BigFix Clients are the endpoints that run the BigFix Agent software and communicate with the BigFix Server or Relays.
BigFix Clients periodically check for new content from the BigFix Server or Relays, such as Fixlets, Tasks, Actions, or Analyses.
The default interval for checking new content is 15 minutes, but this can be configured by the BigFix Administrator.
To reduce the network traffic and latency, BigFix also uses a notification mechanism to inform the BigFix Clients of new content as soon as possible.
The notification mechanism uses the UDP protocol, which is a connectionless and lightweight protocol that does not require a handshake or acknowledgment.
The BigFix Server or Relays send UDP packets to the BigFix Clients on port 52311, which is the default port for BigFix communication.
The UDP packets do not contain any content, but only serve to notify the BigFix Clients that there is something new for them to gather.
Upon receiving a UDP notification, the BigFix Client initiates a TCP connection to the BigFix Server or Relay to gather the new content over a secure and reliable channel.
The UDP notification mechanism can be enabled or disabled by the BigFix Administrator, and it can also be configured to use different ports or multicast addresses. References:
BigFix Architecture
BigFix Client Settings
BigFix Notification Guide
