Welcome
Configuration Guide
Learn how to configure BigFix according to your needs.
Additional configuration steps
These topics explain additional configuration steps that you can run in your environment.
FIPS 140-3 cryptography overview
BigFix uses the BigFix Cryptographic Module to perform cryptographic functions throughout its environment.
Configuring FIPS 140-3
Starting from BigFix Platform Version 11.0.7, you can configure the BigFix server to use FIPS 140-3.

BigFix Documentation Homepage
BigFix 11 Platform Documentation
Welcome to the BigFix Platform documentation, where you can find information about how to install, maintain, and use BigFix.
Detailed system requirements
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Platform guides in PDF format
Following is a list of links to the BigFix Platform user guides in PDF format:
Common Criteria Certification
Getting Started
Use this section to become familiar with BigFix infrastructure and key concepts necessary to understand how it works.
HTTPS across BigFix applications
This topic describes how the SSL/HTTPS communication works in BigFix applications and links the tasks on how to configure it.
Installation Guide
Learn the system requirements, licensing and installation instructions, and how to configure and maintain BigFix.
Configuration Guide
Learn how to configure BigFix according to your needs.
- Introduction
  This guide explains additional configuration steps that you can run in your environment after installation.
- BigFix Site Administrator and Console Operators
  In BigFix there are two basic classes of users.
- Integrating with LDAP or Microsoft Entra ID
  You can add Identity Providers associations to BigFix.
- Enabling SAML V2.0 authentication for identity provider operators
  BigFix supports SAML V2.0 authentication via LDAP-backed SAML identity providers.
- Disabling local operators
  Starting from BigFix Version 10.0.8, this feature provides a mechanism where the creation and use of any local operator is prohibited in favor of LDAP-based operators.
- Disaster Server Architecture
  BigFix Distributed Server Architecture (DSA) has a highly sophisticated built-in ability to install multiple servers that will replicate information from each other for the purpose of disaster recovery. When configured and in the event of a failure of one server, other servers will automatically takeover as fully-functional servers (will receive data from the relays and clients and accept console connections). When the failed server is restored, it will automatically receive updated information.
- Using multiple servers (DSA)
  Some important elements of multiple server installations.
- Server object IDs
  The BigFix server generates unique ids for the objects that it creates: Fixlets, tasks, baselines, properties, analysis, actions, roles, custom sites, computer groups, management rights, subscriptions.
- Using the DHE/ECDHE key exchange method
  By default, BigFixVersion 11 components use the DHE/ECDHE key exchange method if the version of the BigFix component on the other side of the SSL communication allows it.
- Configuring secure communication
- Configuring bearer token authentication
  Starting with BigFix Platform v11.0.6, operators can authenticate to BigFix services (BigFix Server REST APIs, BigFix Explorer REST APIs and the IEM CLI) using personal bearer tokens.
- Real Time AV Exclusions
  BigFix Console, Server and Relay components of the architecture perform high volume file operations. This activity is a substantial part of the functionality that these BigFix architecture components provide.
- Downloading files in air-gapped environments
  In air-gapped environments, to download and transfer files to the main BigFix server, use the Airgap utility and the BES Download Cacher utility.
- Getting client information by using BigFix Query
  The BigFix Query feature allows you to retrieve information and run relevance queries on client workstations from the WebUI BigFix Query Application or by using REST APIs.
- BES Server Plugin Service
  For the BigFix Server Plugin Service installation and setup, see BigFix Server Plugin Service installation and configuration.
- The Plugin Portal
  The Plugin Portal is a new component introduced in BigFix 10 to help manage cloud devices as well as modern devices such as Windows 10 and MacOS endpoints enrolled to BigFix. For details on modern client management, see Modern Client Management and BigFix Mobile.
- Extending BigFix management capabilities
  BigFix 11 delivers a few significant new functions for enhancing the visibility and management of devices on your network regardless of whether the devices are physical or virtual.
- Persistent connections
  The capability to establish persistent connections was added to the product.
- Relays in DMZ
  The capability to establish a persistent TCP connection between the parent relay in the more secure zone and its child relay inside the DMZ network was added to the product. This allows you to manage systems in a demilitarized zone (DMZ network).
- Working with PeerNest
  The BigFix Client includes a new feature named PeerNest, that allows to share binary files among Clients located in the same subnet. The feature is available starting from BigFix Version 9.5 Patch 11.
- Archiving Client files on the BigFix Server
  You can collect multiple files from BigFix clients into an archive and move them through the relay system to the server.
- BigFix Configuration Settings
  A number of advanced BigFix configuration settings are available that can give you substantial control over the behavior of the BigFix suite. These options allow you to customize the behavior of the BigFix server, relays, and clients in your network.
- Additional configuration steps
  These topics explain additional configuration steps that you can run in your environment.
  - Installing and configuring the email notification service
    You can use the email notification service to send automatic email notifications to notify you about the completion status of Baselines that you run. To use this notification feature, you must first install the notification service by running a Task. After you have installed the service, you must configure it by running another Task.
  - Configuring FillDB
    The FillDB process runs on the BigFix Server system and is responsible for storing the information returned from the BigFix Agents into the BigFix database.
  - Configuring ODBC data sources
    How to use Open DataBase Connectivity (ODBC) to set up and configure ODBC Data Sources with BigFix.
  - Configuring the number of Web Reports results
    To avoid excessive use of memory when displaying Web Reports results on Explore Computers reports, you can configure the MaxReportResults keyword. This keyword sets the maximum number of rows that can be displayed in a web report. Its default value is 1000000.
  - Managing Daylight Saving Time (DST) for Web Reports
    By default, Web Reports track scheduled activity next attempt times using UTC rather than the local time zone.
  - FIPS 140-2 cryptography overview
    BigFix uses the BigFix Cryptographic Module to perform cryptographic functions throughout its environment.
  - FIPS 140-3 cryptography overview
    BigFix uses the BigFix Cryptographic Module to perform cryptographic functions throughout its environment.
    - Configuring FIPS 140-3
      Starting from BigFix Platform Version 11.0.7, you can configure the BigFix server to use FIPS 140-3.
  - Managing Client Encryption
    Server and relay-bound communications from clients can be encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. To enable it, you must generate a key and provide a value on clients for the setting named _BESClient_Report_Encryption.
  - Message Level Encryption (MLE) Overview
    Message Level Encryption (MLE) allows your Clients to encrypt upstream data using a combination of an RSA public/private key-pair and an AES session key.
  - Changing the Client Icon
    By default, the icon in the upper left corner of the client UI is the BigFix logo.
  - Client UI main actions
    The BigFix Client UI is used to display message boxes to the end users logged on to the client computer (including pre-action messages, action running messages, and restart/shutdown messages).
  - Optimizing the servers
    BigFix operates efficiently, with minimal impact on network resources. However, there might be installations that stretch the recommended configurations, where there are too many clients for the allotted server power.
  - Optimizing the consoles
    To be responsive, the console requires reasonable CPU power, memory, and cache space.
  - Managing Bandwidth
    File downloads consume the bulk of the bandwidth in a typical installation. You can control the bandwidth by throttling, which limits the number of bytes per second.
  - Managing Downloads
    BigFix uses several methods to ensure that downloads are efficient and make the best use of available bandwidth. Among other techniques, caching is used extensively by all the BigFix elements, including servers, relays, and clients.
  - Creating custom client dashboards
    You can create custom Client Dashboards, similar to those in the console. Dashboards are HTML files with embedded Relevance clauses that can analyze the local computer and print out the current results.
  - Geographically locating clients
    Because clients are often deployed in remote offices, it is useful to create a property that lets the clients report their own location.
  - Locking clients
    You can change the locked status of any BigFix client in the network. This lets you exclude specific computers or groups of computers from the effects of Fixlet actions.
  - Editing the Masthead on Windows systems
    You can change default parameters stored in the masthead by using the BigFix Administration Tool.
  - Editing the Masthead on Linux systems
    To modify the masthead, up to BigFix version 11.0.6, run the following command as super user.
  - Obfuscating server passwords
    You can replace the passwords on the server with obfuscated passwords, by indicating the type of password that you want to replace and the new password.
  - Modifying Global System Options
    To modify a few basic system defaults, such as the minimum refresh time and the Fixlet visibility, perform the following steps.
  - Extending the BigFix License
    When you first request your action site license, you are issued a license for a specific period of time. Before your license expires, BigFix warns you, giving you sufficient time to renew your license.
  - Re-creating Site Credentials
    Private and public key encryption creates a chain of signing authority from the BigFix root down through the Site Administrator and including each console operator.
  - Creating special custom sites whose name begins with FileOnlyCustomSite
    The PropagateFiles.exe tool can be used to create special custom sites whose name begins with FileOnlyCustomSite that are generated to propagate files to agents.
  - Configuring Client CPU Utilization
    How to configure the amount of CPU the BigFix client uses on an endpoint machine.
  - Customizing Client UI message strings
    You can customize the Client UI message strings. It is possible to alter the English text output and also to change any of the localizable string translations by using the XLAT files for the Client UI. The Client UI XLAT files default location for a 64-bit machine is C:\Program Files (x86)\BigFix Enterprise\BES Client\BESLib\Reference.
- Migrating the BigFix Server (Windows/MS-SQL)
  This section details the steps and operational procedures necessary for migrating the BigFix Server from existing hardware onto new computer systems.
- Migrating the BigFix Server (Linux)
  This section provides basic information on migrating your BigFix Server from existing Linux hardware onto new systems.
- Migrating the BigFix Server from Windows to Red Hat 9 with SQL Server
  Starting from BigFix Version 11.0.1, you can migrate BigFix Platform from a Windows operating system to a Red Hat 9 operating system with Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Database, both using a local or a remote database.
- Configuring logs
  This page describes how to enable, disable, and configure the logs of the various BigFix components and the audit log files.
- List of advanced options
  The following lists show the advanced options.
- Security Configuration Scenarios
  Starting from Version 11, BigFix provides the capability to configure several security options.
- Enabling Microsoft Control Flow Guard on BigFix Server
  Starting from BigFix version 11.0.3, the BigFix Server implements the Microsoft Control Flow Guard (CFG) security feature on Windows systems; the BigFix Server executables:
- External Repository Sites
  Up to BigFix 11.0.6, managing custom content across multiple root servers and environments presents significant challenges:
- Client certificate
  To comply with the modern industry standards, starting from product version 10.0.7, the client certificate of the BigFix Agent will have a validity period of 13 months.
- Client Authentication
  Client Authentication (introduced in version 9) extends the security model used by BigFix to encompass trusted client reports and private messages.
- Four Eyes Approval Capability
  Enabling Four Eyes Approval Capability on the BigFix Server.
- Representative Computers Selection Wizard
  Representative Computers Selection Wizard selects certain BigFix Clients in each subnet as representative computers based on custom criteria. Designated representative computers can be used for targeting tasks that require only a few reliable or high end machines within a subnet or group, such as for selecting BigFix Relays or NMAP scan points.
- Maintenance and Troubleshooting
  If you are subscribed to the Patches for Windows site, you can ensure that you have the latest upgrades and patches to your SQL server database servers.
Console Operator's Guide
Learn how to work with the BigFix Console.
Asset Discovery User's Guide
Learn how BigFix Asset Discovery works.
Web Reports Guide
Learn how the Web Reports feature extends the power of BigFix.
BigFix Explorer Guide
Learn how the BigFix Explorer feature extends the power of BigFix.
BigFix MCP Server Guide
Learn how the BigFix Platform MCP Server extends the capabilities of BigFix by allowing compatible AI clients to use BigFix functionalities through the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
WebUI User's Guide
Read this guide for an introduction to the WebUI tools, concepts, and terminology.
WebUI Administration Guide
Read this guide for information about installing and administering the WebUI.
Glossary
This glossary provides terms and definitions for the BigFix software and products.

Configuring FIPS 140-3 on the BigFix Server

Starting from BigFix Platform Version 11.0.7, you can configure the BigFix server to use FIPS 140-3.

On Windows

To enable FIPS 140-3, perform the following steps:

On the BigFix server, launch the BigFix Administration Tool by selecting Start > All Programs > BigFix > BigFix Administration Tool.
Browse to the location of your site license and click OK
Select the Masthead Management tab.
Click Edit Masthead.
Check Require use of FIPS compliant cryptography ; it will enable the two mutually exclusive FIPS alternatives, with FIPS 140-2 selected by default.
Select the Use FIPS 140-3 compliant cryptography option.
Click OK.
Restart the BigFix server processes.

To ensure that the FIPS 140-3 mode has been successfully enabled, verify if the following messages are present in the C:\Program Files (x86)\BigFix Enterprise\BES Server\BESRelay.log file of the BigFix Server:

OpenSSL Initialized (FIPS Mode)
FIPS mode: 140-3 Compliant Mode selected.

For more information about how to manage FIPS with BigFix Administration Tool on Windows, see Editing the Masthead on Windows systems.

On Linux

To enable FIPS 140-3, perform the following steps:

On the BigFix server, move to the /opt/BESServer/bin directory.

Run the following BigFix Administration Tool command:

BESAdmin.sh -editmasthead -advRequireFIPS_140_3_Crypto=true -sitePvkLocation=/opt/iemlic/license.pvk

Enter the license.pvk password.
Restart the BigFix server processes.

To ensure that the FIPS 140-3 mode has been successfully enabled, verify if the following messages are present in the /var/log/BESRelay.log file of the BigFix Server:

OpenSSL Initialized (FIPS Mode)
FIPS mode: 140-3 Compliant Mode selected.

For more information about how to manage FIPS with BigFix Administration Tool on Linux, see Editing the Masthead on Linux systems.