subnet starts downloading.
2. Other devices receive the task, see that there is an existing multicast session for that task, and wait for the multicast domain representative's session start delay to pass (the default is one minute). The multicast domain representatives begin multicasting to their subnets.
3. Devices receiving the task after the multicast session has begun join the multicast and start caching multicast data. At the end of the multicast they ask their peers for the parts they missed.

To enable multicast in the Distribution and Patch agent setting

1. Click Tools > Security and Compliance > Agent settings.
2. In the Agent settings tree, right-click Distribution and Patch and click New, or double click an existing Distribution and Patch agent setting.
3. On the Network settings page, select Use multicast. If necessary change the Delay. This is how long the device that volunteered to be a multicast domain representative for a task will wait before multicasting the patching task to peers on its subnet.
4. Save your changes.
5. Devices already using the Distribution and Patch agent setting you modified will receive your changes the next time they run the vulnerability scanner, usually within 24 hours.

Also see Using Multicast with Software Distribution: https://help.ivanti.com/docs/help/en_US/LDMS/10.0/Windows/swd-c-targeted-multicast.htm