BFUI File Server

The BFUI File Server is the binary storage and distribution component of BigFix Software Distribution — it stores installer files uploaded to Packages and serves them to BigFix agents on target endpoints during deployment.

What is the BFUI File Server?

The BFUI File Server is a dedicated storage and file-serving component that operates alongside the BigFix UI. It is architecturally separate from the BigFix Platform (the server that manages Fixlets, Tasks, and Actions) and handles all binary content — installer executables, scripts, patches, and supporting files — that are associated with Software Distribution Packages.

All the files added to a Package are stored in the File Server.

This separation ensures that large binary files do not pass through the BigFix relay hierarchy in the same way as action content, and that file storage can scale independently of the core BigFix infrastructure.

Roles in the Software Distribution Workflow

The BFUI File Server participates in three distinct points of the Software Distribution workflow:

Upload target for Package files
When an administrator adds files to a Package using the Add Files wizard in the BigFix UI, those files are uploaded directly to the BFUI File Server. The file references stored in the Package point to the File Server location, not to a local or network path. This means the files must be successfully uploaded before a deployment task can reference and distribute them. See Adding Files to a Package.
Download source during endpoint deployment
When a deployment action runs, the BigFix agent on each target endpoint evaluates the task's relevance expression. If the condition is satisfied, the agent retrieves the required installer files from the BFUI File Server and executes the installation command locally. The BigFix Platform coordinates the action, but the actual file transfer happens between the agent and the BFUI File Server. See Deploying a Software Distribution Task to Endpoints.
Import destination for legacy packages
When a Package previously exported from the legacy BigFix Console or WebUI is imported into the BigFix UI, all binary files from that package are re-uploaded to the BFUI File Server. New deployment Tasks are simultaneously created in the BigFix Platform to replace the legacy Fixlets. This makes the BFUI File Server the canonical store for all Software Distribution binaries regardless of origin. See Adding and Deleting Software and Limitations and Legacy Package Compatibility.

Operational Dependency

The BFUI File Server is a required dependency for all Software Distribution operations that involve files. If the File Server is unavailable:

  • File uploads during Package creation will fail.
  • Endpoint agents will be unable to download installer files, causing deployments to stall or fail even if the BigFix Platform and relay infrastructure are healthy.
  • Legacy package imports will not complete.

Administrators should ensure the BFUI File Server is reachable from both the administrator workstation (for uploads) and from all target endpoints or their relay servers (for downloads) before initiating Software Distribution workflows.

Relationship to Other Components

The following table summarizes how the BFUI File Server relates to the other core components in a Software Distribution deployment:

Table 1. BFUI File Server — Component Relationships
Component Role Interaction with BFUI File Server
BigFix UI (BFUI) Administrator interface for managing Software, Packages, and Tasks Sends file upload requests to the File Server when files are added to Packages
BigFix Platform Manages and distributes Fixlets, Tasks, and Actions to agents Stores task metadata and action scripts; does not store binary files — those remain on the File Server
BigFix Agent (endpoint) Executes actions and reports results to the BigFix server Downloads installer binaries directly from the File Server when a deployment action is triggered and relevance is met
Self Service Application (SSA) End-user interface for browsing and requesting software offers Does not interact with the File Server directly — the underlying BigFix agent handles file retrieval after the user initiates an offer

Limitation / workaround for configuring BFUI File Server

Tip:
The maximum file size allowed for uploading to a Package is configurable. To change the limit, update the MaxUploadSizeBytes property under FileServerConfigs in the AppConfig.yml file, then restart the BFUI service for the change to take effect. The default value is 5368709120 bytes (5 GB).
Together with MaxUploadSizeBytes, you have to set also the following parameters to avoid the timeout when uploading big files:
Configs:
MicroServiceReadTimeoutSeconds: 1800 
MicroServiceWriteTimeoutSeconds: 1800 
MicroServiceIdleTimeoutSeconds: 1800 
RproxyReadTimeoutSeconds: 1800 
RproxyWriteTimeoutSeconds: 1800 
RproxyIdleTimeoutSeconds: 1800
The BFUI must be configured to allow the download of files from the BF Server during a deployment. To do that you have to allow the connection between BFUI FileServer and the BF Server configuring this BFUI config file:
  1. Configure the file C:\<bfui_installdir>\data\configs\AppConfig.yaml.
  2. Add the <BigFix Server IP> address in the section FileServerConfigs > IPACL of the configuration file.
Restriction:
File names must not contain any of the following special characters: ! " # $ % & ' * , / : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ { | } ~ `. This restriction applies to both file uploads and package imports.