Issue: High Disk Space is being consumed by C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\outbox\Importpackage
C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\outbox\Importpackge is a folder that is first seen in SEP 12.1
Error: Files are created in the above stated folder that can grow and continue to take up all available HDD space.
Cause: These files were suppose to be Truncated during Upgrade process from Symantec Endpoint Protection version 11.x to Symantec Endpoint Protection version 12.1.
WorkAround Steps:
Follow the Steps below for deleting those files:
If incase, that does not Resolve.
Follow the Disaster Recovery steps for Symantec Endpoint Protection version 12.1
Yes, it's fixed in SEP 12.1 RU3 (12.1.3001.165) version.
Here are more details on it:
High disk space is consumed by C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\outbox\Importpackage
Fix ID: 2914951/3118490
Symptom: Hard drive space on the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager server is running low due to files building up in C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\outbox\Importpackage.
Reference link: New fixes and features in Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.3
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH206828
Well done! I have subscribed to any post posted to the Security Community Blog....until now I haven't really had a reliable way to get notices on updates, or perhaps haven't focused on doing it. Anyway, thank you Chetan!
Hi,
Symantec has released new version of Symantec Endpoint Protection. English versions of Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.5337.5000 (RU5) is now available.
It has new content storage optimization feature:
As part of the upgrade to SEPM 12.1 RU5, the SEPM converts all of the content from full definitions to delta definitions. This process is resource intensive and may take an extended period of time. After this process is completed, the SEPM will use significantly less disk space.
In a typical enterprise setup where 30 content revisions stored, the SEPM upgrade process must reduce 55GB of full content to under 2GB of delta content. This process requires significant resources to complete and is impacted by the performance of any available CPUs, CPU cores (physical/logical/hyperthreading), memory, and disks (I/O). On a server that performs multiple roles, stores larger numbers of content, or is otherwise resource constrained, this process may take a longer duration to complete.
Refer this article to find more info: The LiveUpdate content optimization and content storage space optimization steps take a long time to complete when upgrading to Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager 12.1 RU5
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH224055
RU5 was released last week.
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/symantec-has-released-new-version-symantec-endpoint-protection
I suppose you could say my frustration has passed for now, for me at least. The issue is semi-ongoing...on one SEPM it decided to stop, but also on that same SEPM it seems my clients can't communicate with it anymore since I up'd to MP1b I think it was. It's a lower priority item for the moment since it's an internal SEPM here not overly critial at the moment to operations but that mentality could change quickly. I'm waiting on RU5 to see what happens with all this.
I think Symantec's SEP people have just had a bad run in the past few years that I am hoping will improve soon. Clearly the product needs some work - in some ways a redesign I think is in order both to modernize the UI, get rid of Java dependence, and yes to absolutely put an end to bugs that are ridiculous to have around still. When RU5 comes out we'll hope for that .
MIXIT, I share your frustration. After deleteting these files every few months or so - for what seems like an eternity, I keep asking myself why I bother with Symantec.
Symantec, this is simply not good enough. The problem should not exist in the first place let alone expecting your customers to fix it manually for over three years!
One of my customers is a Charity organisation - a rescue helicopter service (not everyone can afford huge hard drives) and I dont dare to bill them for fixing this problem each time because I was the one who mistakenly recommended Symantec in the first place!
Get the basics right.
Thank you for the update Chetan. You've been around a long time here and your help and coninued support is very valuable. Whehever Symantec made the decision to have some veterans monitor the forums it was one of the best things they could have done. Unfortunately my experience, though limited and on a different issue but one that also required escalation (the issue is ongoing too I noticed just today), with phoning the support line seems to be reflected in WT Bloke's post - it seems rather than recognize that an escalation is needed, customers are made to follow steps that while valid, should only be the precursor to the escalation as identified by the scope and magnitude of the issue.
Sending a customer to the feature request section sounds like perhaps there is no escalation process at Symantec SEP support, or the 1st level tech support people need more training on how to manage cases. I mean no disrespect by saying that, but I personally have supervised tech support teams in a large support center environment so I have a good insight into what makes the tech support experience fail, and can usually recognize when an issue is something unique to a single or new agent vs. something that is systemic to the support organization. So with that said, again, thank you very much for being here on the forums.
Mithun as well, and I hope I am not forgetting other Symantec employees but I probably am, so my apologies!
I can assure you that disk space issue may get resolved permanantly in SEP 12.1 RU5 release, release is due for the 1st or 2nd week of Oct'14.
This thread is 3 years old and this disk space issue still exists in the latest 12.1.4 releases of Symantec (as of this posting). I opened a case with symantec and they had me do the following:
1. Delete all files from %installlocation%\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\outbox\ImportPackage folder. (without stopping any services)
2. Delete everything older than today's date in %installlocation%\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\Inetpub\content (also without stopping any services)
3. In the Symantec Admin Console go to Admin > Servers > localhost. Right-click localhost and truncate the transaction logs.
I understand these steps save space, and I was told to repeat them every 3-6 months as needed. This is NOT a good solution to the problem. The Symantec database still thinks these files exist and will most likely go looking for one of them in the future. I would like to get feedback from Symantec on why this is STILL an issue with the product 3 years later.
I understand having the customer delete the data manually is a temp-fix, but still advising this as the best solution 3 years after the issue is brought up is unacceptable, especially when you put the word "Enterprise" in the title of the product.
I asked for a way to escalate the issue and was told to go to http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO38237 to submit a feature request. Personally it seems as though other commenters may have done this already, but I'll follow the process and see if it gains any traction.
I don't think it was fixed in RU3, well actually I am fairly certain it wasn't since unfortunately all my installations of SEP (RU4 and later) are all showing the problem continuing to occur, but also please note the following in the Solution section of the article you had in your post:
Solution: Added an additional attempt to forcefully remove the files in the import folder if the first delete fails.
This doesn't seem to indicate they identified and fixed the root cause of the problem. Since all of my SEPM installations at both mine and customer sites are all having the problem (all using embedded database), it seems the solution provided in the fix doesn't work either. I'm sure if anybody else looked they'd find they have the same issue happying as I can't imagine I'm unique here. Thus it should be easy to reproduce in testing. I'm not doing anything special, all LU policies are default and such. I'll soon upgrade to 12.1.4 with MP1b to address that security issue found in MP1a. Maybe it'll clear up, we'll see :)
If you are at low diskspace, don't try to make a backup of the database. This backup program can only make a backup to the directory C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\backup which is on the full c-drive and will fail. You can better make a backup of the system drive to external with a program like symantec system recovery or ghost and then delete tis files.
Can anybody comment on whether or not this is or already has been addressed by Symantec engineering/development? Clearly this is a problem Symantec needs to fix.
Thanks.
it will not delete, you can delete the older ones from console
Is there a way to set up Endpoint Protection Manager to clear this directory( C:\Program Files\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager\data\outbox\Importpackage) periodically or only keep 3 months worth of files?
Sorry, this tool which is really just a script, did not work. SEPM 12.34
The script used up all remaining space on C drive which was less than 4gigs on windows server 2008 r2.
End Result, I had to uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection Management.
link for moving SEPM to another drive or server
http://www.symantec.com/connect/forums/out-disk-space-sepm-move-sepm-another-drive
Good Luck to others.
Thanks for your tool.
But it didn't help...
Try with following tool also:
Shrink the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager 12.1 embedded database
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/downloads/shrink-symantec-endpoint-protection-manager-121-embedded-database
Hello,
Did you follow the Disaster Recovery steps for SEP 12.1?
Again, what version are you carrying right now, SEP 12.1 RTM OR SEP 12.1 RU1?
Perform the Disaster Recovery and then Install the Latest version of SEP 12.1 RU1.
Hope that helps!!
Thank you for this solution. I reported this problem here: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/sep-121-disk-space-dataoutboximportpackage
Now, a few months later, I have the same problem again. You write I should follow the disaster recovery steps. (http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH160736)
Which steps do I have to perfom to solve the problem permanently? Do I have to reinstall the whole server?
Tanks for your help!