Clients not talking to the server (see other solutions aswell)
When you want reinstall a Symantec Endpoint Protection server you must back up the key store. If you do not the clients become disconnected and therefore unmanaged.
To reconnect already deployed clients the key on the client needs to be replaced
- export the appropiate key from the new server
- copy to a network location along with syslink replacer
- run utility to replace key
- once replaced and the client is talking to the server a green ball will appear on the shield
To deploy a client you can no longer use a normal installer file
Method 1
- Use the admin console to search for unmanaged clients, this process will search you local network on the IP range you specify and will report back to you what AV the clients are running. this process is not 100%.
- You can then deploy a package to them, this will have all the setting required
Method 2
- create and export a client package for the group you want to add the clients to. This package has the server key inbuilt etc..
- put on network location and manually run on each client
- NB: it does not always correctly remove the old version of Symantec Antivirus
sylink replacer tool - visit client PCs and run this program with the sylink.mxl file in the same directory to reconnect client
Thank you for the update on the case. Please find below the download link for the sylink replacer tool.
To download this utility go to https://fileshare.symantec.com/, and use
the following login ID and password.
Login ID: sylinkreplacer
Password: Syl1nk0!
Download Sylinkreplacer.zip
Once you have downloaded the utility, please follow the instructions
outlined in the following document.
Title: 'Using the "SylinkReplacer" Utility'
Document ID: 2008043412271448
> Web URL:
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH105211&locale=en_US
SylinkDrop utility - network sylink replacer via TCP/IP
Here is the information on how to download and run the SylinkDrop utility we discussed.
To download the utility, open the following web page in a browser:
https://fileshare.symantec.com
Log in with the following information:
Login ID: sylinkdrop
Password: Syl!nkdr0p
Once you have downloaded the utility, please follow the instructions outlined in the following document.
Title: 'Using the SylinkDrop utility'
Document ID: 2008053007423248
Web URL: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH105034&locale=en_US
Issue : Clients are not talking to the server
Troubleshooting :
- Informed that this happened since the database backup and server key backup was not taken before the reinstall.
- Informed that we would have to replace sylink.xml on the clients to establish the connection.
- Generated a sylink.xml file from the SEPM.
- Upgraded the client on the server with the sylink file and confirmed that it is communicating with the SEPM.
- Sent sylinkdrop and suggested to replace the sylink file on the client using this file.
- Sent document on best practice for disaster recovery.
Solution : Replaced sylink.xml file on the clients
Case Status : Closed
Other Useful Articles
Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0 Top Articles
How to upgrade, how to manually install clients and various other useful articles for basic tasks
Best Practices for Disaster Recovery with the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager
This is useful for upgrading issues and if you need to re-install
The Symantec Endpoint Protection Support Tool
This tool can be helpful in diagnosing issues
other password - symantec