NOD32 Business Setup Bug?

Ok, here's the setup:

ERAS server on Windows XP Pro VM

Setup Goals:
1. Have 1 installer package which can be pushed to clients on the LAN. This package will get updates from the LAN mirror (which is also the ERAS server; hostname Jennifer).
2. Have another installer package which can be exported (via the einstaller.exe file) and installed on systems off the LAN. This will get updates from an FQD domain specified in the package.

Now, I have this working to a certain extent, but have run into an issue which I cannot seem to figure out.

As I understand the hierarchy, Server Settings from Tools -> Server Options -> Advanced -> Edit Advanced Settings will trump all settings in the client package setups.

Under Tools -> Server Options -> Advanced -> Edit Advanced Settings -> ESET Remote Administrator -> ERA Server -> Setup -> Remote Install -> Server name, I found the hostname Jennifer was already present. I attempted to leave this blank so this profile would not trump the client, something set it back to Jennifer. I checked the default server policy and it's blank there. I changed it to NOD32.mydomainname.COM and it took that change. By checking the logs, I have found that if I don't have the FQD name above in there, clients off my LAN cannot install or update as eventhough I have specified the FQD in the client package as outlined below, something overrides that during export of einstall.exe and forces it to check the local hostname. Upon change this setting, now the first check the installer does is to the FQD; if that fails it falls back to the local hostname.


For the WAN client package I set the following:
1. Actions -> Manage Packages -> (select from dropdown) -> (edit button):
a. ESET Remote Administrator -> ERA Server -> Setup -> Remote Install -> Server name, I set this to NOD32.mydomainname.COM
b. ESET Remote Administrator -> ERA Server -> Setup -> General -> Server name, I set this to NOD32.mydomainname.COM
c. ESET Smart Security, ESET NOD32 Antivirus -> ESET Kernel -> Setup -> Remote Administration -> Primary Server Address, I set this to NOD32.mydomainname.com
d. ESET Smart Security, ESET NOD32 Antivirus -> Update Module -> Profile -> Setup -> Update Server, I set this to http://NOD32.mydomainname.COM:2221

This worked. I exported an einstall file, remote desktopped to the computer at my cousins house, ran the installer, it installed OK and downloaded updates.

So, I created the LAN package and left all the settings as their defaults except 1a above, which I set to Jennifer (the local hostname) and 1d, which I set to http://jennifer:2221.

Upon checking the logs for both setups, I found the WAN setup as outlined in (1) above works fine; however, the LAN install seems to want to goto the FQD instead of the setting I specified in the client config. I am assuming this is because of the setting in the Advanced Settings. But, as I stated above, if I leave that as Jennifer, the problem is reversed. The WAN client defaults to the LAN hostname and never even attempts the FQD.

So, my issue/question is this:

1. Should I be able to set the setting in the Advanced Settings portion of the Server Option as outlined above to a blank setting, thereby allowing me to make this a variable setting in the client package configuration? If not, why is that setting even in the package then?
2. If that setting has to be configured, is there a way to force the client package configuration to trump that setting?

It seems rather pointless to force a setting on the Server Config and then give you the option to change it in the client package config when that setting will have no bearing since the server setting will trump it.

 

Let me clear up one fact and then things may make better since. The ESET Configuration Editor has an XML structure that includes branches for each of the ESET Products. Only the branch for a specific product is ever applied to any individual piece of software.

For example: If you change settings in ESET Remote Administrator -> ERA Server -> Setup -> Remote Install -> Server name and then push that configuration to a client with ESET NOD32 Antivirus installed it will change absolutely nothing on the client. That section of the configuration file is ONLY for the ESET Remote Administrator.

If you were looking to have the FQDN in the installation package then put it under ESET Smart Security, ESET NOD32 Antivirus -> ESET Kernel -> Setup -> Remote Administration -> Primary Server Address. Put the update settings here ESET Smart Security, ESET NOD32 Antivirus -> Update Module -> Profile -> Setup -> Update Server.

To redefine the ESET Remote Administrator’s server name to match the FQDN instead of host name; Within the ESET Remote Administrator go to Tools -> Server Options -> Advanced -> Edit Advanced Settings -> ESET Remote Administrator -> ERA Server -> Setup -> Remote Install -> Server name. Here you put in the FQDN. This puts the setting actually in the ESET Remote Administrator server settings.

This way when you generate the einstaller package or any package, it pulls the FQDN instead of the host name. The einstaller package does not contain the full configuration file. It only tells the client where to get the package. When you create the einistaller file it does indeed pull the host information from its own settings. This is why you must change it to the FQDN in the Server advanced settings as well as the installation package.

 

Ok, i was a little misleading; what my question is is this:

1. Can I setup a remote installation server in the Server Advanced Settings define the WAN hostname (ie, NOD32.unimatrix424.com) and override that setting with the client pack package setting?

 

Changing the name of the ESET Remote Administrator Sever via the server’s advanced options will not override any of the settings in the existing clients or packages. However, it will change the information used for new installation packages.