Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows: How to create a Web CID

This article describes how to create a Web CID (central installation directory), using IIS (Internet Information Services).

Once you have created a Web CID, you can publish Sophos installation and update files there.

Alternatively, you can do this using Virtual Directories. Use the same basic settings, then place this under the default website. You will not need to specify a port, just use 80.

Known to apply to the following Sophos product and version
Sophos Update Manager

What to do

Perform the following procedures on the server:

1. Create CID

1. Open IIS: from Windows Control Panel go to Administrative Tools|Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Right-click 'Web Sites', select 'New Web Site'.
3. In 'Description', enter Sophos
4. For 'Port', enter the appropriate port number, e.g. 8085
5. The default path to the CID is as follows
   • For Sophos Update Manager (SUM) it should be:
     Windows 2003 - “C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\application data\Sophos\Update Manager\Update Manager\”
     Windows 2008 - "C:\ProgramData\Sophos\Update Manager\Update Manager\"
     ...in which there is a sub directory called CIDs and is shared out as “SophosUpdate”.
     Note: you can view the locations of your CIDs in UNC format by opening SEC 4 and going to “View” - “Bootstrap Locations…”
   • If you are running EM Library the default path to the CID will be C:\Program Files\Sophos Sweep for NT\
6. Deselect 'Allow anonymous access to this web site'.
7. Set the 'Web Site Access Permissions' as required.
8. Click 'Read', then Next|Finish.

2. Configure MIME Types

NOTE: This procedure applies if you need to configure MIME types on Windows 2000 or Windows 2003, and IIS version 6. If you need to configure MIME types on Windows 2008 and IIS version 7, refer to the knowledgebase article Sophos Anti-Virus for Windows: How to configure MIME types for a Web CID in IIS 7.0

You must configure MIME types because only files with extensions registered in the IIS MIME types list will be served. To ensure that IIS serves Sophos Anti-Virus and Remote Update files, add each extension used by those files to the list (alternatively use a wildcard '.*'):

1. Open IIS: from Windows Control Panel go to Administrative Tools|Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
2. Right-click on the Sophos website you created in section 1 above, and select 'Properties'.
3. On the HTTP Headers tab, select MIME Types
4. Click New.
5. In the MIME Type dialog box,
   • in the Extension: field, list the MIME type extensions, or use a wildcard *
   • in the MIME Type: field, enter All
6. Click OK. Your registered MIME types will be displayed.
7. Click OK.

The client computers can now update from your Web CID using

• http://servname/
  OR
• http://servername:port/ if you have specified a non-default port

If you are experiencing problems please see: Sophos Anti-Virus: Troubleshooting updating from Web CID issues.

NOTE: To initially protect clients that are configured to use a http updating address please see: Deployment to endpoints from web folder fails with no error message