Update the Geolocation Database
The geolocation database (GeoDB) is a database that you can leverage to view and filter traffic based on geographical location.
The system comes with an initial GeoDB that maps IP addresses to countries/continents, so that information should always be available. If you update the GeoDB, the system also downloads contextual data. This contextual data includes additional location details, as well as connection information such as ISP, connection type, proxy type, domain name, and so on. We also issue periodic updates to the GeoDB, and you must regularly update the GeoDB to have accurate geolocation information.
As a part of initial configuration, the system configures a weekly automatic GeoDB update. If configuring the update fails and the CDO has internet access, we recommend you configure regular GeoDB updates as described in Schedule GeoDB Updates.
The time needed to update the GeoDB depends on your appliance, but can take up to 45 minutes depending on the size of the update—for example, if this is the first time you are downloading the full GeoDB. Although a GeoDB update does not interrupt any other system functions (including the ongoing collection of geolocation information), the update does consume system resources while it completes. Consider this when planning your updates.
The GeoDB update overrides any previous versions of the GeoDB and is effective immediately. When you update the GeoDB, the CDO automatically updates the related data on its managed devices. It may take a few minutes for a GeoDB update to take effect throughout your deployment. You do not need to re-deploy after you update.
The System (
) page and the Help
(
) page both list the current version.
Note | In May 2022 we split the GeoDB into two packages: a country code package that maps IP addresses to countries/continents, and an IP package that contains the contextual data. The new country code package has the same file name as the old all-in-one package. This allows s running Version 7.1 and earlier to continue to obtain GeoDB updates. However, because this package now contains only country code mappings, the contextual data is no longer updated and will grow stale. To obtain fresh data, upgrade or reimage to Version 7.2+ and update the GeoDB. Note that this split does not affect geolocation rules or traffic handling in any way—those rules rely only on the data in the country code package. |