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How to install and configure Symantec Endpoint Protection on a Windows VM

  • Article
  • 2 minutes to read

Important

VMs created through the classic deployment model will be retired on March 1, 2023.

If you use IaaS resources from Azure Service Management, please complete your migration by March 1, 2023. We encourage you to make the switch sooner to take advantage of the many feature enhancements in Azure Resource Manager.

For more information, see Migrate your IaaS resources to Azure Resource Manager by March 1, 2023.

Azure has two different deployment models for creating and working with resources: Resource Manager and Classic. This article covers using the Classic deployment model. Microsoft recommends that most new deployments use the Resource Manager model.

This article shows you how to install and configure the Symantec Endpoint Protection client on an existing virtual machine (VM) running Windows Server. This full client includes services such as virus and spyware protection, firewall, and intrusion prevention. The client is installed as a security extension by using the VM Agent.

If you have an existing subscription from Symantec for an on-premises solution, you can use it to protect your Azure virtual machines. If you're not a customer yet, you can sign up for a trial subscription. For more information about this solution, see Symantec Endpoint Protection on Microsoft's Azure platform. This page also has links to licensing information and instructions for installing the client if you're already a Symantec customer.

Install Symantec Endpoint Protection on an existing VM

Before you begin, you need the following:

  • The Azure PowerShell module, version 0.8.2 or later, on your work computer. You can check the version of Azure PowerShell that you have installed with the Get-Module azure | format-table version command. For instructions and a link to the latest version, see How to Install and Configure Azure PowerShell. Log in to your Azure subscription using Add-AzureAccount.
  • The VM Agent running on the Azure Virtual Machine.

First, verify that the VM Agent is already installed on the virtual machine. Fill in the cloud service name and virtual machine name, and then run the following commands at an administrator-level Azure PowerShell command prompt. Replace everything within the quotes, including the < and > characters.

Tip

If you don't know the cloud service and virtual machine names, run Get-AzureVM to list the names for all virtual machines in your current subscription.

$CSName = "<cloud service name>"
$VMName = "<virtual machine name>"
$vm = Get-AzureVM -ServiceName $CSName -Name $VMName
write-host $vm.VM.ProvisionGuestAgent

If the write-host command displays True, the VM Agent is installed. If it displays False, see the instructions and a link to the download in the Azure blog post VM Agent and Extensions - Part 2.

If the VM Agent is installed, run these commands to install the Symantec Endpoint Protection agent.

$Agent = Get-AzureVMAvailableExtension -Publisher Symantec -ExtensionName SymantecEndpointProtection

Set-AzureVMExtension -Publisher Symantec –Version $Agent.Version -ExtensionName SymantecEndpointProtection \
    -VM $vm | Update-AzureVM

To verify that the Symantec security extension has been installed and is up-to-date:

  1. Log on to the virtual machine. For instructions, see How to Log on to a Virtual Machine Running Windows Server.
  2. For Windows Server 2008 R2, click Start > Symantec Endpoint Protection. For Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2, from the start screen, type Symantec, and then click Symantec Endpoint Protection.
  3. From the Status tab of the Status-Symantec Endpoint Protection window, apply updates or restart if needed.

Additional resources

How to Log on to a Virtual Machine Running Windows Server

Azure VM Extensions and Features