Introduction

Overview

If you need to quickly learn how to use Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004, the Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 Administrator's Pocket Consultant is for you! This book will help administrators who are new to ISA Server learn the system and will provide valuable guidance to ISA Server 2000 administrators who want to learn the rich features available in this upgrade of the software. If you already know how to use ISA Server 2004, this book will serve as a quick reminder of how to perform certain tasks.

Our goal is to provide a specific resource for administrators of ISA Server—those people who use the product on a day-to-day basis. With this book, you don't need to wade through the theory behind how ISA Server could or should work in different environments; instead, you can find the right reference that concisely explains how to conduct a specific activity right away.

With the increase in the number of viruses, threats from hackers, and the need for protecting data (as so much more proprietary company information is exposed these days), your need for a well-tuned ISA server also increases daily. An incorrectly configured firewall is worse than no firewall at all in many cases, as it provides you with a false sense of security.

So many of the books on ISA Server on the market today provide a wealth of information, but they can't be neatly tucked under your arm while you're rushing to troubleshoot this hour's crisis with your systems. With the lack of time and resources available in most companies, administrators need a practical reference guide that provides fast and accurate answers to most basic questions about how to install, configure, and operate ISA Server 2004.

This "survival manual" helps provide you with a quick and easy-to-access set of answers for common ISA Server configuration and operations questions. This book focuses on the most common tasks you need to perform, such as installing ISA Server, publishing a web server, or setting up a virtual private network (VPN). Of course, this book will not provide an answer for every question, but it will provide clear and useful instructions for the most common scenarios in use today, and will provide references that direct you to other, more comprehensive resources.