Training

Description

BigFix combines endpoint and security management into a single solution that enables users to see and manage fixed, mobile, physical and virtual endpoints on more than 90 different operating system versions. In addition to ensuring that all of a company’s systems are patched and secure, BigFix automates time-intensive tasks across complex networks, queries endpoints in real-time for the presence of malicious files, allows for quick software installations, performs advanced automation, and allows for simple remote control with just a few clicks. This course will present knowledge to help BigFix administrators and operators develop the foundation knowledge they need to successfully leverage BigFix in their managed environments.

Skills Gained

• Gain a basic understanding of the BigFix portfolio and architecture
• Learn to use and configure the operator Console
• Explore and learn to use the BigFix Web User Interface
• Learn about Fixlets, Tasks, and Baselines and when to use them
• Learn about Roles and Users
• Explore Patch Content
• Create and deploy patches manually and through automation by using policies
• Explore and create Web Reports

Prerequisites

Students should know basic Microsoft Windows

Course Details

Course Outline

Introduction

• Welcome to the BigFix Family!
• What can BigFix do for you?
• Identifying the BigFix suite components.
• A modular approach to meeting your operational requirements.
• Let's take a look at the latest and greatest features of BigFix.

Architecture

• How BigFix works under the covers.
• Message flow - Discovering the flow of how action directives make it to endpoints and back to the BigFix server.

Console Operation

• Let’s discover the console!
• Workflow – Get your work done with the BigFix Console
• Optimizing your BigFix Console experience
• Web User Interface

Web User Interface

• What is the Web UI?
• Navigating the Web UI
• Discovering the Apps menu
• How do I find patches in the Web UI?
• Let’s deploy some patches!
• Looking for something? Let’s learn about Query
• Headaches keeping up with patches? Let’s automate with policies!

Day 2

Content & Sites

What is content?

What are Fixlets, Tasks and Baselines and when should I use them?

Take Action!

Discovering Analyses and Properties

How to use custom computer properties to unleash the power of BigFix

Get organized with Content Sites!

Learn how to secure your BigFix Environment using Roles and Users

Minimize administrative overhead using Computer Groups!

Patches

• Structure of a Patch in BigFix
• Patch-specific Features and how to use them
• Where do patches come from?
• Are patches for all operating systems created equal?
• Patch Process: Is there a method to the madness?
• How are patches deployed?
• Customizing deployments to fit any situation

Day 3

• To Deploy or not to deploy: Superseded Fixlets
• Blacklisting: Hiding undesirable content
• Whitelisting: Showing only what you want them to see
• Automating deployments using execution parameters
• Configuring and deploying non-Windows patches
• Set and Forget: WebUI Patch Policies
• Patch Sequencing across multiple endpoints
• Troubleshooting

Everything You Need to Know About Web Reports

• Configure and use web reporting
• How to access the Web Reports Interface
• List and generate existing reports
• Explore and Filter Data
• Create Custom Reports
• Export Report Data
• Schedule Reports to be automatically generated and mailed

Description

BigFix Compliance enforces continuous compliance with security policies throughout an organization for every endpoint both on and off the corporate network. It includes out-of-the-box support for most popular security benchmarks published by CIS, DISA STIG, USGCB and PCI-DSS. An intelligent agent on every endpoint monitors, enforces, and reports on the security configuration status of the endpoint in real-time regardless of OS type or location. In this course, students will learn to interact with and operate the BigFix Compliance solution. They will gain a solid understanding of the various components of the solution and will be able to configure, operate, develop reports, perform maintenance tasks, and troubleshoot BigFix Compliance.

Skills Gained

• Understand Key BigFix Compliance Concepts
• Understand the Features and Functions of BigFix Compliance
• Learn to Configure and Operate BigFix Compliance
• Create custom reports including creating groups; checklist targeting and exception
• Understand how to maintain BigFix Compliance
• Be able to perform basic troubleshooting techniques

Prerequisites

Students should have previously taken the AIS BigFix Operator Fundamentals course, or equivalent experience

Basic Microsoft Windows skills

Course Details

Course Outline

Overview

• Introduction, covering: benefits and advantages; the BigFix portfolio and adjacent products; roles and responsibilities; compliance motivators (Business Needs, IT Needs)
• Key Concepts, including: security vs. compliance; checklists and parameters; reporting; and enforcement
• Features and Functions, such as: enforcing compliance rules; reporting on compliance; and automation of process

Plan and Install

• Architecture of Compliance, including: Scalability (BigFix architecture, checklists, data import); network design; firewalls, proxy servers, and ports; network planning; and reporting groups
• BigFix Platform and Compliance Infrastructure, covering: server and database requirements; disk space; permissions; licensing & masthead; installing BigFix Server, relays, and clients; security and access
• Implementation of Compliance, including: installing the Compliance analytics server; subscribing systems to checklists; configuring data source connection; mail server settings; roles; server settings; session settings; and user provisioning

Configure and Operate

• Navigation, such as: interface navigation and customization, setting default views, creating custom views
• Using checks and checklists, including: check Fixlets; modifying check parameters; activating Measured Value Analyses; creating and managing Custom Checklists; using the Synchronize Custom Checks wizard; taking a remediation action; importing SCAP content; using OVALDI and viewing Windows Vulnerabilities for Oval bulletins

Exception Management

• Reporting, including: running and exporting reports; reviewing existing built-in overview and list reports; and customizing reports
• Computer Grouping, covering: creating computer groups for reporting; checklist targeting and exception; computer properties from BigFix

Maintain

• Compliance Application management, such as: Extract, Transform, Load monitoring and management; and database management
• BigFix Platform management, including: Fixlet site version; Platform updates and upgrades; process start and stop procedures; and backup & restore

Troubleshoot

• Disaster Recovery planning, covering: backing up the Application Server; and successful recovery from a failure
• Support resources, including log locations; VM Manager command line options; manual catalog updates; support; Forums and self-help

Description

BigFix Inventory provides valuable insight into the software your organization owns—and the software it has installed but does not own—along with how often the software is being used. It supports better planning, budgeting and hardware and software license compliance, while mitigating security risks. In this course, students will learn to interact with and operate the BigFix Inventory solution, and develop a solid understanding of the various components of the solution. Students will be learn to configure, operate, develop reports, perform maintenance tasks, and troubleshoot BigFix Inventory.

Skills Gained

• Gain insight into the BigFix portfolio and BigFix Inventory’s major offerings
• Understand Software ID / Discovery, Signature ID / Creation, software usage, and license metrics
• Learn to operate BigFix Inventory including the software catalog and custom software signatures; deploy scanners, and classify software
• Create and schedule reports (audit, RVU, PVU, custom) for both applications and infrastructure
• Learn techniques to maintain and optimize BigFix Inventory
• Perform basic troubleshooting techniques for application and platform issues

Prerequisites

Students should have previously taken the AIS BigFix Operator Fundamentals course, or equivalent experience

Basic Microsoft Windows skills

Course Details

Course Outline

Overview

• Introduction, covering benefits, risks, and advantages; the BigFix portfolio and adjacent products; and roles and responsibilities
• Key Concepts, including contracts; discovery; Fixlets, tasks, and analyses; highwater mark; background activities; and Bundling
• Features and Functions of BigFix Inventory (BFI) / License Metric Tool (LMT), including: software discovery and identification; signature discovery and creation; software usage counting; reports; license compliance; and usage monitoring

Plan

• Architecture of BFI/LMT, including scalability (BigFix architecture, scan groups, data import); network design; Firewalls, proxy servers, and ports; network planning; air-gapped networks; reporting groups; and migration
• BigFix Platform and BFI/LMT Infrastructure, covering server and database requirements; disk space; permissions; multiple Inventory/LMT servers; Licensing & masthead; Installing BigFix Server, relays, and clients; security and access

Deploy

• Endpoints and Scanners, including distributed OS scanners; and shared file systems
• Deployment Tasks, such as upgrading the BFI Server; using BESAdmin; managing the BFI/LMT content site in BigFix; client categorization; backup and restore; roles in BFI/LMT; and permissions in BigFix

Configure and Operate

• BFI/LMT Components, including the software catalog; PVU Table; Part Numbers; capacity data collection; public clouds; advanced scanning; supported virtualization technologies; disconnected scans; and custom software signatures
• Optimization, including activating analyses; authentication options; customize login page; advanced HTTP connectivity options; and data retention
• Reporting, which includes automated bundling; software classification; RVUs, PVUs and other metrics; scheduling reports; tagging; advanced server settings; thresholds; enterprise software; audit snapshots; and contracts

Maintain

• BFI/LMT Application management, covering software catalog upload and distribution to endpoints; deployment health; data imports; PVU tables; and database management
• BigFix Platform management, including Fixlet site version; VM Manager updates; Security and encryption; infrastructure health

Troubleshoot

• BFI/LMT Application issues, such as scanner diagnostic data; VM Manager statuses and actions; Debugging the import; database performance and connectivity; UI performance; client scans
• Support resources, including log locations; VM Manager command line options; manual catalog updates; support; Forums and self-help

Description

In this class students will learn about using the BigFix policy language known as Relevance. Topics covered will teach BigFix users about the underlying principles, syntax and constructs of the Relevance language. This will allow students to manipulate existing BigFix-provided content, but also create their own custom properties, analyses, Fixlets, Tasks, Baselines and other content. The first two days of the class are dedicated to understanding basic Relevance, whereas the third day will delve into advanced Relevance concepts and Action Script.

Skills Gained

• Gain an understanding of BigFix Relevance and Action Script
• Learn about how BigFix Content is organized including Domains and Sites
• Learn how to examine BigFix Content and the differences between Fixlets and Tasks
• Learn about Baselines, Computer Groups, Properties, Analyses and Actions
• Learn about BigFix content authoring tools and how to use them to write Relevance
• Learn how to create BigFix content using Relevance
• Create Content Using the BigFix Console and WebUI

Prerequisites

Basic Microsoft Windows

Basic Coding skills

Previously taken the AIS BigFix Operator Fundamentals course, or equivalent experience

Course Details

Day 1

Content Authoring Tools

• Introduction to BigFix Tools for Content Creation
• Fixlet Debugger
• WebUI Query Channel
• BigFix Console

Introduction to Relevance

• What is the function of Relevance?
• Scripting vs. Policy Language
• Branches of the Relevance Language
• Where does it fit in to the BigFix platform?
• What is BigFix Content?
• Fixlets
• Tasks
• Baselines
• Computer Groups
• Properties
• Analyses
• Actions
• How is Content Organized?
• Domains
• Sites
• Content Examination
• Fixlets / Tasks
• Baselines
• Computer Groups
• Properties
• Analyses
• Actions

Relevance Basics

• Language Objects and Inspectors
• Types
• Object Property Inspection
• Platform-specific vs. Platform-agnostic Inspectors

Day 2

Relevance Basics (continued)

• Understanding Syntax and Constructs
• Plurality
• Casting
• Concatenation
• String Manipulation
• Basic Arithmetic

Day 3

Advanced Relevance Concepts

• Data Manipulation
• Advanced Arithmetic Operations

Action Script

• Action Script Syntax and Usage