The xdb download let your clients receive a delta when using the vdtm method clients automatically getting defs when the parent gets them) of receiving defs. This cuts down the definition download size from 3+mb to around 150kb. If the client defs are too old it will push out a full def download to them. It also pushes a full def download about once every 7 days to them anyway to make sure the def file they have is not corrupted.

I had set up downloading the xdb file with 8.01. Then 8.1 came out, then Symantec pulled it because of symevnt problems. Now they've rereleased it..

90% of our client machines are 7.60, which is cool because even with downloading the xdb it still pushes a vdb file to 7.x clients instead of the delta. I actually have to download the xdb and the symcdefsx86.exe file. I extract the x86 and push the defs to another server in a different server group that's owned by another group.

Here's a copy of the batch file that I use just in case..
code:
:ClearDirectories
Echo y| del e:\platdefs\*.*
Echo y| del c:\vdb\*.*

:GetDefs
ftp -s:platdefs.txt>c:\scripts\logs\platlog.log
Dir e:\platdefs\symcdefsx86.exe |find /I " 0 symcdefsx86.exe"
IF %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 goto DownloadError
Dir e:\platdefs\nav8up.exe |find /I " 0 navup8.exe"
IF %ERRORLEVEL% == 0 goto DownloadError

:Extract
e:
cd platdefs
navup8
E:\PLATDEFS\symcdefsx86.exe /q /extract /vdb "c:\vdb"
ECHO The attached file is the results of the ftp of the definitions from symantec.>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
ECHO If these are NEW definitions, they will automatically be pushed out to client machines.>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
ECHO This runs from \\myprimaryparent\C$\scripts\Platdefs.bat>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
ECHO.>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG

:CopyDefs
 COPY E:\Platdefs\*.xdb "c:\program files\sav\"
IF '%ERRORLEVEL%' == '0' (
  ECHO Definitions successfully copied to myprimaryparent>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
) Else (
  ECHO.
  ECHO UNABLE TO COPY DEFINITIONS TO \\myprimaryparent\C$\PROGRAM FILES\Sav!!!>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG 
)

  COPY E:\Platdefs\*.xdb "\\parent\c$\program files\sav\"
IF '%ERRORLEVEL%' == '0' (
  ECHO Definitions successfully copied to parent>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
) Else (
  ECHO.
  ECHO UNABLE TO COPY DEFINITIONS TO \\parent\C$\PROGRAM FILES\Sav!!!>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG 
)

  COPY c:\vdb\*.* "\\AnotherParentInADifferentServerGroup\VPHOME\"
IF '%ERRORLEVEL%' == '0' (
  ECHO Definitions successfully copied to AnotherParentInADifferentServerGroup>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
) Else (
  ECHO.
  ECHO UNABLE TO COPY DEFINITIONS TO \\AnotherParentInADifferentServerGroup\Vphome!!!>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG 
)

  COPY c:\vdb\*.* "\\AnotherParentInADifferentServerGroup\c$\Program Files\Nav\"
IF '%ERRORLEVEL%' == '0' (
  ECHO Definitions successfully copied to AnotherParentInADifferentServerGroup>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG
) Else (
  ECHO.
  ECHO UNABLE TO COPY DEFINITIONS TO \\AnotherParentInADifferentServerGroup\c$\Program Files\Nav\!!!>>C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG 
)

:Email
blat.exe C:\SCRIPTS\LOGS\COPYDEFS.LOG -attacht "c:\scripts\logs\platlog.log" -t me@mycompany.com  -s "Antivirus Definition download on %computername%."


:THEEND
I also download liveupdate defs from a different batch file, and push them out to a dfs share, which is about 5 servers. I have the liveupdate clients, home machines, getting their defs from a dfs share. I have onsite client machines set up for liveupdate, but don't use it. It's just a security blanket.... [Big Grin]

L8tr..