We went back to the drawing board at the request of customers who do business on the Internet and need the security that only an enterprise-level firewall provides. A commercial version should be available in stores later this year. A long list of companies at TechEd 2000 announced compatible products that integrate and further enhance ISA Server's virus detection, content security, site categorization, reporting and management tools. We are thrilled that so many partners have already begun building upon ISA Server to develop security solutions for businesses on the Internet. By including both a firewall and cache on the same server, Xiang said, small companies can run both the firewall and cache on a single machine.
Large companies can manage separate installations with the same administrative tools.
Network administrators can create a single set of operating rules to control the firewall and cache from inside Windows 2000's Active Directory, which stores user data, policy and other configuration information. This makes management easier and more consistent, Lui said. A business using a separate firewall and cache can try to secure employee records on its intranet by setting restrictions at the firewall. But the firewall restrictions don't always apply if the records are also stored in the cache, which creates a risk of unauthorized access, Lui said. If not, you may end up inadvertently opening new holes for intruders.