Overview
The purpose of this document is to outline how Bandwidth Throttling works in Ivanti EPM and to identify which network type is being used. In efforts to increase efficiency and be less network intrusive, Ivanti EPM utilizes a Burst/Sleep cycle which prevents total consumption of the network. The information contained in this document is intended for the advanced Ivanti Administrator but is comprehensible and advantageous for administrators at all levels to be aware of. This information is applicable to the design process for the 9.6 Management Suite version and newer.
Bandwidth Download Routes
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When a client makes a file request, a broadcast message is sent over the network, asking "Who has what I'm looking for?" If the file is found on the peer or if the distribution is using multicast, the Local Area Network (LAN) bandwidth will be used. If the file is found on the preferred server or source, the Wide Area Network (WAN) bandwidth will be used.
If a preferred server or source is in the same subnet as the requesting client, the WAN will still be used.
Configuration Location
To set the total available bandwidth percentage used when data transmissions take place, navigate to the desired Distribution and Patch agent setting and adjust the bandwidth accordingly:
Tools | Configuration | Agent Settings | Distribution and Patch
- Right-click, select properties | Network settings
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Burst/Sleep Cycle Formula
Data transmissions are restricted to an Ivanti EPM block size of 1418-Bytes. These transmissions are predicated on a percentage of the available network bandwidth, not total network bandwidth. Data transmissions (in relationship to file downloading) are sent on Burst/Sleep cycles. The burst equates to the amount of time it takes the "sender" to transmit a block of data. Sleep equates to the amount of time the "requester" will rest. All of this is based on the bandwidth configuration you set in your Distribution and Patch agent settings.
Send Time/Bandwidth % = Total Time
Total Time - Send Time = Sleep Time
Ex: At 25% Bandwidth the number of 1418-byte packets sent will be 100. If it took 100 MS to send the Burst, the requester will Sleep for 300 MS making the total available bandwidth used 25%.
Ex: At 50% Bandwidth the number of 1418-byte packets sent will be 200. If it took 100 MS to send the Burst, the requester will Sleep for 100 MS making the total available bandwidth used 50%.
Ex: At 75% Bandwidth the number of 1418-byte packets sent will be 300. If it took 100 MS to send the Burst, the requester will Sleep for 33.3 MS making the total available bandwidth used 75%.
Ex: At 100% Bandwidth the number of 1418-byte packets sent will be 400. No sleep calculation will be performed. All burst, no sleep.
Bandwidth Throttling
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The bandwidth percentage is directly related to the number of packets sent per burst. For each percentage of bandwidth, 4 packet will be sent per burst.
Formula = (percent of bandwidth * 4 packets)
Ex: 10% of bandwidth equates to 40 packet sent per burst
For information regarding download failures please reference How to troubleshoot Download Failures in Software Distribution (Advanced)