FAQ
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Q. What is Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010?
A.Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010, the next version for Forefront Client Security, simplifies and improves endpoint protection while greatly reducing infrastructure costs. It builds on System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 and R3, allowing customers to use their existing client management infrastructure to deploy and manage endpoint protection. This shared infrastructure lowers ownership costs while providing improved visibility and control over endpoint management and security. Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 provides proven, highly accurate detection of known and unknown threats.
Q. How can I download the Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 trial software?
A.You can download the trial here.
Q. What new features are included in Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010?
A.Some of the new features in Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 include:
• Integration with System Center Configuration Manager. Single interface for managing and securing endpoints reduces complexity and improves troubleshooting and reporting insights.
• New Antivirus Engine. Highly accurate and efficient threat detection protects against the latest malware and rootkits with low false positive rate.
• New behavioral threat detection. Protection against “unknown” or “zero day” threats provided through behavior monitoring, emulation, and dynamic translation.
• Windows Firewall management. Ensures Windows Firewall is active and working properly on all endpoints, and allows administrators to more easily manage firewall protections across the enterprise.
Q. How is Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 managed?
A.Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 is built on System Center Configuration Manager 2007. Customers use Configuration Manager 2007 R2 or R3 to deploy, configure, monitor, and report on Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010.
For managing server operating system protection, organizations can also use the Forefront Endpoint Protection Security Management Pack, which provides real-time monitoring using System Center Operations Manager.
Q. What version of System Center Configuration Manager does Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 support?
A.Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 works with System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 and R3.
Q. Which operating systems does Forefront Endpoint Protection support?
A.Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 protects Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. Please refer to the system requirements for more details.
Q. Will there be tools for upgrading from Forefront Client Security to Forefront Endpoint 2010?
A.Yes. Microsoft plans to provide tools to help companies migrate users from Forefront Client Security to Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010.
Q. Which languages is Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 available in?
A.Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 is available in English, German, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, Italian, Korean, and Spanish.
Q. How much does Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 cost? What licenses do I need to purchase?
A.You can find out more on Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 pricing and licensing on the Pricing and Licensing page.
Q. What is the difference between Forefront Endpoint Protection and Microsoft Security Essentials?
A.For consumers and very small businesses needing protection from malicious software including spyware, viruses, trojans and rootkits, Microsoft Security Essentials is a no-cost, high-quality anti-malware service that efficiently addresses the ongoing security needs of a genuine Windows-based PC. Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 provides endpoint protection for business environments, including antimalware and additional protections like behavior monitoring and firewall management. Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 also includes central deployment, configuration, and reporting features needed for ensuring protection is maintained across the enterprise.
System Requirements
Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Server (installed on System Center Configuration Manager)
Minimum Requirements
Memory 2 GB of RAM
Available Disk Space
• Forefront Endpoint Protection Server: 600 MB
• Forefront Endpoint Protection Database: 1.25 GB
• Forefront Endpoint Protection Reporting Database: 1.25 GB
Operating System Microsoft Windows 2003 SP2 or later
Additional Requirements
• No earlier version of Forefront Endpoint Protection Server can be installed
• No other antimalware protection can be installed
• Microsoft Windows Installer version 3.1 or later
• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP3 or later, including:
o Analysis Services
o Integration Services
o Reporting Services
o SQL Server Agent
o SQL Server Analysis Management Objects
o
• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 R2 or R3 site installed with default roles, configured to use the SQL Server Reporting Services, and the following installed and configured:
o Hardware Inventory
o Software Distribution
o Desired Configuration Management
• Configuration Manager Hotfix KB2271736
Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Client
Minimum Requirements
CPU • Windows XP: 500 MHz or higher
• Windows Vista or Windows 7: 1.0 GHz or higher
Memory • Windows XP: 256 MB RAM or higher
• Windows Vista or Windows 7: 1 GB RAM or higher
Available Disk Space 300 MB
Operating System • Windows XP (x86) SP3 and later
• Windows XP (x64) SP2 and later
• Windows Vista RTM and later, x64 and x86
• Windows 7 RTM x64, x86
• Windows 7 XP mode
• Windows Server 2003 SP2 and later, x64 and x86
• Windows Server 2008 RTM and later, x64 and x86 (not server core)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 (x64) or later versions
• Windows 2008 R2 Server Core (x64)
Additional Requirements • Configuration Manager agent
• Windows Installer 3.1
• Filter manager rollup (KB914882)
• WFP rollup package (KB981889). Redistributed by client
• Windows Update
Pricing and Licensing
Licensing
Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 is available as a per-user or per-device subscription through Microsoft Volume Licensing. The subscription includes all antimalware updates and product upgrades during the license period.
• Client operating systems can be licensed with a User Subscription License (USL) or Device Subscription License (DSL).
• Server operating systems must be licensed with a Device Subscription License (DSL).
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 or R3 serves as the management infrastructure for Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010. For customers who want to centrally manage Forefront Endpoint Protection, valid System Center Configuration Manager 2007 licenses are required.
In addition to being offered as a stand-alone product, Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 can be purchased as part of the Core CAL Suite or Forefront Protection Suite.
Pricing
The estimated annual subscription price for an organization with at least five users is listed below. Additional discounts are provided through Microsoft Volume Licensing.
Product Estimated Prices Description
Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 $10.20 US per user or per device, per year Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 provides antimalware protection for desktop and server operating systems. It is built on System Center Configuration Manager, giving customers a single infrastructure for managing and securing endpoints.
Migrating from Forefront Client Security to Forefront Endpoint Protection
The management infrastructure of Forefront Endpoint Protection (FEP) is built on the System Center family of products, while the management infrastructure of Forefront Client Security (FCS) runs on a customized version of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005.
Because the management infrastructure on which these programs run is different, you cannot directly upgrade from FCS to FEP. In order to migrate from FCS to FEP, you must perform the following steps:
1. In the FCS console, document the settings for each policy you want to preserve for FEP.
2. In WSUS, unapprove all of the FCS client installation packages. These packages are listed as follows:
• Classification: Updates
• Product: Forefront Client Security
The updates have names in the following format:
Client Update for Microsoft Forefront Client Security (1.0.xxxx.0)
where xxxx is the specific build number for each package. You must unapprove all of the updates.
Caution:
You should not uninstall the FCS client software. Doing so would leave your client computers unprotected. When you deploy the FEP client software, the FEP client software uninstalls the FCS client software for you.
3. Install a new FEP installation on a System Center Configuration Manager server. For steps explaining how to do this, see FEP 2010.
4. Create FEP policies that contain the settings that you want to continue to enforce on your client computers. For more information about FEP policies, see Configuring Client Settings by Using Policies.
5. Deploy the FEP client software to the computers in your organization that are running the FCS client software. For steps on how to deploy the FEP client software, see FEP 2010.
The FEP client software uninstalls the FCS client software before installing. For more information, see FEP 2010.
Important:
The uninstall of the FCS client software also uninstalls the Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 agent.
6. After you confirm that all computers running the FCS client software are successfully running the FEP client software, you should undeploy the FCS policies. In the FCS console, undeploy the policy you created to install the FCS client software. For more information about monitoring FEP client software deployment, see Validating Deployment. For more information about undeploying FCS policies, see Removing an existing installation of Client Security (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=206850).
Important:
If you uninstall the FCS management infrastructure (the management, collection, collection database, reporting, and reporting database roles), the data stored in the reporting database is no longer accessible.
In order to preserve the historical reporting information stored in the FCS reporting database, you should not uninstall your FCS management infrastructure until you no longer need this data.
USEFULL LINKS
http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/endpoint-protection/en/us/default.aspx
Forefront End Point Protection 2010 Security Management Pack
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=AB50ACE0-1F68-453A-85BB-61DE286EC4C8
Forefront client security
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb432630.aspx
Forefront Endpoint protection
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff684073.aspx
Social forum
Forefront Endpoint security blog
http://blogs.technet.com/b/clientsecurity/archive/2010/11/08/fep-2010-support-for-the-datacenter.aspx
Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Tools
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=04F7D456-24A2-4061-A2ED-82FE93A03FD5
Microsoft IT Increases Security and Streamlines Antimalware Management by Using Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg543127.aspx
Forefront Protection Server Management Console
http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/protection-for-exchange/en/us/management-console.aspx