A Smart Protection Server hosts the Smart Scan Pattern and Web Blocking List. These patterns contain the majority of pattern definitions and URL reputations. Smart Protection Server updates these patterns every hour. PortalProtect clients that use smart scan (which is part of the File Reputation Service) do not download the Smart Scan Pattern. Smart scan clients verify potential threats against the pattern by sending scan queries to the Smart Protection Server. In the smart scan solution, clients send identification information determined by Trend Micro technology to Smart Protection Servers. Clients never send the entire file and the risk of the file is determined using the identification information.
PortalProtect clients that use Web reputation also do not download the Web Blocking List. Web reputation clients verify potentially malicious Web sites against the blocking list by sending queries to the Smart Protection Server or Smart Protection Network. Clients access a Web site and smart protection verifies the URL credibility. If smart protection determines that the Web site is safe, PortalProtect allows the user to access the site. However, if the site is potentially malicious, PortalProtect blocks access to the site.
The other pattern used in the smart protection solutions, called Smart Scan Agent Pattern, is hosted on the client update source (the PortalProtect server or a customized update source) and downloaded by clients.
There are no component download overlaps between the Smart Protection Server and the PortalProtect server because each server downloads a specific set of components. A Smart Protection Server downloads only the Smart Scan Pattern and Web Blocking List, while the PortalProtect server downloads all the other components.
The following explains the Smart Protection Server:
Standalone Smart Protection Server: A standalone Smart Protection Server installs on a VMware or Hyper-V server. The standalone server has a separate management console and is not managed from the PortalProtect Web console.