Private P2P Software Distribution

To minimize external bandwidth usage during third-party software patching and deployment, Action1 employs a proprietary peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing protocol that efficiently distributes updates and software downloads among endpoints within the same network. This approach makes Action1 a bandwidth-friendly cloud solution.

How it works

When an Action1 agent needs to download an application for installation or updating, it first searches for other Action1 agents (“peers”) on the local network that have already downloaded parts of the application setup package.

The agent uses a special protocol, Local Peer Discovery, to locate peers. If no other peers on the same LAN have downloaded the package, the agent retrieves it from Action1 cloud servers, making it accessible to other peers.

No on-premises infrastructure

Unlike many other solutions, Action1 does not necessitate deploying dedicated on-premise file distribution servers or appliances. Each Action1 agent serves as a distribution point in a fully symmetric manner, preventing a single point of failure in your software deployment or patching process.

Configuration

Private P2P patch distribution is always enabled, so no additional steps are needed to activate it. However, to ensure proper functioning, a specific firewall configuration may be necessary. Ports 22551 (TCP) and 6771 (TCP and UDP) should be open for local-only inbound and outbound connections on the endpoints. The agent automatically creates local Windows firewall rules, but your network infrastructure might override this.

Reliability

The Action1 agent uses the most reliable source for each download and stores a temporary local cache of all downloaded files. Files are divided into small pieces to ensure a dependable incremental exchange between peer agents. Each peer then assembles these pieces like a puzzle to reconstruct the original file obtained from multiple sources.

Performance

To prevent overloading any specific endpoint, each agent has a maximum safety limit of 200 simultaneous incoming connections. The agent’s algorithm automatically redistributes peer connection distribution, and actual connection utilization rarely surpasses a fraction of the allowed maximum.

Windows Update Delivery Optimization by Microsoft

For distributing Windows updates, Action1 relies on Microsoft’s Windows Update Delivery Optimization technology. We recommend reviewing your current Update Delivery Optimization configuration and making adjustments as necessary.

For more information on setting up delivery optimization for Windows, please refer to Microsoft’s documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/do/waas-delivery-optimization-setup