HCL Software Academy HCL-BF-PRO-10 HCL Software Certified Professional - BigFix Platform 10 Exam Practice Test

• To create a schedule to delete duplicate computer records from the BigFix database, you need to use the BigFix Administration Tool1.
• The BigFix Administration Tool is a separate application that allows you to perform various administrative tasks on the BigFix server, such as creating users, managing licenses, configuring encryption, and removing computers1.
• To use the BigFix Administration Tool, you need to have the Master Operator role and access to the BigFix server machine1.
• To create a schedule to delete duplicate computer records, you need to use the BES Computer Remover tool, which is a component of the BigFix Administration Tool2.
• The BES Computer Remover tool allows you to automatically detect and remove inactive or duplicate computers from the BigFix database based on various criteria, such as last report time, computer name, IP address, or a custom property2.
• To create a schedule to delete duplicate computer records, you need to follow these steps2:
• 1: Using the BigFix Administration Tool
• 2: Removing computers from the BigFix database
• 3: Using the BigFix Administration Tool
• 4: Removing computers from the BigFix database

• When creating roles in Web Reports, you can define the permissions that you want to grant to the users who are assigned to that role.
• There are some check boxes that you can use to specify the permissions, such as:
• These check boxes are available in the Create Roles page, which you can access from Administration > User Management > Manage Roles > Create role.
• The other options (A, D, and F) are not available as check boxes when creating roles in Web Reports. They are either irrelevant or controlled by other settings. References:
• Manage Roles
• Create Roles
• Permissions Set in the BigFix Console

• To reconfigure a proxy server on a Windows BigFix Root server, the administrator needs to run the command BESAdmin.exe /setproxy from the BES Server folder with the appropriate parameters1.
• The command BESAdmin.exe /setproxy allows the administrator to edit the proxy configuration settings after installation by specifying the proxy host, port, user, password, exception list, secure tunneling, authentication methods, and downstream notification1.
• The command BESAdmin.exe /setproxy can also be used to delete the existing proxy settings by using the /delete parameter1.
• The command BESAdmin.exe /setproxy is only available on Windows systems. On Linux systems, the equivalent command is BESAdmin.sh -setproxy2. References:
• Setting a proxy connection on the server - HCL Product Documentation
• Configuring the proxy - HCL Product Documentation

• According to the BigFix platform documentation, the BigFix server on Windows systems supports the following configurations: Local or remote Microsoft SQL Server 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 or 202212.
• Therefore, the correct answer is option D. Microsoft SQL Server.
• The other options are not supported by BigFix on Windows systems, and can be ruled out. Therefore, options A, B, and C are incorrect. References:
• Database requirements
• Software requirements

• The GatherDB.log file records the activity of the GatherDB service, which is responsible for importing external site content into the BigFix database.
• The GatherDB service runs periodically to check for new versions of external sites and download them from the BigFix server or relay.
• The GatherDB.log file contains information such as the site name, version, size, download time, and import status for each external site.
• The Console Operator can review the GatherDB.log file to troubleshoot issues with external site imports, such as missing or outdated site content, download errors, or import failures.
• The GatherDB.log file is located in the BES Server\GatherDBData folder on the BigFix server or relay. References:
• GatherDB.log
• Troubleshooting Site Gather Issues
• GatherDB Service

• The WebUI is a web-based interface that provides access to the flexibility and power of BigFix.
• The WebUI has some upper use limits that depend on many factors, such as the number of endpoints, the workload, the time of day, the server location, and the number of concurrent users.
• Concurrent users are defined as highly active users who perform multiple actions per minute on the WebUI.
• According to the BigFix Capacity Planning Guide, both the Windows and Linux WebUI instances support 36 concurrent users on a 250k deployment base. This is the recommended scalability limit for the WebUI server on BigFix v10.x.
• The WebUI also requires additional hardware resources, such as CPU, memory, and storage, to power the WebUI. These resources are in addition to the BigFix root server requirements and depend on the number of concurrent users.
• The WebUI also implements a database cache for several counters to improve the WebUI response times. The cache has a default refresh interval of 10 minutes. References:
• Hardware Requirements
• WebUI Administrators Guide
• BigFix WebUI

• The BigFix Console is a graphical user interface that allows you to interact with the BigFix Platform and perform various tasks, such as deploying actions, creating content, managing sites, and viewing reports1.
• The BigFix Console operators are the users who can access the BigFix Console and perform different activities based on their permissions and roles2.
• There are two types of Console operators: Master Operators (MO) and Non-Master Operators (NMO)2.
• Master Operators are the administrative users of the BigFix Console. They have access to all the computers defined in the BigFix environment and the authority to create and manage other Console operators2.
• Non-Master Operators are the users who manage the day-to-day BigFix operations, including Fixlet management and action deployment, against a subset of computers they are allowed to manage by the Master Operator2.
• Some of the activities that can only be performed by a Master Operator are23:
• Some of the activities that can be performed by both Master Operators and Non-Master Operators are23:

References:

• The BigFix Console
• The Console Operators
• Accessing the console

• If UDP is not allowed on a network segment, the BigFix clients on that segment will not receive the UDP notifications from the server or relay, and will rely on the default 45-minute polling interval to check for new actions.1
• To reduce the delay in receiving new actions, you can enable the client polling feature, which allows the clients to poll the server or relay more frequently for new commands.2
• To enable the client polling feature, you need to set two client settings on the target clients:2
• You can set these client settings either through the console or manually on the endpoint.4
• After setting these client settings, the clients will poll the server or relay at the specified interval and receive new actions faster.

References:

• 1: https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Installation/c_sample_proxy_configurations.html
• 2: https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Config/r_client_set.html#_BESClient_Comm_CommandPollEnable
• 3: https://forum.bigfix.com/t/an-overview-on-the-client-evaluation-cycle/28056
• 4: https://help.hcltechsw.com/bigfix/9.5/platform/Platform/Config/r_client_set.html#Making_a_configuration_setting

• The BigFix Client contacts its Relay to gather new content using the UDP protocol on port 52311 (by default).
• The UDP protocol is used for notifications, which are messages sent by the Relay to inform the Client that there is new content available, such as actions, fixlets, tasks, or analyses.
• The Client then initiates a TCP connection with the Relay on the same port to download the new content and report the results back to the Relay.
• The TCP protocol is used for data transfers, which are more reliable and secure than UDP, but also more resource-intensive and slower.
• The Relay then forwards the Client reports to the Root Server or another Relay using the TCP protocol as well. References:
• Port requirements for communication between root to clients via relay
• BigFix Wiki - BigFix Relays
• How is BigFix secure? Authentication or Protocol used in BigFix for secure communication

• When creating a scheduled activity in Web Reports, the Activity Actions box allows the user to specify what actions to take when the activity runs1.
• The available options are:
• The user can select one or more of these options for each scheduled activity. For example, the user can email and archive the report, or email and run the executable, or archive and run the executable, or do all three1.

References:

• 1: Creating Scheduled Activities

According to the BigFix Platform documentation, when creating a new property, you need to provide a name and a relevance expression for the property. You also have the option to specify an evaluation period for the property, which controls how often the property is evaluated by the clients. This field is called Evaluate Every, and you can choose a time period from 5 minutes to one month, or use the default value of Every Report, which reevaluates the property with each report1.

The other options (A, B, and D) are not available fields when creating a new property, because:

• Create in site is not a field, but a button that allows you to create the property in a specific site2.
• Applicability is not a field, but a concept that determines whether a property is relevant for a given client or not3.
• CVEID is not a field, but an identifier for a common vulnerability and exposure that can be used in fixlets or analyses.

References:

• Creating Retrieved Properties
• Manage Properties
• Applicability Relevance
• [CVEID]

• On a Windows Root Server, the service that is responsible for inserting client report data into the database is BES FillDB.
• BES FillDB is a process that runs on the BigFix Server system and is responsible for storing the information returned from the BigFix Agents into the BigFix database. This information can be data, such as the value of retrieved properties or the result of the evaluation of the applicability relevance or the success criteria of Fixlets and Tasks, or the information contained in a report returning the result of a BigFix Query1.
• BES FillDB reads the buffer directory content, parses the report, and stores the report data in the database. It also offers a parameter called DatabaseBoostLevel to optimize BigFix performance2.
• The other services listed are not responsible for inserting client report data into the database. BES ServerDB Plugin Service is a service that allows the BigFix Server to communicate with the database. BES Root Server is a service that manages the communication between the BigFix Server and the BigFix Agents. BES GatherDB is a service that gathers the site content from the BigFix Server and stores it in the database3. References:
• Configuring FillDB
• Configuring the FillDB database performance
• BigFix Services

According to the BigFix Platform documentation, the Site Administrator is responsible for installing and maintaining the BigFix software, and to run administrative tasks that globally affect the environment such as site-level signing keys management. There is only one Site Administrator for a BigFix environment1.

Some of the global system options that the Site Administrator can set and modify are:

• The default masthead file and license certificate
• The default site subscription policy
• The default client settings
• The default relay settings
• The default server settings
• The default Web Reports settings
• The default WebUI settings
• The default LDAP settings
• The default SAML settings
• The default audit log settings
• The default DSA settings
• The default proxy settings
• The default encryption settings
• The default caching settings
• The default logging settings
• The default performance settings
• The default security settings
• The default diagnostic settings

To set and modify these global system options, the Site Administrator must use the BigFix Administration Tool, which is a separate application from the BigFix Console. The Site Administrator must also have the Action Site Credentials, which are a special key generated during the installation process.

The other options (A, B, and D) are not exclusive to the Site Administrator, and can be performed by other Console Operators, depending on their permissions and roles.

References:

• BigFix Site Administrator and Console Operators
• Site administrator responsibilities
• Global system options
• [BigFix Administration Tool]

• BigFix Clients use UDP (User Datagram Protocol) to automatically find their closest relay based on network hops12.
• UDP is a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee reliable delivery of packets, but is faster and more efficient than TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)3.
• BigFix Clients send UDP packets to the BigFix Server and all the BigFix Relays in their subnet, and wait for responses12.
• The BigFix Server and the BigFix Relays reply with UDP packets containing their relay information and the number of hops to reach them12.
• The BigFix Client compares the responses and selects the relay with the lowest number of hops as its closest relay12.
• If the BigFix Client does not receive any response within a timeout period, it assumes that there is no relay in its subnet and falls back to the BigFix Server12. References:
• Automatically assigning relays to existing clients
• Configuring BigFix for automatic Relay selection Blog
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

According to the BigFix Platform documentation, the upgrade Fixlet in the Support site does not upgrade a remote server correctly. You must run the full BigFix server installer to perform the upgrade. Remote database setups might encounter problems during upgrade and require resetting database connection settings after manually running the BigFix Server installer1.

The upgrade procedure is as follows:

• Upgrade the Server Installers using the Support Fixlets.
• Run the Server installer as a user that has DB Owner or SA permissions to the database server. The installer recognizes that the Server is at an earlier version and asks if you want to upgrade to the latest version.
• Run the BigFix Administrator Tool (BESAdmin.exe) to update the remote database tables; you will be prompted for the site admin password. Note: The BESAdmin.exe should be run automatically, if your account has the DB Owner or SA privileges to the remote database.
• The BigFix server is now correctly upgraded.

The other options (A, B, and C) are not correct because:

• Running the server installer as a local administrator does not guarantee that the user has the appropriate database permissions.
• Using the upgrade Fixlets from the console does not work for a remote server setup.
• Upgrading the server installers and using the upgrade Fixlets from the BigFix Console is redundant and unnecessary.

References:

• Upgrading a BigFix server with a remote database
• [BigFix Server Upgrade Guide]

• Locking a BigFix Client means preventing it from accepting any actions that could modify its state, such as installing patches, changing settings, or running scripts1.
• Locking a BigFix Client can be useful for various reasons, such as testing new actions on a subset of unlocked computers, protecting critical or sensitive systems from unwanted changes, or complying with security policies or regulations12.
• Locking a BigFix Client can be done by using the BigFix Console, the BigFix WebUI, or the BES Client API13.
• Locking a BigFix Client does not affect its other functions, such as reporting, gathering, relay selection, or client settings2.
• The locked status of a BigFix Client can be changed by sending an unlock action, which can be done by a Master Operator or a Non-Master Operator who has the Write permission to the site where the client is subscribed14.
• The locked status of a BigFix Client can also be set to expire after a certain period of time, by using a custom action script15.
• Therefore, the only valid reason among the options for locking a computer is D. When changes or updates need to be excluded from the computer. References:
• 1: Locking clients
• 2: Just how locked is “Locked”?
• 3: [BES Client API]
• 4: [The Console Operators]
• 5: [Locking a client for a specific period of time]
• 6: [Locking clients]
• 7: [Just how locked is “Locked”?]
• : [BES Client API]
• : [The Console Operators]
• : [Locking a client for a specific period of time]
• : [Locking clients]
• : [Just how locked is “Locked”?]
• : [BES Client API]
• : [The Console Operators]
• : [Locking a client for a specific period of time]
• : [Locking clients]
• : [Just how locked is “Locked”?]
• : [BES Client API]
• : [The Console Operators]
• : [Locking a client for a specific period of time]
• : [Locking clients]
• : [Just how locked is “Locked”?]
• : [BES Client API]
• : [The Console Operators]
• : [Locking a client for a specific period of time]

• The Fixlet Updated Windows Installation Folders - BigFix version 10 0 8 Nov; Available! is a special Fixlet that is released by HCL when a new version of the BigFix platform is available1.
• This Fixlet allows the administrator to update the BigFix installers that were created by the Installation Generator during the initial BigFix Server installation1.
• The administrator can use the BigFix console to take action on this Fixlet and target the BigFix Server computer1.
• The action will download the latest version of the BigFix installers from the License Download portal and replace the existing files on the BigFix Server1.
• This way, the administrator can ensure that the BigFix installers are always up to date and ready to be used for upgrading or installing other BigFix components1. References:
• 1: Upgrading the BigFix platform using Fixlets
• 2: BigFix Download Center

• The BigFix Diagnostics Tool is a program that checks the status and configuration of the server components, such as the database, the gather service, and the web reports server.
• The tool can be run at any time, either after installing the server or later, to troubleshoot any issues or monitor the server performance.
• To run the tool, you need to log on to the server as an administrator and launch the program from the Start menu.
• The tool will analyze the server components and display the results in a graphical interface, with green, yellow, or red lights indicating the health of each component.
• You can also click on the Full Interface button to see more details and access the knowledge base articles for each component.
• The tool can also be run remotely by taking action on the Troubleshoot: Execute Server Diagnostic task located in the BES Support site, but this requires the client to be installed on the server. References:
• Running the BigFix Diagnostics tool
• Running the IBM BigFix Diagnostics tool
• Waiting for downloads to be mirrored - BigFix Forum
• BigFix Wiki - BES Client Diagnostics