Submit a WDAC XML Policy for Review

Submit an existing WDAC XML policy file from the WDAC Management Node to BigFix® for policy review by archiving and uploading the specified XML file from the <BES Client Installation Path>\BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working directory. Base policy XML files must reside directly in the Working directory; supplemental policy XML files must reside in their parent base policy subdirectory under Working. Enter the Policy File Name with or without the .xml extension to identify which policy to submit.

About this task

This task (ID 361) submits an existing WDAC XML policy to BigFix for review by archiving and uploading the specified XML file directly from the endpoint.
The task has the following requirements and instructions for the review activity:
  • Policy Location: The target XML file must reside in <BES Client Installation Path>\BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working.
  • Policy Name Input: Enter only the file name (e.g. MyPolicy or MyPolicy.xml). Specifying the .xml extension is optional.
Refer to the table below to know more about the task's exit code.
Table 1. Task Exit Code Reference: Submit Policy Failure Codes
Exit Code Description
22 Base Policy XML file not found inside Working directory.
23 Supplemental Policy XML file not found inside Working parent base policy directory.
Figure 1. BigFix Console — Submit Policy for Review Task (ID 361) Overview

BigFix Console showing the Submit Policy for Review task (ID 361) in the Fixlets and Tasks pane, displaying the task requirements: the target WDAC XML policy file must reside in the BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working directory on the Management Node (base policies directly in Working; supplemental policies in their parent base policy subdirectory), the policy name can be entered with or without the .xml extension, and failure exit codes 22 (base policy XML not found) and 23 (supplemental policy XML not found) are shown.

Procedure

  1. In the BigFix Console, navigate to All Content > BigFix Application Control > Fixlets and Tasks.
  2. From the Fixlets and Tasks pane, select Task: Submit Policy for Review.
  3. From the Task: Submit Policy for Review pane, under Submit Policy XML, enter the following.
    Figure 2. Submit Policy for Review — Submit Policy XML: Policy File Name Configuration

    Submit Policy for Review task — Submit Policy XML section in the BigFix Console, showing the Policy File Name (.xml) input field for specifying the WDAC XML policy file to archive and upload from the BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working directory on the Management Node. For base policies, enter the filename in the Working directory root. For supplemental policies, the file must reside in the Working\<BasePolicyName> subdirectory. The .xml extension is optional.
    Table 2. Submit Policy for Review — Configuration Options Field Descriptions
    Field Name Description
    Policy File Name (.xml) The file name of the WDAC XML policy to archive and upload for review. Base policy XML files must reside directly in BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working; supplemental policy XML files must reside in a subdirectory named after the parent base policy (for example, BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working\Base_CorpPolicy\Supp_Finance.xml). Enter the file name only — do not include the directory path. The .xml extension is optional. If the policy file is not found in the expected location, the task exits with code 22 (base policy) or 23 (supplemental policy).
  4. From the Task: Submit Policy for Review pane, click the Applicable Computers(n) tab and view the endpoints on which you want to run the task.
  5. Select the Take Actions tab and select the endpoints on which you want to apply this task.
  6. Click OK.

Results

A successful execution of this task produces the following outcomes on the WDAC Management Node:

  • Policy XML file archived: The specified WDAC XML policy file is located in the BFAC\BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working directory (or its parent base policy subdirectory for supplemental policies), archived, and prepared for upload.
  • Policy XML uploaded to BigFix: The archived policy XML file is uploaded directly from the WDAC Management Node to BigFix®. The policy is now available for review within the BigFix® Application Control policy review workflow.
  • Policy available for review and refinement: Reviewers can examine the submitted XML policy definition alongside audit-mode blocked-application event data collected by Task ID 357 on target endpoints. The review process informs whether the policy rules require refinement before transitioning to enforcement mode.
Tip:
If the task exits with code 22 or 23, verify that the policy XML file exists in the correct Working directory location before re-running. Base policy files must be directly in BAC_MGMT\Policies\Working; supplemental policy files must be in a subdirectory named after their parent base policy.