If EXIST ("C:\Program Files\Network Associates\McAfee VirusScan\vscan95.tag")
ELSE
SRND(5)
$McAfee = RND(5)
Copy "\\NTAPP1\APPS\BackWeb\Vscan\Win95\" + $McAfee + "\*.*" "C:\Program Files\Network Associates\McAfee VirusScan\"
endif

Thanks for any help,

Pete Carstensen

You are basically after one random number each time the script is invoked. Using the same seed each time will result in the same pseudo-random number being generated. Indeed
with such a small range (0-5) it would appear in Kixtart that you need a seed number "randomly" picked from a very large range (at least around 0-10000 approximately) in order
to get a different first number returned from RND(5) each time the script is invoked.

You could use the 3 numbers in @TIME multiplied together to generate the seed like this:

code:

---

$hh=val(substr(@TIME,1,2))+1
$mm=val(substr(@TIME,4,2))+1
$ss=val(substr(@TIME,7,2))+1
SRND($hh*$mm*$ss)
$McAfee = RND(5)
? $McAfee

---

That's why McAfee has had to use the autoupgrade/autoupdate system or the Superdats. They stop the service, copy and start the service on NT and on 9x they set up the copy to happen before McAfee starts the next time.

So with that speil, how does your script work? It seems to have the random in the path. It's not like you are copying from different servers, just different directories. Why? Or am I wrong?

------------------

The goal is to avoid having everyone in the company begin the update process all at the same time which would put a significant strain on our network infrastructure. By randomizing the schedule files, and then utilizing the randomize within the hour function of McAfee, we get the dat updates pretty well spread out.

The next issue is that the DAT files are not enough given that the engine is updated almost as much as the DAT files. About the only way I can do the SDAT update is to put it in the login script but want to limit it to run once only.

I am beginning to think that McAfee used Rube Goldberg to plan out their update process!

Pete Carstensen

The SRND() function does not work with variables:

ie

$r=10
SRND($r)

is not the same as

SRND(10)

in that it doesn't work. If you want to SRND() a variable this is one way:

code:

---

$seed=val(substr("@time", 7, 2))
$seed=$seed+1
do
    $=rnd(1)
    $seed=$seed-1
until $seed=0

---

this can be shortened to

code:

---

$seed=val(substr("@time", 7, 2)) $seed=$seed+1
do $=rnd(1) $seed=$seed-1 until $seed=0

---

This is a bs way of doing this, but it is effective enough... it is basically a 1 in 60 chance of a random seed.

cj

[This message has been edited by cj (edited 20 October 2000).]

What version of Mcafee are you using? I have had wonderful success using Mcafee's build in autoupgrade to keep my clients up to date.

just as an example... I DL'd he latest superdat yesterday, placed it in the correct location and renamed it. As of this morning all of my clients will be running 4.0.4100 / 4.0.70

IF you want more information on what I am doing I will be glad to help.

here are a few links

This is what I first did for Win9x
McAfee installation ideas and pointers

Here is something for NT
Modify Mcafee 4.x on NT to use AutoUpgrade

Bryce

[This message has been edited by Bryce (edited 20 October 2000).]