GlobalProtect Data Files are Different Versions Across Several Firewalls

Issue

The GlobalProtect Data File versions are different across multiple firewalls even though they are scheduled to download and install daily.

Resolution

The servers used to download the GlobalProtect Data Files update these files sometimes as often as every hour. This ensures that the Data Files have a vendor list that is always updated with the latest information. These servers are also in different time zones and update at different times.

The GlobalProtect Data File download activity and information can be viewed by running:

> less mp-log avdata.log

This will display the version downloaded, the time of the download, and from which server it was downloaded.

Here is an output example:

> less mp-log avdata.log

Example Output

.<GlobalProtect xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/">  <result>New version found.</result>  <file_version>1332460882</file_version>  <lastModified>2012-03-22T17:12:09</lastModified>  <file_location>http://c733.r33.cf1.rackcdn.com/epupdate_hist.140</file_location>  <encryption_key>46546465465464654616546546</encryption_key></GlobalProtect>

Set the download and install schedule to an hourly interval in order for the Data Files to be on the same version across multiple firewalls.

owner:  jseals