Removing web protection components

Applies to:
  • Forcepoint Web Security, v8.5.x
  • Forcepoint URL Filtering, v8.5.x

Both Policy Broker and the Policy Server instance associated with each set of components you want to remove must be running when you start the removal process.

  • Policy Broker may be running on a different machine from the applicable Policy Server instance.
  • Policy Broker and Policy Server may be on different machines from the component being removed.
  • If you have Forcepoint appliances, Policy Broker and Policy Server run on the full policy source appliance.

    Policy Server also runs on user directory and filtering appliances.

Web protection components should be removed in a particular order because of certain dependencies (see Removal order of web protection components). If you are removing all components on a machine, make sure you move any custom files you want preserved beforehand (see Preserving custom data before removing a web protection component). Also, if your web protection deployment is integrated with another product, see the following for any integration-specific requirements:

  • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with Cisco
  • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with Citrix
  • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with TMG
  • Installing for Universal Integrations

Removal instructions are slightly different depending on the operating system:

To remove web protection components (Windows)

Note: After uninstalling components, you may be prompted to restart the machine.
  1. Before removing components:
    • Use the Backup Utility to make a backup of web protection configuration and initialization files. See the Backup and Restore FAQ for instructions.
    • If you are removing components from a Windows Server 2008 machine, log in as the built-in administrator, or run the installer with elevated (full administrator) privileges.
  2. Log on with local administrator privileges.
  3. Close all applications except your web protection software (see the next step) and stop any antivirus software.
  4. Make sure your web protection software is running. The uninstaller looks for Policy Server during the removal process.
    Warning: Do not remove web protection components without the associated Policy Server running. Policy Server keeps track of configuration and component locations. If Policy Server is not running, files for the selected components are still removed, but configuration information is not updated for those components. Problems could occur later if you attempt to reinstall these components.
  5. Start the Forcepoint Security Installer.
    • If you chose to keep installation files after the initial installation, go to the Windows Start screen, or Start > All Programs > Forcepoint and select Forcepoint Security Setup to start the installer without having to re-extract files.
    • Otherwise, double-click the installer executable.
  6. In Modify Installation dashboard, click the Remove link for Web Protection Solutions.
  7. At the Remove Components screen, select the components you want to remove and then click Next.
    Warning:
    • When removing components separately, always remove all other components, then Policy Server, and finally Policy Broker.
    • Do not remove Policy Server before any component other than Policy Broker. Removing Policy Server cuts off communication with the remaining web protection components and requires the reinstallation of those components.
    Note: If you are removing Filtering Service, all associated Network Agents must have already been removed. If you try to remove Network Agent after its associated Filtering Service has been removed, the uninstaller cannot stop Network Agent and an error message is displayed.

    If Policy Server is not running, a message indicates removing web protection components may require communication with Policy Server.

    1. Cancel the uninstaller.
    2. Restart the Websense Policy Server service from the Windows Services tool.
    3. Start the installer again and follow removal instructions again (Step 5).
  8. At the Summary screen, click Next.

    The Installation screen appears, showing removal progress.

    If you are uninstalling Network Agent after Policy Server has already been removed, expect the process to take several minutes. Network Agent is successfully uninstalled, although no progress notification is displayed.

  9. At the Uninstall Complete screen, click Uninstall.
    Important: Do not click Cancel in the Uninstall Complete screen. This renders the uninstallation incomplete. Be sure to click Uninstall.
  10. You are returned to the Modify Installation dashboard.
  11. If you stopped your antivirus software, restart it.
  12. If you remove an integration plug-in, you may need to restart the integration product. See:
    • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with Cisco
    • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with Citrix
    • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with TMG
    • Installing for Universal Integrations

To remove web protection components (Linux)

Note: Before removing components, use the Backup Utility to back up web protection configuration and initialization files. See the Backup and Restore FAQ for instructions.
  1. Log on as root.
  2. Close all applications except your web protection software and stop any antivirus software.
  3. Make sure your web protection software is running. The uninstaller looks for Policy Server during the removal process.
    Warning:
    • When removing components separately, always remove all other components, then Policy Server, and finally Policy Broker.
    • Do not remove Policy Server before any component other than Policy Broker. Removing Policy Server cuts off communication with the remaining web protection components and requires the reinstallation of those components.
    Note: If you are removing Filtering Service, all associated Network Agents must have already been removed. If you try to remove Network Agent after its associated Filtering Service has been removed, the uninstaller cannot stop Network Agent and an error message is displayed.
  4. Run the uninstall program from the product installation directory (/opt/Websense by default):

    ./uninstall.sh

    A graphical version is available on English versions of Linux. To run it, enter:

    ./uninstall.sh -g

    The installer detects the installed web protection components and lists them.

    Warning:
    • When removing components separately, always remove all other components, then Policy Server, and finally Policy Broker.
    • Do not remove Policy Server before any component other than Policy Broker. Removing Policy Server cuts off communication with the remaining components and requires the reinstallation of those components.
  5. Select the components you want to remove, and choose Next.
    Note: If you are removing Filtering Service, all associated Network Agents must have already been removed. If you try to remove Network Agent after its associated Filtering Service has been removed, Setup cannot stop Network Agent and an error message is displayed.

    If Policy Server is not running, a message tells you that removing components may require communication with Policy Server

    1. Cancel the uninstaller.
    2. Open a command shell and go to the Websense directory (/opt/Websense, by default).
    3. Enter the following command to start web protection services:

      ./WebsenseAdmin start

    4. Restart this process at Step 4.
  6. A list shows the components selected for removal. Choose Next.

    If you are uninstalling Network Agent on a remote machine after removing Policy Server, expect the process to take several minutes. Network Agent is successfully uninstalled, although no progress notification is displayed.

  7. A completion message indicates that components have been removed. Exit the installer.
  8. If you stopped your antivirus software, restart it.
  9. If you remove an integration plug-in, you may need to restart the integration product. See:
    • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with Cisco
    • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with Citrix
    • Integrating Forcepoint URL Filtering with TMG
    • Installing for Universal Integrations

Removal order of web protection components

When removing a particular web protection component, it is important to remove any dependent components first. Component dependencies are shown in the following diagram (note: not all web protection components are included; only those with removal dependencies are shown).

The dependency hierarchy goes from top-down, components below depend on components above. For example, if you want to remove Filtering Service, any associated Network Agent, Remote Filtering Server, and Filtering plug-in instances must be removed first. Likewise, to remove Policy Server, you must first remove any instances of the components below it in the diagram (which is everything except Policy Broker).

It is important to note that these dependencies apply to distributed components as well. The uninstaller will notify you of dependent components on the same machine. However, it cannot notify you of dependent components on other machines. You must be sure to remove any dependent components on other machines before removing a component on this machine. For example, to remove the Policy Server instance shown below (left-side illustration), you must first remove Network Agent and then Filtering Service on the two machines dependent on the Policy Server. The numbers in the right-side illustration indicate the proper order of removal.

Notice that each Network Agent is removed before its associated Filtering Service, which is required by the component dependencies. Also, it does not matter which Filtering Service and Network Agent pair is removed before the other—just both pairs must be removed prior to removing the Policy Server.

Preserving custom data before removing a web protection component

If you have data or files you created yourself in the web protection installation directory (default: C:\Program Files or Program Files (x86)\Websense\Web Security in Windows; /opt/Websense/ in Linux) or its sub-directories, copy them to another location before removing all web protection components. The uninstallation process may remove these files.

Note: If you have saved reports you want to retain after uninstalling all components, copy them from the ReportingOutput directory (under the Websense\Web Security directory). The report files are of the following types: *.pdf, *.xls, or *.zip (for HTML files).

Files of the following types are not removed by the uninstaller if they are located in the Websense\Web Security directory itself:

  • *.zip
  • *.mdb
  • *.mdf
  • *.ndf
  • *.ldf
  • *.bak

The above file types are protected from removal only in the Websense\Web Security directory itself. They may be removed if they reside in a subdirectory, unless either of the following is true:

  • They are in the backup subdirectory (C:\Program Files or Program Files (x86)\Websense\Web Security\backup in Windows; /opt/Websense/backup/ in Linux).
  • They are Log Database files.