The Peer-to-Peer functionality (or 'rumor') reduces use of bandwidth for the Internet connection, as computers that have already updated a file from the Internet then share the update with other connected computers. This prevents saturating Internet connections.
The P2P functionality is very useful in the deployment of Endpoint Protection when it comes to downloading the installation program. When one of the computers has downloaded the installation program from the Internet, the others are informed by their communications agents.
Then, instead of accessing the Internet, they get the installation program directly from another computer and the protection is installed.
This functionality is also very useful when updating the protection engine and the signature files, and is implemented in the two local processes that need to download files from the Internet: WalUpd and WalUpg.
This function is activated in the configuration files of these processes.
WALUPD.ini
[GENERAL]
UPDATE_FROM_LOCAL_NETWORK=1
WALUPG.ini
[GENERAL]
UPGRADE_FROM_LOCAL_NETWORK=1
The P2P functionality works independently in each of these local processes. It could be activated in one of them but not in the other.
The P2P functionality works as follows:
When a computer has updated its signature files or any protection (or the agent itself), it sends a broadcast message with the information about the files that it has to the other computers on the network.
With respect to the sending of information in WALUpg, if a restart is necessary after installing/upgrading the protection, if the user chooses to restart later, the information transmitted via the P2P functionality will be sent immediately instead of waiting for the restart.
This process is detailed in the following diagram:
The computers save the information, and use it when they need it.
If a computer needs any file, it will first check whether another computer has it before downloading it from the Internet. If so, it will request the file from the other computer. The file is received asynchronously and there is a maximum time that must elapse before retrying.
The computer with the file receives a request for the file and sends the message containing the file in response.
The computer that requested the file receives it, and continues with the update or upgrade.
For computers to send files to others through the P2P functionality they must have at least 128 MB of RAM.