Global updating automates replication to your distributed repositories and keeps your managed systems current.
Replication and update tasks are not required. Checking contents into your Main Repository initiates a global update. The entire process finishes within an hour in most environments.
You can also specify which packages and updates initiate a global update. When you specify that certain content initiates a global update, make sure to create a replication task to distribute content that was not selected.
Tip
Best practice: When using global updating, schedule a regular pull task (to update the Main Repository) at a time when network traffic is minimal. Although global updating is much faster than other methods, it increases network traffic during the update.
Global updating process
Contents are checked in to the Main Repository.
The server performs an incremental replication to all distributed repositories.
The server issues a SuperAgent wake-up call to all SuperAgent in the environment.
The SuperAgent broadcasts a global update message to all agents within the SuperAgent subnet.
Upon receipt of the broadcast, the agent is supplied with a minimum catalog version needed for updating.
The agent searches the distributed repositories for a site that has this minimum catalog version.
Once a suitable repository is found, the agent runs the update task.
If the agent does not receive the broadcast, the minimum catalog version is supplied at the next agent-server communication.
Note
If the agent receives notification from a SuperAgent, the agent is supplied with the list of updated packages. If the agent finds the new catalog version at the next agent-server communication, it is not supplied with the list of packages to update, and updates all packages available.
Requirements
These requirements must be met to implement global updating:
A SuperAgent must use the same agent-server secure communication (ASSC) key as the agents that receive its wake-up call.
A SuperAgent is installed on each broadcast segment. Managed systems cannot receive a SuperAgent wake-up call if there is no SuperAgent on the same broadcast segment. Global updating uses the SuperAgent wake-up call to alert agents that new updates are available.
Distributed repositories are set up and configured throughout your environment. We recommend SuperAgent repositories, but they are not required. Global updating functions with all types of distributed repositories.
If using SuperAgent repositories, managed systems must be able to access the repository where its updates come from. Although a SuperAgent is required on each broadcast segment for systems to receive the wake-up call, SuperAgent repositories are not required on each broadcast segment.